Chicago – Early Hip Hop History
Darrell “Artistic” Roberts
CHICAGO has been celebrated for it’s unique architecture, historical museums, diverse neighborhoods, excellent food scene and cultural movements – but don’t sleep on its importance to Hip-Hop.
1970 SOUL TRAIN
Soul Train began as a local show on WCIU-TV channel 26 – a UHF station in Chicago that was created by entrepreneur Don Cornelius on August 17, 1970. Prior, Don was hired by WCIU in 1967 as a news and sports reporter, while also promoting and emceeing a touring series of concerts featuring local talent (sometimes called “record hops”) at Chicago-area high schools. He called his traveling caravan of shows “The Soul Train.”
The first episode featured Jerry Butler, the Chi-Lites, and the Emotions as guests. It was a live show airing weekday afternoons, filmed at the Chicago Board of Trade. There were no auditions; kids were chosen on a first-come, first-served basis. Local performers on the show back then included the famed Shabba Doo, the Puppets, and the Soul Train Kicks. When the sponsorship came knocking via Sears, Roebuck & Company, Soul Train moved to LA, went into syndication, and became the famous music and dance show now known around the world.
1978 CAPTAIN SKY
The release of Super Sporm by Captain Sky drops, and this song becomes an instant hit. A funk song that highlighted dance during the disco era broke countless record needles. Part of this song also went on to become one of the most sampled pieces in Hip Hop history, famously being sampled by the Sugar Hill Gang in “Rapper’s Delight” later in 1979. This song was the city’s first recorded contribution to Hip-Hop.
1982 SUPER ROCK BODY SHOCK
Written by Dr. Groove & Captain Sky (continuing CK’s hit streak) and recorded at Sky Hero Records in Chicago, this record stands alone as it is seen as the first rap record recorded by a Chicagoan that was put on vinyl.
1984 WHPK 88.5 FM CHICAGO
Ken Wissoker, aka K-ILL, began the first rap show, which immediately became a success. Though WHPK was only 10 watts at its inception, meaning they were just playing for students and the kids at the local Lab School and a few other Hyde Parkers (south side of Chicago), once films Breakin & Beat Street were released and rap music’s initial sound hit the waves, “the phones started lighting up.” From here the station was a bellwether for local talent. Over the years, artists such as Top Dog & Double C, DA Smart (DFC), TDFC, DVS, Majestic Force, Ice Inc., LOD, EOD, & Ill State Assassins, Ten Tray, Common Sense, Tung Twista & Kanye West all spent time at the station. Other cities followed with local Hip-Hop stations shortly after.
1980 CHICAGO GRAFFITI – Warp and others.
In Chicago, markings on walls and other surfaces initially were prominent amongst the inner-city gangs. It was a way to show you existed, that you were there, territory marked.
Warp is known as one of Chicago’s oldest active participating writers who started writing in 1980 and focused on work outside of the gang culture. Warp & his crew GGC started bombing together in September 1984, just before school began, coming from the infamous neighborhood of Cabrini Green on the northwest side of Chicago. Warp founded a graffiti crew called GGC (Graffiti Groove Crew) with fellow members Demo, Pepsi, Enough, Static, and Pilot 2 (Deceased 1986). It was Warp, then as a high school senior, called the first all-city meeting in Cabrini Green at a community center called the Olivet (think Cyrus calling the city-wide meeting in the Warriors). This set the space for the writers city-wide to gather and get to know each other while carrying out the mission of getting up in the city collectively.
During this period, more writers began to emerge. On the south side there were crews such as IAC, ABA, ACW, BTB, CBC, GBC, SMOG, BASF & UNION. There were others on the north side such as ABC, CTA, TCP, NBC, CAR, UAC, MOSA, PUMA, & XMEN. Later, writers like Trixter, Orko, & Slang would go on to become known as Chicago’s most prolific graffiti artists. They did rooftops, trains, and wall productions that set the tone for Chicago during the 1980’s.
Today, Trixter is noted as one of Chicago’s best style masters and runs his own business handling custom men’s and ladies’ gear of graffiti work. You can find his work at www.thetrixter.com
These stories all laid the foundation for generations to follow – a platform that young aspiring artists built upon to create even more audacious and impactful urban art, music, and movement.
Chicago represented.
Darrell “Artistic” Roberts is a Chicago Hip Hop pioneer, educator, and community advocate with over 40 years in the culture. Rooted in B-Boying and Graffiti, he has helped shape and preserve Chicago’s Hip Hop legacy through art, media, and mentorship. A leader in Chi-Rock Nation and the Chicago Hip Hop Heritage Museum, he is dedicated to uplifting artists and educating future generations.