Since their breakout hit "Mmhmm," DCG Shun and BSavv have maintained a consistent output. They dropped their debut album, Jungle Life, in 2022 and this month released Us, Never Them. Notably, "On the Ground" from the latter project, finds Shun and BSavv rapping over a footwork-influenced instrumental alongside fellow up-and-comer 2Rare, who’s made a name of himself making Philly Club records that share a danceable DNA to what Fya Man produced here.
Read More
With his consistent output of high-quality music, it's highly likely that LFT's name will continue to ring out in Chicago's music scene in the coming months.
Read More
Best described as a down-to-earth Chicago native whose skill exceeds his modest nature, Ignacio Ceja, more commonly known as DJ IGGY, has a reputation for transcending party-goers to the pulsating realm of music.
Read More
“Mamacita” by Mama Million is a late entry to the summer anthem conversation and likely still too hyperlocal, but the record has been getting steam and it’s hard to deny its quality. With producer HardKnock providing the brooding strings and pummeling 808s, Mama finds a couple of fun pockets to deliver a memorable hook and a verse that showcases her personality.
Read More
“poster CHILD” is an early favorite. Not only does it highlight AUSAR’s dexterity as a storyteller, but he uses Chicago’s connective tissue as a device to illustrate his career and personal development. We hear the South Side emcee go from being schoolmates with Taylor Bennett in grade school, to auditioning in front of Chance The Rapper in college to finding himself amidst an exciting new movement in the city as a young adult.
Read More
A rapper who spits perceptive verses over introspective soul samples, The Third is undeniably skillful at his craft. The intense effort and consistency across his discography act as further proof that the young rapper is wise beyond his years. It’s no surprise that The Third was the winner at this year’s Young Chicago Authors’ MC Olympics.
Read More
There are a lot of things I don’t understand about KAFIZA, like how they wrote, recorded, and released their album in one month (the shortest month, at that). Or how they’re managing to book an American tour when they’ve existed for less than six months. But after sitting down and talking to them, some of it started to make sense. I could try to explain, but I’ll let you, reader, suss it out for yourself.
Read More
On The ONEderful Nephew, his new tape produced by Chicago-bred Brooklynite DJ Rude One, RXK Nephew kicks the door down between these two worlds while ripping through any preconceived notions fans and critics may have had about him.
Read More
Jay Wood sat down with These Days to talk about the film screening of his mini-doc for the single “HOMESICK” featuring femdot., the difficulties he faced while creating it, and the importance of fully funding arts programs in the public school system.
Read More
With the release of her album Moody Umbra checked off her list, Shawnee Dez is moving into the next phase: cultivating its legacy amongst old and new listeners.
Read More
In light of their recent U.S. tour with whoTF, we caught up with Fraxiom to talk about moving to Chicago, their production methods, and their plans for this year.
Read More
These Days had a chance to sit down with Tramaine to get more context on how he became the prolific writer that he is, the differences between Chicago & L.A., why his sound is so Southern in nature and more.
Read More
Growing up listening to the likes of DJ Premiere, Nas, OutKast, and J. Cole, Amir’s care for songwriting and rapping dexterity is more than evident in his songs.
Read More
These Days catches up with rapper Jabba44x to learn more about his upbringing in Chicago, how basketball influenced the work ethic he approaches his music with, the concept behind his next project Prairie Ave. and more.
Read More