💪 Leor features local legends in the People Issue

Plus: Leor's profiles of years past and concert previews. [READER]( The Daily Reader January 3, 2024 The Reader’s big [People Issue]( came out last week. This has been one of my favorite issues to work on since former Reader editor in chief Mara Shalhoup published the debut issue in 2011. The People Issue has given me the opportunity to talk with fascinating locals for no other reason than that they are part of the Chicago community. Some of my subjects have become well-known outside this city since I interviewed them, including [Angel Olsen (who I profiled in 2012)]( [Jamila Woods (2015)]( [Marea Stamper (2015)]( and [Nnamdi Ogbonnaya (2013)](. As with all my other work, notoriety, either past, future, or present, is never what draws me to a subject. If a Chicagoan has done anything to contribute to the character of this city, I want to know about them—and I want our readers to know about them too. Yes, I want more people to know about the Chicagoans I find interesting; I’m less interested in the idea that I might help a subject become famous than I am in helping locals learn about their fellow neighbors. For this newest People Issue, I interviewed two Chicaogans I consider legends: [Flash ABC]( and [Kingdom Rock](. Both have been involved in Chicago’s overlapping graffiti and hip-hop communities for decades, and both remain steadfast in their dedication to their respective art forms. Flash and Kingdom Rock have lived lives that can—and should—fill books spanning several hundred pages. Which is another way of saying I had a lot of trouble trimming down these conversations to fit the word count for our print edition. I didn’t write any stories explicitly about hip-hop’s 50th anniversary this past year. But the pieces I did work on—including these profiles and my [He Who Walks Three Ways retrospective for the Pride Issue]( underdocumented narratives from across hip-hop’s long, rich history to the page. I consider such work a vital part of observing and celebrating a culture’s legacy. My next Reader feature concerns one of the most interesting emerging Chicago hip-hop acts, because it’s just as important to show who is bringing the culture in new directions as it is to highlight the people who helped us get here. Sincerely, [“A Palestinian Poet’s Perilous Journey Out of Gaza,”]( by Mosab Abu Toha (New Yorker) [“Best Internet Rap 2023,”]( by Mano Sundaresan, Kieran Press-Reynolds, and Olivier Lafontant (No Bells) [“‘Kukla, Fran And Ollie’ Episodes, Freshly Digitized, To Air At Chicago History Museum,”]( by Web Behrens (Block Club Chicago) megiapa, [diddies vol. 2]( New Goo, [Faith Sounds]( Lund Surk, [Mythical Tales from the Southwest Suburbs]( ❄️ Leor’s [“Hello, 2024”]( playlist [Avantist’s David Arias lightens up the ‘bummer rock’ of his Troigo project]( Plus: Indie-pop masters Spun Out play their first show in months, and melodic hardcore sluggers Erabella play their last show ever. by [J.R. Nelson]( and [Leor Galil]( | [Read more]( → [Saxophonist Dave Rempis launches a January residency at the Hungry Brain]( by [Bill Meyer]( | [Read more]( → [Radio Outernational provide hot grooves for cold nights]( by [Jamie Ludwig]( | [Read more]( → [Emerging Chicago R&B singer Ine’a J lands her first headlining gig]( by [Leor Galil]( | [Read more]( → Chicago's essential music calendar - right in your inbox. [GET ON THE LIST: EARLY WARNINGS]( [Issue of Dec. 29, 2023 – Jan. 10, 2024 Vol. 53, No.]( [VIEW / DOWNLOAD ISSUE [PDF]]( [View this e-mail as a web page]( [@chicago_reader]( [/chicagoreader]( [@chicago_reader]( [Chicago Reader on LinkedIn]( [/chicagoreader]( [chicagoreader.com]( [Forward this e-mail to a friend](. Want to change how you receive these e-mails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. Copyright © 2024 Chicago Reader, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Chicago Reader, 2930 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 102, Chicago, IL 60616