DJ Deeon (us)

Growing up in Chicago’s south side in the late 60’s and 70’s, Deeon experienced an era of profound change in America’s cultural and racial landscape which later became the subject-matter for his extensive musical portfolio. At a time when electronic music was new and starting to define itself, he was a pioneer in developing a sound that corresponded to the time and life of the people around him and the surrounding neighborhoods of Chicago’s downtrodden; those in dire need of profound change and liberation. His personal story and musical work is now indistinguishable from that rich tapestry that is America’s contemporary cultural history.

Deeon started small producing gritty XXX club tracks with call and response chants which Deeon describes as "for the strippers, for the street”. These original masterpieces were created with a 606, 808, and 909 sampler where he made minimal ghetto beat tracks and played them off cassette. This is what provided the spark for Chicago House and Detroit Techno. Soon now-household name DJs and producers would start picking up on this sound, and remixing it and playing it in clubs, radio stations all over the world. It would be defined as “Ghetto House”.

“it’s just fun music. It’s kind of like a getaway from the reality of life to music. Get freaky with a stranger music. Girls kissin’ girls music. Stress relief music” he would say in an interview for 5Magazine in 2013 regarding his sound. “The best thing [about Ghetto House] is there is almost always a packed dance floor! It moves the crowd. Ain’t that what we came here for?”