That possible leaked Lollapalooza lineup is getting all the headlines, but Do-Division Street Fest's first wave of acts was also announced and was impressive in its own right. more ›

Brooklyn rap duo Das Racist came to Chicago for a show last summer, and while they were here they hit Soundscape Studios with local rap outfit BBU (short for Bin Laden Blowin’ Up or -- if you prefer -- Black, Brown and Ugly). The end result is “Please, No Pictures,” a recently-released collaborative single featuring the vocal stylings of Das Racist and BBU backed by the beats of mash-up maestros The Hood Internet. more ›

Sup, Chicago venues? Want to get up on this DJ game, or what? Of the seven Weekend Dance Party posts we've run, three have been held at Smart Bar, which may make our readers question the time and effort we go to to determine what the best option is to shake it, week in, week out. But the fact of the matter is, we go to considerable lengths to get you the preferred destination, so we really have to give credit to Metro (the essential big brother of Smart Bar) for landing our fourth Weekend Dance Party. On Saturday they will be hosting a UR Chicago event featuring VHS Or Beta Deejays, Bald E., Team Bayside High, BBU, Perfect Kiss, Midnight Conspiracy and Action/Adventure, which for us makes for an obvious refuge to cut some rug. more ›

Chicago's BBU aren't just another party rap act. BBU, short for Bin Laden Blowin' Up (or sometimes Black, Brown and Ugly) is Epic, Jasson and Illekt, and their mission is simple; to educate and celebrate through music. Their politically charged, socially aware rhymes and unrelenting juke beats have been blasting speakers from the South Side to the Pitchfork offices. They're a trio of modest egos, who push the idea that the soundtrack to a sweaty, wild dancefloor can, and should, come with a powerful message. more ›

The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir are on the road to recovery after their horrific van crash last month, but they still have mountains of hospital bill to tackle, and much of their gear needs to be replaced. So a number of the band's friends are getting together tomorrow night at Subterranean to play, celebrate life, and raise money for The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir. more ›

Mr. Tastees has quickly become Wicker Park's most visible art peddler. Dressed like a retro soda shop employee and pushing a pinstriped ice cream cart complete with shiny, chrome rims from which he sells his signature pop-infused, laser-cut acrylic jewelry, Mr. Tastees has quickly risen to the status of neighborhood fixture and cult hit. Widely embraced by Chicago's DJ and club-rap artists, Mr. Tastees is taking advantage of his connections and throwing a mobile pop-up party out of his brand spanking new, candy coated ice cream truck. more ›

No doubt the art of oral storytelling has been around since even before Beowulf, but in Chicago’s own history no figure has loomed larger than Studs Terkel. From 1952 to 1997, Terkel broadcasted his conversations with writers, politicians, labor organizers, and artists on “The Studs Terkel Program,” chronicling a shifting narrative of the city’s structure. This Friday, May 1rst, The Windy City Story Slam celebrates Terkel, his modern day progeny . . .and the month of May. more ›