DJ Funk, Chicago Ghetto House Legend Dies at 54

Influential Chicago musician DJ Funk, credited with coining the term “ghetto house,” has died at 54. The news was announced by friend and collaborator DJ Slugo, who revealed Funk’s passing in a video posted to Instagram on Wednesday (March 5). The news came just a few days after the the DJ’s family started a GoFundMe to help cover funeral costs after they said the artist born Charles Chambers was nearing the end of a long battle with stage 4 cancer. At press time Billboard had not independently confirmed Funk’s death.

Funk made his name as the pioneer of the ghetto house (aka “booty house”) sound that bubbled up in his native Chicago in the early late 1980s and early 1990s, mixing spare drum machine beats with lascivious, sped up vocals on beloved tracks including “Work Dat Body,” “Run” and “Pump It.”

Born in Chicago on March 5, 1971, Funk made his name in the early ’90s on a number of influential EPs for the Dancemania label (which he took ownership of in 2005), including the Street Traxx series, as well as House the Groove, Pumpin’ Tracks and The Original Video Clash. His fame among hardcore house heads reached its apex in 1999 with the release of his first Booty House Anthems album, which was followed by sequels in 2006 and 2013, as well as high-energy DJ sets at clubs and raves across the Midwest, where he would play his pitched-up, sex-themed songs at a rapid-fire pace, never lingering on any track for too long.

Though he never scored a traditional chart hit, Funk was gained global recognition in 2013 for his remix of French electronic duo Justice’s song “Let There Be Light” on which he demanded “I wanna see that ass bouncing” over one of his signature hyper-speed beats and a minimal, hypnotic bass line.

He was also given a prominent shout-out by Daft Punk on their 1997 Homework album track “Teachers,” where he came in as the second mention on the song behind fellow influential Chicago house legend Paul Johnson, and well ahead of some more well-known names such as George Clinton, Lil Louis, Kenny Dope, Dr. Dre, Jeff Mills and Joey Beltram.

Funk released dozens of singles, remixes and mix CDs over his nearly 30-year career and performed alongside such legends as Bad Boy Bill and Felix Da Housecat at the Out Cold indoor music festival in Aurora, IL in February 2024.

In an interview with the Guardian in 2015, Funk revealed how he’d like to be remembered when he was gone. “I really don’t want a funeral,” he said. “I’d like to have a party so people remember all the good times and aren’t sad. Then at the afterparty there’ll be a lot of booty shaking with all my music played.”

Check out some of Funk’s songs and tributes from fellow DJs below.

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