The Icon: Remembering DJ Funk

Nobody captured the energy and fun of house music and Chicago house in particular better than DJ Funk.

Born Charles E. Chambers, the iconic Chicago dance music pioneer and ghetto house legend died this week after battling stage 4 cancer.

Known for anthems including “Work That Body,” “Pump It,” “Knock Knock,” Fuk-U-Later,” “Run & Work It” and a dozen more, Funk was a one-man machine throughout the 1990s and into the new millennium, at one point carrying the weight of the dormant Dance Mania Records on his back when Ray Barney stepped away before rejoining in the label’s 2010s resurgence.

Here’s an interview from 5 Mag’s Czarina Mirani and Rees Urban, recorded in 2010:

How prolific was he? A year ago, DJ Funk released a greatest hits album with one hundred and thirty eight tracks on it. And the wild thing about it is that any fan can scan the track listing and think of a few others. (For those new to Funk’s music, the entire compilation is available for $10 on Bandcamp.)

“When I was young growing up, and came of age in the party scene, I had never seen so many black people happy, in the same place at the same time without violence,” Funk told 5 Mag in a 2014 cover story.

“One day I was at a party, and it was one of those surreal moments. Everything was in slow motion. I looked around the whole party atmosphere, I looked up at the DJ and he was playing some crazy tracks, and I thought to myself, ‘That would be a cool fuckin’ job!'”

Though he was known as one of the Dance Mania all stars — a group of Chicago DJs and artists who defined the label’s sound as ghetto house hit the dance music scene — one of his first signature tracks, “Pump It,” dropped on his own imprint, Funk Records. The 1996 track “blew up in London and in Japan all at the same time” and established his worldwide reputation.

That rep, though, was built by winning over a city. In one of our more recent interviews, Chicago underground house hero Black Sjuan mentioned a night — not particularly unique or unusual — when he played on the same bill as Funk:

“My first philosophy about DJing and DJing around the world is this,” Funk told 5 Mag. “If you can’t make it in your hometown, then you shouldn’t be trying to fucking DJ in other countries.

“When you forget where you came from you lose all your flavor, your swagger and your style. You fall off.”

DJ Funk stepped aside for most of the last couple of years as he battled health issues. His socials, once filled with crowd shots from his gigs — Funk was undoubtedly one of the most photogenic DJs, for real — mostly went silent except for a gig here and there and a few reissues of Funk classics.

A few days ago, it became clear why when his daughter posted an urgent request for funds to help defray expected funeral costs. The news hit like a thunderbolt — the comment section on his Facebook page was filled with friends, fans and total strangers sharing how much he mattered in their lives.

Our thoughts are with Funk and his family. We hope people continue to donate to see him off. Further news about memorials — as he told the Guardian, Funk imagined that rather a funeral he’d rather be memorialized at “a party so people remember all the good times and aren’t sad” — will be updated as we know about it.

Photo: KmcMediaStudios