Every movement has an epicenter. A place and time that contains just the right set of circumstances to birth something extraordinary. The beat generation had The Mission District. Jazz had Greenwich Village in the 50’s. Skate culture had the backyard swimming pools of Venice Beach in 1978. The movements themselves vary widely, but they are each born of a time and a place that is as important to art as the proponents themselves.

We are experiencing one of these watershed moments in Chicago hip-hop, led by a Vanguard of young artists who create music birthed from the neighborhoods that raised them. This experimental site is designed to document this moment and chronicle the stories of the artists and their city.

Photography:
Andrew Zeiter

Design + Text:
Kazi Ridwan