On November 2, the Chicago Reader published “A year of rap from #NewChicago,” an article by Leor Galil examining the artists, sounds, and creative community driving Chicago’s newest wave of hip-hop. The piece highlights a growing movement of independent artists who are helping redefine the city’s musical identity, including Thirteendegrees, Kels!, Kioracks, OkDeazy, Xella Red, C4Y, BurloDaVirgo, Your Stepdad, and others.
As someone who has spent the past several years documenting and supporting Chicago’s emerging music scene through ForTheYouth, it’s exciting to see these artists and their work receiving recognition from established publications. Chicago has always been a city of innovation. From the influence of Chief Keef and the drill movement to artists like Kanye West, Chance the Rapper, Juice WRLD, and LUCKI, the city has consistently produced sounds that extend far beyond its borders.
While the artists are understandably at the center of the conversation, the movement also depends on the photographers, videographers, DJs, event organizers, designers, and independent media outlets helping bring their work to larger audiences.