Written by Israel Lerma
Atlanta-based quadruple threat Zack Fox performed at Houston's White Oak Music Hall on November 22nd. A stand-up 
comedian, rapper, actor, and now DJ, Fox has done it all. Fox and his DJ openers, IDKRYAN and Hyperrace, spun and provided the vibes. The doors opened at 8 pm, with the first opener, IDKRYAN, coming out, and exactly an hour later. Playing his one-hour set, IDKRYAN is a DJ and producer from Houston, providing a techno-hip hop classic vibe for the night. His whole set was a constant vibe, with smooth transitions being subtle and foreshadowing. I loved how he used isolated vocals from “Whoomp! (There It Is)”. He used a lot of isolation with specific instruments, but primarily the vocals. He engaged the crowd with this technique, having them reciprocate the same energy, something every DJ should aim for. This has been my first time seeing a DJ set live, so to see IDKRYAN on stage manipulating well known songs was an amazing experience. I felt every snare hit and bass sample, and coupled with the countless smooth transitions, made it quite a surreal experience. It was as if every two minutes, a different song would play, and every eight measures, something would be constantly added or taken away. My biggest highlight of IDKRYAN’s set was when he did a mashup of "Sticky” and “Tamale” by Tyler, The Creator. Hearing both songs mixed in a club/house mix with an almost doubled BMP was insane!
An hour later, a DJ duo from Houston, Hyperace, came on stage. There was a seamless transition between IDKRYAN and Hyperrace, which was so smooth that I didn't even expect it. Throughout their entire set, they played various genres, including club/house, pop, hip-hop, and R&B. Moments that stuck with me were at the beginning, when they chopped up vocals over a synth-heavy beat that continued to repeat. It was such a dope use of vocals, especially when it's in a constant spliced-up one-second loop; the cherry on top was the bassy transition that made it perfect. Throughout the set, I would turn around and see people dancing and vibing in a way I did not expect. Hyperace closed off their set, transitioning into Zack Fox. I heard the loud cheers from the crowd and the mixed vocals from the set created this moment of harmonic peace as Zack entered the building.
Zack Fox came on exactly at 10 pm and played for two hours and thirty minutes. For the first ten minutes, I was at the photo pit taking as many photos as I could and enjoying the moment. This was the first time I had ever been in front of the barricade, which was a surreal feeling as Zack himself was just a few feet away from me!
How Fox blended genres was amazing, from pop to rap to Mexican music;
I appreciate the diversity in the genres of music. During his set, Fox performed a monologue about the creative minds behind mainstream music and how it was developed by minorities. Throughout his set, he paid homage to Detroit, Atlanta, and Chicago, crucial cities that developed the styles of music he borrowed from. While performing, Fox had such an entertaining presence when he was spinning; the way he moves and grooves is so clean, and it provides an underlying tone of how the crowd should respond. Seriously, look up a Zack show on YouTube, and the way he portrays and dances himself makes the vibe (I recommend you to watch his Camp Flog Gnaw Set 2025, just released). Also, credit to his entourage, who also helped to enhance the vibe; they were killing it! Fox’s DJ set had a great selection of songs from “Millionaire” by Kelis (feat. Andre 3000) to a modified version of “Family Ties” by Baby Keem. The isolated vocals of “Family Ties” played over a club beat. Hearing Baby Keem's part at almost 2 times its tempo w
as a neat touch. Overall, Zack Fox is a creative genius with so much talent. His sets were inspiring because of his ability to get the crowd moving. For four hours (of pure spinning!), I was always dancing and vibing. Lastly, thank you to the White Oak Hall Staff for being the nicest and giving me the opportunity to be in the photo pit! Most importantly, shout out to Zack Fox for being my first proper DJ set. Fox did not disappoint, and he needs to be seen live if he tours in your city.