DJ Funk

DJ Funk is the stage name of Charles Chambers, a Chicago-born DJ active in house music, particularly the ghetto house subgenre. He is known as a key figure in the development of ghetto house and is associated with the Chicago house and ghetto house scenes.

Background

Chambers is from Chicago, United States, and grows up on the West Side of the city, where he is exposed early to Chicago, New York and Detroit dance music. He begins DJing as a teenager at house parties, school dances and neighbourhood clubs, and also sells mixtapes with a local crew called Do or Die.

His early influences include Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa and Farley Jackmaster Funk. Hip-hop also shapes his approach, and he helps bring hip-hop into the Chicago club scene before it is widely popular there.

Style and career

DJ Funk mixes house, techno and hip-hop, and develops a sound identified as ghetto house. Through the 1990s, he builds a regional reputation in the Chicago-Detroit area and across the Midwest rave scene. His releases are issued through his own label work, including Dance Mania Records, and later Funk Records, which he founds in 2006. He is also associated with Funk Entertainment.

He is described as a prolific producer of club tracks and remixes. His remix work includes material for Basement Jaxx, Justice, DJ Sneak and Fast Eddie, and his tracks are licensed for mix CDs by DJs including Carl Cox, Bad Boy Bill, Humpty Vision, Jeff Miles and Dave Clark.

Notable releases and appearances

His 1999 album Booty House Anthems is distributed nationally and sells over one million copies, making it his best-known release. He also appears on Modulations, a 1998 documentary film about electronic music.

His work is linked with the broader “booty house” and ghetto house traditions, and he is associated with the phrase “Ghetto Tek” in connection with that scene.

Performance history

DJ Funk performs in clubs and venues in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Detroit, Paris, London, Germany, Scotland, Ireland, Amsterdam, Hawaii, Malta, Canada and Tokyo. He shares stages with artists including Daft Punk, Green Velvet, Justice, DJ Irene, Franky Bones, Funkmaster Flex, Ice-T, DJ Dan, DJ Qbert, Wu-Tang Clan, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa and Run-DMC.