DJ Rashad has been on the forefront of Chicago’s footwork scene since the beginning of the new millennium. “Footwork” is a dance movement characterized by quick steps and ghetto house music, also known as juke music. The tracks off DJ Rashad’s latest album, Double Cup, are considered to be juke trax, a term used to describe songs that are categorized under this distinct style. Double Cup interweaves heavy percussion through 808 and 909 drum kits with explicit and lewd language in order to meet the demands of the Chicago footwork scene.
Double Cup is the work of a surgeon. DJ Rashad meticulously cuts in and out of tracks, yet maintains a constant and heavy pulsating bass throughout the entire album. The best examples of this precise technique can be heard in songs like “I Don’t Give a Fuck,” and “Only One.” These songs embody some similar characteristics used by other experimental electronic artists such as Flying Lotus.
DJ Rashad’s versatile style, however, is best exemplified by the eighth and thirteenth tracks of the EP. The eighth track, “Double Cup,” begins in a conventional juke manner; with a hard-hitting snare, kick and hi-hat loop. The interlude breaks down the tempo but picks back up spontaneously, like an unstable heart. “Let U No,” the eleventh track starts off slower than the rest of the album and incorporates more melodic vocals.
Currently on tour with popular artist Chance the Rapper, DJ Rashad’s frenzied techno and bass heavy tracks have reached a new audience outside of the Chicago footwork and juke movement. Often called “intelligent dance music,” DJ Rashad has transformed and tailored juke music into a genius genre for the masses.
Rating: A-
