Zachary "Zack", (Michael Rapaport) is an eighteen year old introverted Jewish DJ and rapper, who lives with his chauvinistic father Richard (Ray Sharkey), who runs a record store specializing in blues and jazz music. Zack's mother died when he was very young. Zack's best childhood friend is a young black man named Dee (DeShonn Castle), who along with Zack is also a rapper, and the both of them record music together. Zack works part time at an Italian restaurant. In Zack's neighborhood, there is an eccentric man named Dominic (Kevin Corrigan) who is a pyromaniac that lives on land adjacent to an industrial power plant.