Footwork vs. the World

There was a big stir in the dance world recently when the FootWorKingz made it to America's Best Dance Crew and Chicagoans thought that footworking had made it. Although it was true that footworking as a movement had made it to a national stage, it was far from world domination.  Now, there are some hard truths that will be stated in this post that the majority of you will not take lightly.  Infact, I believe many of you will lash out in defense of the culture.  It's a sad fact of the situation and none of your outbursts will solve the problem at hand.  The hard truth of it is that footworking alone will not allow you to dominate on a world stage.  I'll say it again so that the people int he back can hear it:  FOOTWORKING ALONE will not allow you to DOMINATE on a WORLD STAGE!  If it wasn't evident by the quick elimination of the FootWorKingz on ABDC it should be evident by the history of footwork and what has been lost.

Originally, there were dance groups in Chicago back in the 90's that started footworking.  It is said that the first footwork track was made by RP Bu but that can be disputed by earlier examples by DJ Clent (his Halsted Street track being a prime example from the 1996 HSE V2 mix by DJ Greedy and DJ Flint).  Before that footworkers would dance to any track that had a staccato beat.  Of the groups that featured footworking in their routines, you would have a myriad of styles during the routines and they would end the routines with their strongest dancers showcasing their footwork skills.  It wasn't just footwork, footwork, footwork, footwork, rest and then more footwork.  There were the poppers, the animators, the erkers and jerkers and all of it went together as a dance routine.  Somehow it all got reduced to just showing off the footwork.

With the untimely death of DJ Rashad, the spotlight has been put on the footwork world and quite a few producers and dancers are coming to the forefront.  It remains to be seen what they will do with this attention.

The Graffiti world pays homage to DJ Rashad

There are a few tributes that have popped up for DJ Rashad worldwide.  Here are a few we stumble upon.

DJ Rashad tribute planned

The Chicago House and Juke worlds are responding and have planned a tribute event for DJ Rashad.  THe event will be held at the Evil Olive,  1551 W. Division St. (Milwaukee and Division) in Chicago.  All of the proceeds will be donated to Rashad's son and family.

Rest In Peace DJ Rashad 1979-2014

DJ Rashad passed recently and the Juke world mourns.  Of all the Juke producers active today, Rashad was the one person that was making Juke a commercially viable and real genre.  Now, that is saying a lot given the other people that populate the Juke world.  This would include such pioneers and Traxman, Gantman, RP Bu and DJ Clent.  We could go on with that list as Juke has exploded onto the world music scene but it has very stiff competition in today's music.  In Chicago, Juke is constantly put up against Trap which many think is just Juke at half speed or Rap beats using electronic beats instead of sampling.

When Rashad passed there was a ton of speculation about how he passed because of how he was found.  Many people were ready to believe the worst considering his rise in the business but the truth of it was too boring for the general public.  The truth is that Rashad did not have a meteoric rise to the top.  He worked at it and grinded until he got to where he felt he had made it.  His career easily spanned two decades and included what some would have called rough spots like any other music professional.  We were all ready to believe that a fast lifestyle claimed another young talent when what really occurred was he became obsessed with his career and neglected his health.  He died of a blood clot in his leg which is something that could have taken any person you know.  It could have easily been any of a hundred different scenarios similar to what truly happened.  Now it is up to the people that were so ready to believe the more sensational headlines to spread the truth and then allow the man to truly rest in peace.  For more on the subject you can read about it here.

Juke in Japan

Every now and then I stumble upon a scene somewhere other than Chicago.  This time it's Japan.  Now I personally have never been there, although I would very much like to go, I have people that have been and they say that Juke and Footwork in Japan is very big and would dare to say bigger there than in Chicago where it originated.  I say good for Japan.  Do what you can where we can't.  Make it huge and make it your own.  Chicago is too stuck in gangs and violence to make it spread to the world the way we should have.  Take a look at this video link for a recent set from Japan.  Very good music and beat selection.

Here is a tracklist so don't flood my inbox asking me who did what.  LOL!





