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Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
DJ Funk, Ghetto House Trailblazer, Dies at 54
DJ Funk, the Chicago legend who coined the term "ghetto house," has died. The musician, whose real name was Charles Chambers, was 54. Funk's death was confirmed to PEOPLE by his friend and collaborator DJ Slugo. "He was one of the pioneers of the sound we call ghetto house music in Chicago," he wrote in an email statement. "We love and miss you my brother, and I won't let our sound die." Related: DJ Unk, 'Walk It Out' and '2 Step' Rapper, Dies at 43 Slugo also shared an Instagram Reel of him driving to the late musician's music on Wednesday, March 5. "RIP DJ FUNK 😔" he captioned the post. No specific cause of death was revealed, but news of Funk's death comes just days after his family launched a GoFundMe to help cover funeral costs after they said Funk was coming to the end of his battle with stage 4 cancer. "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," they wrote in a statement on the page. "He has been bravely battling stage 4 cancer and now doesn't have much longer left. We are raising $10,000 to cover funeral arrangements and give him the tribute he deserves." They added: "This is a challenging time for the family and any support you can provide whether through donations or sharing this post would mean the world to us. Thank you." A rep for Funk could not be reached by PEOPLE for comment. As the pioneer of "ghetto house" aka "booty house," Funk helped shape the sound of the late '80s and early '90s, fusing sped-up beats, bass and vocals and raunchy lyrics, crafting tracks like 'Work Dat Body,' 'Run' and 'Pump It.' Born in 1971, he emerged as a fixture of the Chicago and Detroit rave scene, performing at underground parties in the early '90s. Over the years, he collaborated with Slugo, DJ Deeon and Traxman and released several influential EPs, including House The Groove, House Trax II and The Original Video 2006, Funk launched his own label, Funk Records, where he released mixtapes, singles and collaborations with Jeff Mills, Houz'mon, Deeon and more. That year, he also teamed up with Justice on a Waters of Nazareth remix EP. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Related: My Chemical Romance Rocker Bob Bryar's Cause of Death Ruled 'Undetermined,' Nitrous Oxide Found Near Body: Autopsy (Report) He even received recognition by Daft Punk on their 1997 track 'Teachers,' where he earned a mention alongside Chicago house legend Paul Johnson, as well as George Clinton, Lil Louis, Kenny Dope, Dr. Dre, and more. In a 2005 interview, Funk opened up to Red Bull Music Academy about carving his own lane in the music industry. "I just decided that I just needed to be more real and more like myself," he said at the time. "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 motherf---er." Read the original article on People
The Guardian
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
DJ Funk, trailblazing Chicago ghetto house producer, dies aged 54
DJ Funk, the producer who coined the term 'ghetto house' and was one of the Chicago scene's key innovators, has died aged 54. His death was confirmed by close friend and collaborator DJ Slugo, who announced the news via a post on Instagram. The artist, whose real name was Charles Chambers, had stage four cancer and his family had launched a fundraising appeal to help pay for his funeral this week. Chambers' productions, which he dubbed ghetto house but were also known as booty house, took house music's basic components (beats, bass and vocals) and sped them up, while adding raunchy lyrics. Artists including DJ Assault, DJ Deeon and DJ Houzman were inspired by Miami bass and their city's house scene, releasing on Chicago labels Dance Mania (which DJ Funk eventually owned) and Pro-Jex. Songs like Work Dat Body, Pump It and Run became dancefloor fillers across the American midwest and eventually around the world, powered by their call and response lyrics, which were often crude and overtly sexual. The DJ Funk brand was huge in his native Chicago, while his 1999 album Booty House Anthems reportedly sold a reported 1m copies across the US, and it led to two more volumes being released. Jeff Mills and Glasgow's Jackmaster both included DJ Funk tracks on influential mixes, while the building blocks of ghetto house evolved into the Footwork scene that is still thriving in Chicago. When asked how he had sustained such a long career, Chambers said: 'Not giving up, doing my thing. One thing I got mad at a lot of artists for is that they would make a genre or sound, and then they wouldn't do it no more, they went super pop and sold their souls to the devil. I think that you need to keep doing whatever you are doing.' The French duo Daft Punk mentioned DJ Funk in their track Teachers, from their debut album Homework, in which they list all the producers who had influenced their sound. The French connection continued when Justice asked DJ Funk to remix Let There Be Light in 2013. Speaking to the Guardian in 2015, DJ Funk discussed how he'd like to be commemorated. 'I really don't want a funeral,' he said. 'I'd like to have a party so people remember all the good times and aren't sad. Then at the afterparty there'll be a lot of booty shaking with all my music played.'
