Chicago Hip-Hop...From A Distance

Anyone who knows me knows I read Tom Breihan's Status Ain't Hood blog for the Village Voice, and they also know that I do it in a somewhat masochistic sense, as most of the time I think the guy is kind of an archetypal horrible Pitchfork-type writer. Most of the time I skim his shit, but a couple days ago he put up a podcast post that really said some good things and got me thinking.

Tom mentions the Dude N Nem song "Watch My Feet" which, if you live in Chicago and have turned on any "urban" radio station (more so Power 92 than WGCI) over the last few months, you're definitely very familiar with already. Myself, I think the track is possibly my favorite hip-hop tune to come out all summer, which I can see catching some flak for but really couldn't possibly care less. Check it for yourself.



The song itself is absolutely great, a fun party song that's an interesting mix of modern hip-hop and the Chicago phenomena of Juke, which is in itself a mix of hip-hop, old school house, and a distinctly booty-bass type sound. "Watch My Feet" puts the two genres together perfectly - a slow, bouncy funk beat for the verses and the high-tempo madness for the hook and chorus. Really, it's an absolute shame that the song has started to catch when it did as it's undeniably a perfect summer song, with a great summer video as well (plus a pimp in an ice cream truck). Everything about this song just screams fun, and every rhythmically challenged white dudes like myself can groove to the bass line and at least jump up and down during the chorus. The video is a blast as well, just summer fun, a nice shout to Chicago, and some great comic-book style graphics (that "U Diiiiggggg" thing is fucking priceless).

Tom made a good point when he talked about the appeal of this song: it is, pure and simple, still following the trend of hip-hop chart hits lately being for the most part dance songs...you know, think "Lean Wit It Rock Wit It" (and then try your best to forget about it). What's nice about the dance songs lately is that it's no longer that lean-and-snap bullshit, but things that are actually aesthetically pleasing and difficult to do. Between the footwork in this song, and the dance from "Crank Dat Soulja Boy" (which is another one of my favorites, I don't care how mindless that shit is) it seems that a new trend is starting to pop up...and I'm into it.

It's interesting that Chicago seems to be one of the only cities in the nation without an easily identifiable hip-hop scene or sound, but this song might change things. Think about it: New York is distinct. Nine times out of ten you can pick out a New York artist. The West Coast had G-Funk. Miami had Miami Bass, and now Reggaeton (if you want to lump that in with hip-hop, which I will) and now artists like Pitbull who straddle the line. The south in itself has several sub-regional sounds: Atlanta, Houston and Memphis are all pretty famous on their own. Shit, even St. Louis has managed to put itself on the map somewhat definitively. Thanks to Timbaland, Missy and the Clipse, Virginia has been on the up in the last few years as well.

So where does that leave Chicago? This may be partly because I have lived out of the area for so long, but it really doesn't seem like Chicago has any sort of distinct sound to call its own, at least not nationwide. The only famous artists from Chicago nationally are Twista, Common, and Kanye West. Twista has always been a bit of a gimmick, Common is legendary but on the wane (though "The Corner" is still a fucking stormer), and Kanye produces for so many people you could hardly call his sound "local." Ideally, juke will be what fixes that. I know that the one thing I miss the most about home musically is Power 92's juke or old school house mixes, which have been a part of my late-night driving routine for about two years. As I've said before, the genre is just so undeniably FUN...hyper, bass-heavy, and all about partying. Hearing juke mixes of huge hip-hop tracks always brings a smile to my face. The slow acceptance nationwide of "Watch My Feet" and juke in general (it's been mentioned on 106&Park a couple times from what I understand) might finally be what gets Chicago hip-hop an identity.

But is that really the ideal? I don't really see this kind of stuff getting played on mainstream radio - at least not pure juke tracks. Perhaps tracks like "Watch My Feet" which can create a blend are the best. I still fucking love this song and would love to see that happen. Time will tell.

Check some juke for yourself...


The youtube comments mention it "really" starting in NYC, but those sort of debates are pointless and never lead anywhere.