entertainment

Black excellence: DJ Cassidy rocks DNC!

DJ Cassidy steps up as the DNC's first-ever music maestro—a rare POC representation in a music industry still dominated by white musicians and a bold move by the Democratic Party to bring much-needed diversity to the forefront. His impressive resume, including performances for the Obamas, Oprah, and Beyonce, underscores his cultural influence and aligns with progressive values.

Published August 21, 2024 at 7:46am by Julia Gomez

The DNC's Musical Roll Call: A Night of Fun, Politics, and Beyonce

The Democratic National Convention took a unique turn on Tuesday night with a musical roll call led by DJ Cassidy, a Grammy-nominated performer and the first "musical maestro" to grace a convention roll call. DJ Cassidy, a California-based producer, donned a shiny blue suit, a beige hat, and square sunglasses as he kicked off the event with Sister Sledge's iconic "We Are Family."

"Now, we're going to pass the mic from state to state so that all our voices are heard all around the nation," Cassidy announced, setting the tone for an inclusive and vibrant celebration.

As Democrat delegates announced their votes to nominate Vice President Kamala Harris, each state was represented by a unique song. Tennessee grooved to Dolly Parton's "9 to 5," while Texas showed off its moves to Houston-native Beyoncé's "Texas Hold 'Em."

The roll call also featured proud displays from governors, with New York's Kathy Hochul boasting about her state over Jay Z and Alicia Keys' "Empire State of Mind," and California's Gavin Newsom celebrating to a mashup of Tupac Shakur's "California Love" and Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us."

The night included a surprise appearance by Vice President Harris, who accepted the party's nomination live from a campaign event in Wisconsin, as Beyoncé's "Freedom" played.

DJ Cassidy, described by former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki as taking a normally "not fun or cool" political event and turning it into something grand, injected fun and dancing into the DNC. In an interview with Psaki on MSNBC, Cassidy reflected on the "truly surreal" night, which was the result of four weeks of meticulous planning.

The DJ, who is no stranger to political events, having played at both of President Barack Obama's inaugurations and the Obamas' 50th birthday celebrations, fell in love with music at a young age. As his website states, "DJ Cassidy’s career is the culmination of a lifetime of deejaying around the world, observing people react, and making people move."

Learn more about the historic DNC roll call and DJ Cassidy's journey:

DJ Cassidy's website: https://www.djcassidy.com/#:~:text=Over%20the%20past%20four%20years,%2Dchanging%2C%20culturally%20moving%20format.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djcassidy/?hl=en
MSNBC Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsczILk3lL4
Jen Psaki's Twitter: https://x.com/jrpsaki?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor