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Music, Music Feature Feb 5, 2020
Building on the pillars of Blue Groove Lounge

The history of DJ Jesse de la Peña’s foundational Chicago hip-hop series, in the words of the people who made it work
- By Leor Galil
- Tags: Music Feature, Blue Groove Lounge, Elbo Room, anniversary, 25th anniversary, hip-hop, rap, Ang13, Kevin Coval, Jesse de la Peña, Dirty MF, Juice Rapper, SPO, Rubberoom, David "Cap D" Kelly, Cap D, All Natural, Iomos Marad, DJ Nonstop, Heavy Hitters, DMX, 104.3 Jams, Gravity, Grav, "Coolout Chris" Hawkins, Coolout Chris, Spalaney’s, Chicago Hip-Hop Initiative, Urbanized Music, Amina Norman-Hawkins, "Big Larry" Mondragon, Panik, Molemen, Pumpin' Pete, Rhymefest, Art of Culture Inc., Mario Smith, Lumpen Radio, Duro Wicks, Kingdom Rock, Blue Gargoyle, P-Lee Fresh, Steps, Lower Links, Wicker Park, Liquid Soul, Missy Elliott, Wyclef Jean, Fat Joe, Cypress Hill, Kanye West, Common, Lit-X, Triple X, Beat Parlor, Funky Buddha, Blue Note, Tone B. Nimble, Vocalo, Young Chicago Authors, Promontory, Metro, Winter Block Party, Silvia Rivera, Tommy Kline, John Litz, the Yard, Beat Street, Krush Groove, He Who Walks Three Ways, Crucial Conflict, Akbar, Mental Giants, D 2 tha S, East of the Rock, Infamous Syndicate, Shawnna, Ill State Assassins, Timbuck2, Another Level, Literary Explosion, Steady Serv, How We Chill Pt. 2, Twilite Tone, PNS, Switchblade, Riff-Raff, Ch’rewd Marketing, On the Street Promotions, Beatnuts, Da Brat, Caught in the Middle, B-Real, Tha Alkaholiks, Atmosphere, Lost Boyz, John Cusack, PNS, Rawkus, High & Mighty, 50 Cent, Redman, Shyne, Like Water for Chocolate

Music, Music Feature Sep 25, 2019
Video
Keeping the beat

Chicago’s beat scene has to do without the attention the city’s rappers get, but it’s a vital incubator for adventurous, ambitious instrumental hip-hop.
- By Leor Galil
- Tags: Music Feature, Open Beats, Push Beats, beat scene, Fess Grandiose, Raj Mahal, Cafe Mustache, Uncle El, open mike, live PA, instrumental hip-hop, Kevin Johnson, Mr. Echoes, the Opus, the Whistler, Makaya McCraven, International Anthem, King Hippo, Boombastic, Twilite Tone, Lokal, Sonotheque, Darkroom, Morseland, Subterranean, Rubberoom, Pugslee Atomz, Nacrobats, All Natural, Tone B. Nimble, Flying Lotus, Brainfeeder, Ras G, Gregory Shorter Jr., Low End Theory, lofi, Marcos Rivera, Cos, Needful Things, Cutoff, Innjoy, Choppin’ Block, Silver Room, Rodolfo, Obehko, Live Beats, Azarias, Kinky Yeti, Loony Is Normal, DJ Skoli, Ramon Norwood, Radius, ETC Records, Now U C Me?, Kenny Keys, Jamila Woods, Legacy! Legacy!, Marco Jacobo, Maker, Systematic Soul, Now-Again, Egon, J Dilla, Slot-A, Daddy Kev, Alpha Pup Records, Daedelus, Samiyam, Dibiase, Nosaj Thing, Alejandro Ayala, Madlib, Ninja Tune, Stones Throw, The Hip-Hop Project, Sev Seever, WLUW, DJ Scend, Jeff Parker, Raws, Junius Paul, Illiac, Brandon Murphy, Ableton, Push Tuesdays, Adam Bowsman, Abyss, Raj Malosh, Jeremiah Jae, House Shoes, MPC 2000, John Utsler, Elaquent, Knxwledge, Rodan, Door No. 3, Roland SP-404, Aaron Smith, Isle of Weight, Dance to the Drummer's DB, Tall Black Guy, ASR-10, Dover Crib, Molemen, Panik, No ID, Red Kiva, Face Melt, Tronic, Joshua Kleckner, Lokua, Moment Sound, Heartbeats, Fresh Roasted, Highly Rare, In the Moment Remix Tape, Timbuck2, Timothy Jones, Beat Lo-fi Social, Hameedullah, College Music, Chillhop Music, ChilledCow, Life in Lo-Fi . . . Vol. 1, Guilty Simpson, Video

