πŸ•Š RIP Natalie Hill aka DJ Chocolate Star

READER
The Daily Reader

Natalie Hill, aka DJ Chocolate Star, died last week. 

I’d known of Natalie for years, largely through her son, DJ Clent, and Clent’s son, DJ Corey, both of whom I’ve written about for the Reader. Much of the past few years I wanted to find a way to talk to Natalie Hill, since I knew, in a vague way, that her musical past influenced her son and grandson. Darnell Payne, founder of Chicago dance collective U-Phi-U, briefly described his relationship with Natalie when I interviewed him for an oral history of Black dance culture and the Bud Billiken Parade last summer. So, when it came time to pitch profiles for the 2022 People Issue, I knew who I had to interview. 

Clent put me in touch with his mom, who was a little confused about why I wanted to talk to her. I explained my rationale; she’s an interesting person, and what little I knew of her made me want to talk to her. My role as a journalist for a local newspaper is to document what’s happening in this city, who lives here, and how individuals interact with communities that produce art that moves me and other people. Natalie didn’t have a lot of people reaching out to her for interviews, which is a shame, because she gave me one of my favorite interviews from the past year. There’s a reason Clent’s peers and collaboratorsβ€”producers who shaped critical Chicago dance subgenres such as ghetto house, juke, and footworkβ€”have a deep fondness for Natalie, whom they call Mama Hill. 

I’m thankful Natalie entrusted me with her story, and thankful I could share it with Chicagoans, because she is an important figure in the development of Black dance music. I’m thankful my work gave me the opportunity to tell more people about her. And, on a more personal note, I’m thankful I had the chance to talk with her, to hear the love for her family come through whenever she talked about Clent and Corey. I do not take it for granted that this job gives me the chance to call up other Chicagoans and talk to them about their community.

Sincerely,

 β€œPatrick Shiroishi’s music moves a Japanese American saga forward,” by Grayson Haver Currin (NPR)
 β€œHe Was Tom Verlaine,” by Patti Smith (The New Yorker)
 β€œ
Dope Ass Conversation #6: Zack Fox,” by Alejandro Hernandez (Dro in the Wind)
 β€œβ€˜
The I Hate to Cook Book Fought Domestic Despair With Laughter,” by Aimee Levitt (Eater)

 James Bangura, Harrar / Witness Dub 
 Grey Factor, Grey Factor: 1979-1980 A.D., Complete Studio Recordings  
 Kara Jackson, dickhead blues / brain 
🎧 Leor’s β€œFirst February Friday 2023!” playlist

Talking music and manifestation with JaefKae
A conversation between the Chicago-born poet, activist, and rapper also known as Jalen Kobayashi and his friend and comrade Alycia Kamil

by Alycia Kamil | Read more β†’

Stella Kola assembles top-shelf New England psych-folk artists on their debut album
by Steve Krakow | Read more β†’

Veteran local percussionist Avreeayl Ra celebrates the release of a new documentary
by Bill Meyer | Read more β†’

πŸ—³ Have you voted yet?! πŸ—³

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Voting ends February 15 at 12 PM. 

Issue of
Jan. 26 – Feb. 8, 2023
Vol. 52, No. 8

 

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