Ghetto house pioneer DJ Funk dies aged 54 · News ⟋ RA
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- The veteran Chicago producer and key Dance Mania artist had been in hospice care for cancer.
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Chicago ghetto house legend Charles Chambers, AKA DJ Funk, has died, DJ Slugo confirmed to Resident Advisor. The veteran producer had been in palliative care for cancer—he was 54 years old.
Earlier this week, Chambers’ family launched a fundraiser for his funeral costs, writing: “DJ Funk, a talented artist who has brought so much joy and inspiration to so many through his music, is now facing the heartbreaking reality of planning for his final farewell.” The fund has since raised nearly $30,000.
Born in 1971, Funk burst onto the Midwest rave scene in the early 1990s, earning a strong reputation playing underground parties around Chicago and Detroit. Blending roiling strains of Miami bass, house and hip-hop into a brand-new sound, he is credited with pioneering a sound that would become known as ghetto house.
Working closely with artists like Slugo, Traxman and DJ Deeon, Funk carved out a lane for ghetto house in the mid-’90s with a series of influential EPs on Dance Mania, such as House The Groove, House Trax II and The Original Video Clash.
He launched his own label, Funk Records, in 2006, releasing solo mixtapes, singles and compilations with Jeff Mills, Deeon, Houz’mon and more. That same year, he collaborated with French icons Justice on a Waters of Nazareth remix EP, where Funk put his own spin on “Let There Be Light.”
Countless producers have cited Funk as a reference, inspiration or both. On Daft Punk’s “Teachers,” Funk is among the Midwestern dance music architects called out by name as influences on the group’s debut album, Homework. His high-octane performance style was canonised on Hardcore Traxx, the 2013 compilation which gave Dance Mania a substantial second wave of global attention.
In a tribute shared today, Miami-born DJ Jubilee wrote: “DJ Funk introduced me to house music…def would have never been a DJ without his influence.” Mike Servito echoed the sentiment in his own statement, writing: “Many of us learned how to jack a beat via DJ Funk’s music.”
In a 2015 interview with Red Bull’s Music Academy, Funk elaborated on developing his style, sharing: “I just decided that I just needed to be more real and more like myself. I decided, if I go one route, I’m a sound like everybody else. If I take it this route and make something like ‘Pussy Ride,’ that’s something that’ll shock a motherfucker.”
Listen to Booty House Anthems and read some tributes below.
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