Chicago is a city marked by the spirit of entrepreneurship and independent vision. Here, dedicated, innovative thinkers reinvent the collaborative processes that elevate ideas from daydreams to reality. So close, yet so far from the shiny Magnificent Mile, artists like Alexander Fruchter, owner and operator of local hip hop record label Closed Sessions, challenge traditional practices to make way for more exciting forms of magnificent creative expression.

Closed Sessions creates not only music but short documentary films, shown on their website, that give insider peeks into the stories behind these local artists. Fruchter says they are "genuine about wanting to capture the story in this historic period." They just signed their first flagship artist, Alex Wiley, who will perform Feb. 9 at 4pm at Reggie's Rock Club for just a dollar.