Photo by Tasya Menaker
It’s 2006, and Rachel Thomas is staring down the edge of a long blade.
A decision had to be made. Die right now or live, because pointing a knife at yourself daily is no kind of life.
A choice was made, the knife lowered. The next day, Thomas re-discovered sound. Continue reading KSRA: What Will Be, Will Be
There is seemingly no minimum age requirement in EDM music these days. As the festivals grow larger and more grandiose, many of the artists manning the decks, keeping the party going and travelling the world are becoming increasingly young. Enter Will Sparks, the 20-year-old Australian DJ who headlines at Studio Paris tonight as part of his “Melbourne Meets America Tour”. His arrival in Chicago was prefaced by an inclusion on the Beatport Chart, an online EDM barometer of who’s got next. Continue reading [Profile] Will Sparks Hits American Soil
I sat down with Chicago singer/musician KSRA to talk about her past, present and future and what music means to each in Episode 5 of the Jugrnaut series. Shot by Jeremy Frank.
Things come about in abstracts for ProbCause. The Evanston, Ill., native, who is in the process of wrapping up a MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, has become known around his city for pointed lyricism and careful collaborations. On his latest project, The Recipe Vol. 2 he seeks to have his message stimulate eyes and ears alike while pulling from all corners of burgeoning the Windy City scene.
The Recipe vol. 2 is a departure for the Psalm One protege-an exploration of blending separate aspects of himself and those around him into one cohesive project. Continue reading Chopping Up The Recipe With ProbCause
I caught up with both ProbCause and Psalm One after getting some vegan food at The Chicago Diner and we chopped it up about music, life and fake meat. Check out the full video, shot by Jeremy Frank.
Photo by Roger Tino MoralesSince dropping Acid Rap in late April as the follow up to 2012′s 10 Day, Chance The Rapper has quickly turned much of the city’s youth into unapologetic junkies.
The squirrely nanas and schizophrenic flow have taken the city and the national underground hip-hop scene by storm over the past year, and Friday at Lollapalooza set the perfect stage for Chance’s tie-dyed Acid raps to shine. First off, I’ll admit I’m an avid user. Having followed Chance for most of the past year and for days at a time at SXSW in Austin, I felt more than prepared as I rode in the car to a noon rehearsal at The Music Garage on the near West Side with “Good Ass Intro” producer Peter CottonTale. Continue reading The Day I Overdosed on Acid Rap
Graphic by Virgil Solis
Chicago’s genre-bending MC Tree loves to make predictions. Last year, while attending Pitchfork as a guest, he told everyone who would listen that a year from then he would be on one of the four stages in Union Park. On July 21st, he proved that estimate true as he played the opening 1pm set on Sunday. It was an appropriate setting for the Soul Trap creator.
As he dabbled between the duo of Sunday School mixtapes released over the past year and a half, church bells rang out from service at First Baptist Congregational Church just west of the festival. By all accounts, it was a solid fest debut for Tree, who was joined onstage by a drummer and vocalists Lili K and BenOfficial. Tree’s prediction this year? Read it in the Q+A below and hear the lofty goals the producer/MC has for the rest of this year and 2014. Continue reading Soul Trapping with Tree at Pitchfork 2013
Written and reported by Jake Krzeczowski (@JakeKrez) for Complex Magazine
On June 17, moments after driving away from a courthouse in Skokie, Il., where he’d received a warning from a judge for a speeding arrest, Keith Cozart was stopped by two unmarked police cars. Brandishing automatic weapons, the officers ordered the 17-year-old to step out of his car, and put him in handcuffs—this time for a misdemeanor trespassing charge.
So far in 2013, almost 1000 people have been shot in Chicago. Almost 200 have died as a result of their injuries. Both those numbers are sure to rise by the time this is published. The west and south sides of the city, where most of the shootings occur, are frequently referred as “war zones.” It is in this climate that two cars of South Side police officers made the hour-long drive north to suburban Skokie to stake out traffic court for Cozart, better known to the world as Chief Keef, arresting him for the third time in three months.
Continue reading Why Is the Chicago Police Department Targeting Chief Keef?
Daryn Alexus swings by the Jugrnaut offices in Logan Square for a quick sit down interview with me. Video shot by Jeremy Frank.
While at the inaugural Electric Daisy Carnival Chicago in Joliet, Il covering for the Chicago Sun Times I had the chance to interview EDM superstar and current No. 6 DJ in the world, Hardwell. Linking up with The Frontliner for visual help I visited Hardwell in his trailer before he hit the stage Saturday night. Check out the video below.
![[Profile] Will Sparks Hits American Soil](https://jakekrzeczowski.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/9101ab81-2f05-4d9d-b164-5bd36d292980.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![[Video] Jugrnaut Presents: KSRA](https://jakekrzeczowski.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/ksra_header_2.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![[Video] Jugrnaut Presents: ProbCause & Psalm One](https://jakekrzeczowski.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/screen-shot-2013-08-22-at-11-05-12-am.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![[Video] Jugrnaut Presents: Daryn Alexus](https://jakekrzeczowski.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/screen-shot-2013-08-06-at-2-16-42-pm.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![[VIDEO] EDC Chicago: Hardwell Interview](https://jakekrzeczowski.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/hardwell211234561.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
Jake Krzeczowski 