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Artist Mon Apr 28 2014
DJ Rashad Found Dead at 34
This has been an entirely unpleasant month for fans of electronic music. It was barely a couple weeks ago when it was discovered that Chicago's iconic house producer, Frankie Knuckles, had passed away. People around the world were devastated. They had barely enough time to mourn his passing when they found themselves stricken with more tragic news, that over the weekend, DJ Rashad had been found dead in his apartment in the West Side at the age of 34.
DJ Rashad was best known as one of the principal architects of Chicago's thriving footwork scene as well as his status as one of the core members of the Teklife crew, which is locally based but a worldwide collective of DJs and producers who are the authoritative force of the footworking scene.
DJ Rashad was going through an unrivaled creative streak, last year releasing what may end up being considered his masterpiece, the critically acclaimed album Double Cup. He found himself traveling around the world, spreading the gospel of the music he loved so much with his hypnotic sets. I last saw him opening for Chance the Rapper at the Riv back in November. He was scheduled to perform at Pitchfork this summer.
According to the Sun-Times, the autopsy report came back and the cause of death was "inconclusive." The Sun-Times also report that the CPD believes this was a drug overdose "and drug paraphernalia were found near the body."
Representatives of DJ Rashad released a statement which ended with the line, "His music will live on eternally." Agreed. His suddenly now posthumous EP We On 1 is scheduled to be released today on vinyl for Southern Belle Records.
Check out streams of his singles, "Feelin" and "Show U How," both from the album Double Cup, below.
