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Music

Nicolas Jaar and DJ Slugo Team Up on Powerful, Ferguson-Inspired Track "Ghetto"

A fitting house anthem for our times.

Let's get right to the point: Nicolas Jaar produced a classic house tune with Chicago veteran DJ Slugo. It is called "Ghetto." And it's one of the most powerful songs to come out of 2014.

Over its eight-minute-and-thirty-second run time, DJ Slugo describes the world in which many of Chicago's youth grow up—and how music helped him escape from it. It's hard not to hear the song as a reflection on the systematic problems facing America's most impoverished—issues that Ferguson has served as a stark reminder of. It's also hard not to hear the song as a statement of triumph over adversity, as Slugo narrates how "the sounds of guns on the streets turned into the beats in my head." Over and over again, Slugo repeats the line, "I am ghetto," turning the identity into a source of pride. The duo had this to say about the track:

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"Dear Listener,

In light of recent events, a new track by DJ Slugo. It was produced on a cold but sunny morning by Nico in NY, and sent that very morning to Thomas Kendricks (Dj Slugo) who laid down the vocal. We hope you enjoy it.

Peace.

Nico & Slugo"

Ziad Ramley is on Twitter: @ZiadRamley