News & Politics, Feature Feb 14, 2019
Video
Hip-hop taught Andre Vasquez about community—and he wants to take those lessons to City Hall

In the 90s he rapped as Prime and joined underground collective the Molemen. Now he’s a socialist candidate for 40th Ward alderman, hoping to unseat entrenched incumbent Patrick O’Connor.
- By Leor Galil
- Tags: Feature, Andre Vasquez, 40th Ward, alderman, candidate, Molemen, Prime, Optimus Prime, Patrick O’Connor, Maggie O’Keefe, Dianne Daleiden, Ugo Okere, Ed Burke, Rahm Emanuel, Reclaim Chicago, Blaze Battle, Direct Effect, KRS-One, Juice, Bernie Sanders, Bern Fest, Over Easy Cafe, Jon Cignarale, Democratic Socialists of America, Civilian Police Accountability Commission, DSA, Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, Affordable Requirements Ordinance, Lane Tech, Juvenal “PNS” Robles, Juvenal Robles, PNS, Visual, Ed “Panik” Zamudio, Panik, Ed Zamudio, Alberto “Mixx Massacre” Espinosa, Mixx Massacre, Alberto Espinosa, Vakill, Donald “Vakill” Mason, Donald Mason, Pugs Atomz, Nacrobats, Double Door, Subterranean, Gramaphone Records, Ritual of the . . ., E.C. Illa, Rubberoom, Rhymefest, Aesop Rock, MF Doom, Atmosphere, Slug, Unbreakable, Madman, The Optimus, Scam Artists, Verbal, Robust, Qwel, Middle Ground, AT&T, Kaplan University, Purdue University Global, Shadow Master, Awdazcate, Black Lives Matter, Ja’mal Green, My Block My Hood My City, Jahmal Cole, Kim Foxx, Amanda Weaver, Drinks and Discourse, Kristi Sanford, Colin Bird-Martinez, Rossana Rodriguez, Maria Hadden, Que Billah, Todays Lesson, Video

Music, Gossip Wolf May 23, 2017
Video
Writer, drummer, and emcee Brian Costello closes the book on two decades in Chicago

Plus: Nasim Williams throws a free 12-hour party at Madison Public House, and Brooklyn rapper Skyzoo drops in on the Elbo Room.
- By J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil
- Tags: Gossip Wolf, Brian Costello, Shame That Tune, Functional Blackouts, Outer Minds, The Enchanters vs. Sprawlburg Springs, Losing in Gainesville, The Fall and Rise of ‘The Worst Commercial Ever Made’, Florida, Los Angeles, Treated Crew, Nasim Williams, Madison Public House, Vic Spencer, the Boy Illinois, White Gzus, Henny B, Camay, Sisi Dior, Mucho Culo, Elbo Room, Gregory Skyler Taylor, Skyzoo, Nicholas May, Jon Content, Navarro, Respect It, Molemen, Panik, Video

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Building on the pillars of Blue Groove Lounge

The history of DJ Jesse de la Peña’s foundational Chicago hip-hop series, in the words of the people who made it work

Video
Keeping the beat

Chicago’s beat scene has to do without the attention the city’s rappers get, but it’s a vital incubator for adventurous, ambitious instrumental hip-hop.

Video
Hip-hop taught Andre Vasquez about community—and he wants to take those lessons to City Hall

In the 90s he rapped as Prime and joined underground collective the Molemen. Now he’s a socialist candidate for 40th Ward alderman, hoping to unseat entrenched incumbent Patrick O’Connor.

Video
Writer, drummer, and emcee Brian Costello closes the book on two decades in Chicago

Plus: Nasim Williams throws a free 12-hour party at Madison Public House, and Brooklyn rapper Skyzoo drops in on the Elbo Room.

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Building on the pillars of Blue Groove Lounge

The history of DJ Jesse de la Peña’s foundational Chicago hip-hop series, in the words of the people who made it work

Video Keeping the beat

Chicago’s beat scene has to do without the attention the city’s rappers get, but it’s a vital incubator for adventurous, ambitious instrumental hip-hop.

Video Hip-hop taught Andre Vasquez about community—and he wants to take those lessons to City Hall

In the 90s he rapped as Prime and joined underground collective the Molemen. Now he’s a socialist candidate for 40th Ward alderman, hoping to unseat entrenched incumbent Patrick O’Connor.

Video Writer, drummer, and emcee Brian Costello closes the book on two decades in Chicago

Plus: Nasim Williams throws a free 12-hour party at Madison Public House, and Brooklyn rapper Skyzoo drops in on the Elbo Room.

Other Searches

Video
Keeping the beat

Video
Hip-hop taught Andre Vasquez about community—and he wants to take those lessons to City Hall

Video
Writer, drummer, and emcee Brian Costello closes the book on two decades in Chicago