Tracklist
1.Jimmy Edgar-Midnight Fone Call(!k7 Records)
2.FRUITY-Break Da Law(Forthcoming on SHINKARON)
3.DJ Diamond-Itz Not Rite(Liquorish Dubz)
4.DJ Rashad-Itz Not Rite(planet-mu)
5.DJ Spinn&DJ Rashad-Space Juke(Ghettophiles)
6.Boogie Mann-Let Me Know U Care(forthcoming on SHINKARON)
7.Paisley Parks-Shine(Бｈ○§†)
8.Boylan-High Lite(Moveltraxx)
9.RP BOO-187Homicide(planet-mu)
10.K.Locke-Sleepy(forthcoming on BootyTune)
11.Weezy-Madafucka(forthcoming on SHINKARON)
12.DJ Rashad&DJ Manny-Drumplease(HyperDub)
13.DJ Rashad-Ghetto Tekz Runnin It ft.Add-2(Ghettophiles)
14.DJ Manny-Good Feeln yea
15.Traxman-Chillll(planet-mu)
16.Punpee(beats by Sataniacpornocultshop)-Badhabit(160OR80)
17.2000F&J Kamata-You Don't Know What Love Is(HyperDub)
18.???
19.Paisley Parks-Flying Foot(Forthcoming on SHINKARON)
20.Seiho-I Feel Rave(DayTripperRecords)
21.???
22.DJ Roc-Deez Bitches Crazy(SHINKARON)
23.RP Boo-Speakers R-4(planet-mu)
24.Traxman-Blow Yo Shit(Lenkemz remix) (Sensless records)
25.Baauer-Harlem Shake(Gant-Man Juke Rework)
26.Cajmere-Percolator (Gant man Jukeolator Mix)
27.DJ Phil-Be Mine(Ghettophiles)
28.DJ Vic-I'll Bang Lil Mama(Subterranean Playhouse)
29.Starski&Clutch-East To West(Databass)
30.J(ay).A.D-Everynight(FRUITY remix)
31.Mele-Beamer(Grizzly)
32.YOSHIMURA GUNGNEN-A.S.A.M.I(SHINKARON)
33.K.Locke-Kids Going H.A.M(forthcoming on BootyTune)
34.DJ Roc-Let's Get It Started(planet-mu)
35.Traxman-Let There Be Rockkkkk(planet-mu)
36.RP Boo-Steamidity(planet-mu)
37.FRUITY-Galileo(Forthcoming on SHINKARON)
38.DJ Earl-Set It Off(Moveltraxx)
39.DJ Rashad-I Don't Give A Fuck
40.D.J.Sauceman-How You Feel(KOOL SWITCH WORKS RECORDINGS)
41.DJ Spinn-All My Teklife
42.DJ Rashad&DJ Spinn-We Trippy Mane(Just Jam ver)
43.DJ Rashad-Drop Juke Out(Juke Trax Online)

Ghetto House mix

Here is a nice Old School Ghetto House mix by DJ Greedy and DJ Flint.  This was probably the best in the series.

Talking with Traxman about Juke

Traxman

Recently I was speaking with Traxman about the state of Juke around the world.  According to him it is a worldwide phenomenon despite Chicago seemingly ignoring what is happening outside of its borders.  There are a handful of Juke producers that travel outside of Chicago and even fewer that travel outside of the US.  I don't think it is on purpose as the producers within the city are unaware of the worldwide Juke movement.  Producers are just now becoming aware of Japan's Juke movement with labels like Booty Tune Records at the forefront.  When the Ghetto House movement was going strong and producers that were on Dance Mania Records started travelling outside of the US it was based on who had "hits" on other labels that licensed the popular music from Dance Mania. As that era started to end and a new generation of producers were producing Juke (which, by the way, is not the same as Ghetto House) they were unaware of the process as Dance Mania was in hiatus.  They simply did not have the exposure they needed to take advantage of the audience overseas.  Suddenly with the advent of Soundcloud and Bandcamp there was a new bridge to the fans of the Chicago sound that allowed people overseas to have ready access to Chicago music.  The fans still have a tendency to lump Juke and Ghetto House into one category but overall it's the Chicago sound that they are hearing and they want more.  With current labels like Halsted Street Entertainment, Planet Mu, Booty Tune, Tek Life and others the Chicago Juke sound is gaining ground.