Late last night, a friend texted me that legendary Chicago house/footwork/juke producer Rashad “DJ Rashad” Harden had passed away at just 35. Anytime someone passes away at such an age, it is an impossible tragedy, and all thoughts and prayers must be extended to his family and friends. However, the timing of Harden’s death is even crueler because he was finally starting to get the international recognition that his genius, vision, and innovation deserved.
His fifth LP, Double Cup, was one of the best releases of last year and enjoyed almost universal acclaim. He spent the last couple of years criss-crossing the globe, playing to massive, sweaty rooms, packed to the brim.
I won’t speculate on the cause of death or the man himself, because I have no insight into either. I would, however, like to celebrate the great man’s incredible, influential catalog and the enduring legacy he leaves behind. I was lucky enough to see Rashad’s final two NYC performances, and both times I was left marveling at his uncanny ability to seamlessly weave massively diverse, frenetic tracks together with consumate ease and mastery. He must have been born with a metronome implanted in his brain to be able to match those beats. In short, he will remain one of the most influential, important producers of his generation and one of the men who brought the Chicago club sound to the world.
Also, I appreciate that I am not the person to craft a definitive collection of his best work or sum up his career, but I did want to devote some words to his songs that hit me hardest. RIP.
“Let it Go” from Rollin EP (2013)
Admittedly, I was late to the DJ Rashad party, as “Let it Go” was the first track of his I really fell in love with. One of my favorite songs of 2013, the track captures a lot of the elements that make his sound so remarkable. Rashad manages to balance hyperactive percussion with evocative swabs of synths, teetering on the edge of the beat. Just when the off-kilter number threatens to tip over, he masterfully reaches over to steady the ship, guiding it safely to its devastating climax.
“I’m Gone” from Just A Taste (2010)
While he was a master of manipulating chopped-up vocal samples, Rashad could also build around an extended sample like few others. Case in point, “I’m Gone” matches an evocative Gil-Scott Heron sample (one also famously used by fellow Chicago-native, Kanye West) with a syncopated, dancefloor backbeat and wobbly sub-bass to perfection. While he obviously made great party music, there’s an undercurrent of pain in a lot of his best work, and it’s on full display here.
“She A Go” (f/ DJ Spinn & DJ Taso) from Double Cup (2013)
One of Rashad’s greatest strengths was his versatility, and the Double Cup stand-out incorporates UK Garage influences and Southern rap into his Chicago sound. Obviously, this isn’t the only place he utilizes the aforementioned elements, but it’s one of my favorites. One of the smoothest Rashad tracks on record, he blends just-behind-the-beat chords with his signature syncopated percussion. It’s topped off with an infectious, screwed vocalsthat guide the listener through the track’s stunning 3-plus minutes.
“CCP” from TEKLIFE Vol 1: Welcome to the Chi (2012)
He had a knack for pulling apart vocal samples to inhuman levels, deconstructing them to the point of otherworldliness. That said, no matter how mangled, they never lost their humanity, as highlighted on this evocative banger. If that wasn’t enough, Rashad actually uses the vocal as a percussive element here, almost signaling tempo shifts with it. It’s something I’d never really heard done like that, and it’s yet another example of why Rashad will be remembered as a true sonic innovator.
“FootworKINGz” from Jukeville (2009)
Even though he was certainly never limited to the genre, it feels fitting to end this list with an example of pure footwork glory. “FootworKINGz” only uses a few sonic elements and two words, but in classic DJ Rashad style, it becomes much more than the sum of its parts. And isn’t that what being a great DJ/producer is all about? It’s about pulling the magic out of the small elements of recorded tracks and putting them together to make an entirely new, original piece of music. Only the great ones can do it, and it’s why he will always be considered the Footwork King.
RIP DJ Rashad.
