Chicago Ghetto Space Legend Dies at 54

Influential Chicago musician DJ Funk, credited with coining the time period “ghetto space,” has died at 54. The scoop was once introduced via good friend and collaborator DJ Slugo, who printed Funk’s passing in a video posted to Instagram on Wednesday (March 5). The scoop got here only a few days after the the DJ’s circle of relatives began a GoFundMe to lend a hand quilt funeral prices once they mentioned the artist born Charles Chambers was once nearing the tip of a protracted combat with degree 4 most cancers. At press time Billboard had now not independently showed Funk’s demise.

Funk made his title because the pioneer of the ghetto space (aka “booty space”) sound that bubbled up in his local Chicago within the early past due Eighties and early Nineties, blending spare drum device beats with lascivious, speeded up vocals on cherished tracks together with “Paintings Dat Frame,” “Run” and “Pump It.”

Born in Chicago on March 5, 1971, Funk made his title within the early ’90s on a lot of influential EPs for the Dancemania label (which he took possession of in 2005), together with the Boulevard Traxx sequence, in addition to Space the Groove, Pumpin’ Tracks and The Authentic Video Conflict. His popularity amongst hardcore space heads reached its apex in 1999 with the discharge of his first Booty Space Anthems album, which was once adopted via sequels in 2006 and 2013, in addition to high-energy DJ units at golf equipment and raves around the Midwest, the place he would play his pitched-up, sex-themed songs at a rapid-fire tempo, by no means lingering on any observe for too lengthy.

Regardless that he by no means scored a conventional chart hit, Funk was once received world popularity in 2013 for his remix of French digital duo Justice’s music “Let There Be Mild” on which he demanded “I wanna see that ass bouncing” over one in all his signature hyper-speed beats and a minimum, hypnotic bass line.

He was once additionally given a distinguished shout-out via Daft Punk on their 1997 Homework album observe “Lecturers,” the place he got here in as the second one point out at the music in the back of fellow influential Chicago space legend Paul Johnson, and smartly forward of a few extra well known names akin to George Clinton, Lil Louis, Kenny Dope, Dr. Dre, Jeff Generators and Joey Beltram.

Funk launched dozens of singles, remixes and blend CDs over his just about 30-year occupation and carried out along such legends as Unhealthy Boy Invoice and Felix Da Housecat on the Out Chilly indoor tune pageant in Aurora, IL in February 2024.

In an interview with the Parent in 2015, Funk printed how he’d love to be remembered when he was once long past. “I actually don’t desire a funeral,” he mentioned. “I’d love to have a celebration so other people be mindful all of the just right occasions and aren’t unhappy. Then on the afterparty there’ll be numerous booty shaking with all my tune performed.”

Take a look at a few of Funk’s songs and tributes from fellow DJs beneath.