Music
Discover Chicago's hip-hop scene through the people who know it best
Singer-songwriter Ravyn Lenae, poet Kevin Coval and editor of hip-hop blog Fake Shore Drive, Andrew Barber, showcase the city's creative side in This And Nothing Else: Chicago’s Hip-Hop Scene.
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It's no secret that Chicago is having a moment – maybe even a full-blown cultural renaissance – right now. In Red Bull TV's latest documentary, This And Nothing Else: Chicago's Hip-Hop Scene, we find out what that looks like at ground level. From its exploding fashion industry to its vibrant arts community and unbeatable music scenes, the Windy City is a force to be reckoned with.
The city has given us star names before, of course. Kanye West, Common and Lupe Fiasco all hail from Chicago. But this time around it feels like a movement. And it's not all about Grammy-winning Chance The Rapper or the architect behind the city's drill scene, Chief Keef. Behind them is a legion of rising young stars like Noname, Vic Mensa, G Herbo, Lil Bibby, Lucki, Saba and Cdot Honcho. That list grows longer every day.
Chicago is the greatest place in the world, it's also one of the worst
There's no way to fully understand Chicago's young rap scene, though, without grappling with the reality on the city's streets. As the poet and activist Kevin Coval says in the film's opening scenes, "Chicago's the greatest place in the world, it's also one of the worst." It's a place that's struggling with poverty, inequality and, for many young black Chicagoans, a dearth of opportunities. Watch the film in the player above and you'll meet three influential creative minds as they open up about their hometown and the importance of using hip-hop, and other cultural outlets, as a force for good and, more importantly, change.
Fake Shore Drive's Andrew Barber
© Jeremy Deputat/Red Bull Content Pool
My drive is to keep Chicago hip-hop on the map, to fight for the underdog and continue to make this scene a huge factor within the music industry
Our three guides through America's most exciting music scene are Coval, whose powerful lines open the film, Andrew Barber, the founding editor of Chicago hip-hop blog Fake Shore Drive whose stated aim is "to keep Chicago hip-hop on the map, to fight for the underdog and continue to make this scene a huge factor within the music industry," and inspiring R 'n' B singer-songwriter Ravyn Lenae, who's a member of Chicago's aptly named Zero Fatigue crew and one of Rolling Stone's 10 new artists you need to know.
Watch the film in the player at the top of the page to find out more about a scene that we'll all be hearing much more from in the coming years.
