Chicago House Pioneer DJ Funk Dies At 54

DJ Funk, the Chicago music legend who helped define “ghetto house,” has passed away at 54. His friend and collaborator DJ Slugo confirmed the sad news, remembering Funk as one of the pioneers of the high-energy, bass-heavy sound that shaped a generation of dance music.

“We love and miss you my brother, and I won’t let our sound die,” Slugo wrote in an email statement. He later shared an Instagram Reel on March 5, playing Funk’s music in tribute, simply captioning the post, “RIP DJ FUNK 😔.”

No cause of death was officially announced, but the news comes shortly after Funk’s family revealed he was in the final stages of his battle with stage 4 cancer. They had launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $10,000 for his funeral expenses, writing, “He has been bravely battling stage 4 cancer and now doesn’t have much longer left… This is a challenging time for the family, and any support would mean the world to us.”

Born Charles Chambers in 1971, Funk became a major force in the underground rave scenes of Chicago and Detroit in the late ’80s and early ’90s. He pushed the boundaries of house music with his fast-paced beats, heavy bass, and provocative lyrics, crafting hits like Work Dat Body, Run, and Pump It.

Funk worked closely with fellow Chicago house icons like Slugo, DJ Deeon, and Traxman, releasing a series of influential EPs, including House The Groove and House Trax II. His 2006 record label, Funk Records, allowed him to collaborate with artists like Jeff Mills and Houz’mon, and he even remixed Waters of Nazareth for Justice that same year.

His impact stretched beyond the underground scene. In 1997, Daft Punk gave him a shoutout on their track Teachers, placing him among house music’s greatest influences alongside Paul Johnson, Lil Louis, and Kenny Dope.

In a 2005 interview with Red Bull Music Academy, Funk reflected on his fearless approach to music. “I just decided that I just needed to be more real and more like myself,” he said. “I decided, if I go one route, I’m a sound like everybody else. If I take it this route and make something like ‘Pussy Ride,’ that’s something that’ll shock a motherf—er.”