CD Review: Z-Trip -- All-Pro
Z-Trip
All-Pro
Decon
Released 7-17-07
Not content to sit still and merely conquer the real world, local b-boy legend and undisputed King of Beats DJ Z-Trip has expanded his empire to include video games. His newest effort is the soundtrack to All-Pro Football 2K8 for X-Box 360. The CD starts out with a stadium shaker intro, reminiscent of Queen's "We Will Rock You." Rather than just mix the tracks into a seamless hip-hop event, Z-Trip produces the lion's share of the songs here. Fans of his earlier work will appreciate his signature trifecta: loud, bangin' rock mixed with smokin' beats and skillful scratching. Rakim and Chevelle make an appearance on "Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em 2007," and Run-D.M.C. samples aplenty appear on the track "Automatic At It," featuring Aceyalone. Z-Trip's steady production skills make it easier to take the extra aggro element on tracks like "Locked and Loaded," featuring the Deftones and Dead Prez. We get it — it's a football video game soundtrack. Still, Z-Trip never forgets his fans, and he leaves us with his 1998 homage to Rush's "Tom Sawyer." When DJ Faust asks us, "Who's the realest?" on the song "Sudden Death," it's mixed in with the signature Z-Trip scratch, just so there's no mistaking the answer to that question. -- By Sloane Burwell
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