Chicago Ghetto House legend DJ Slugo graced the studio with a visit during his time in the Twin Cities for UNBOTHERED’s Parable rave last Saturday. Known as the King of Ghetto House, Slugo has evangelized the sound and ethos of the subgenre for decades. His productions, like his recent work with NYC’s Lauren Flax, have also lit dancefloors on fire across the globe.

We chatted with DJ Slugo about his background and intentions for the mix. Read a transcript of the interview, edited for length and clarity, below:

What made you want to become a DJ?

I watched my cousin DJ for years and saw what he was doing. We grew up in the Robert Taylor Homes — the projects. I saw him get a lot of notoriety from it. So I told him, “teach me.”

What was it like being in Chicago at the dawn of house music?

One of the best things that could have happened. I never would have figured DJing would be my job. I had other aspirations and things like that, but I wouldn't trade it for nothing in the world.

You are the King of Ghetto House, correct?

That's what they say.

What does ghetto house mean to you?

Everything. I live, breathe, everything ghetto house, you know? House music was cool. But for me and the guys that grew up with me and helped me pioneer the sound, it was too slow for us. It wasn't speaking to our lifestyle. It wasn't speaking to the things that we were experiencing in the neighborhoods we were growing up in. So, we decided to change the sound. That's why we put the word “ghetto” in front of it, because we was living in the hood.

We loved house music and we didn't mind playing it, but we wanted to ghetto-fy it. Put profanity in and say derogatory stuff because that's the stuff we was hearing. That's the stuff we grew up on. It's still house music. I tell people ghetto house is still house music. It's just hood. It's hood house music.

I've described ghetto house to people and it's almost like people feel like they have to be offended when they hear the term. Do you ever get that?

A lot of people get offended because they hear the word “ghetto.” I grew up in the ghetto. I grew up in the hood. Don't be afraid to be where you from. I embrace it. You said I'm ghetto, but I took the ghettoness of what you saying that I am and turned it into a business. So I guess I got a ghetto house business too.

At the end of the day, I'm never offended. You know, whatever people want to call it, how they want to embrace it, but at the end of the day, it's what we call it and what we do with it that makes sense. So if people don't understand it that way, I'm not offended at all. I've even had people in Chicago who grew up there be like, “what's ghetto house music?” I'm like, man, have you been under a rock? That's the reason I keep doing what I'm doing, because it's a lot of people, even in Chicago, that still don’t know what this sound is. So, I keep pushing until everybody knows what the sound is.

It's funny that you mentioned people in Chicago not getting it because you're mentioned on [French duo] Daft Punk’s song “Teachers.” How did you feel when you first heard that?

I felt two ways: excited, because a lot of people were excited for us, but disappointed that they mentioned all of those people on that record and never did a record any of us. You say that we’re your teachers and we helped you build your sound, but you couldn't come back and get at least one or two of us?

I was excited that they paid homage, a lot of people do that pay homage, but the best way to pay homage is by going and grabbing that guy who inspired you, and saying, “hey, let's do something together.” That would be more inspiring than anything… So, I was excited that they gave us flowers while we were alive on there, but to not come back and do a record with either guy on the record on that they mentioned… I never understood it. I always wanted to ask them, “why y'all never came back and did a record with any one of us?” It’s like leaving the hood and then never coming back and bringing anything back to the hood.

That's a good point. It's funny that you mentioned that, because I feel like from the outside looking in, that's what your collaboration with Lauren Flax was. You obviously inspired her, so you two worked together.

Exactly. She's a sweetheart, too. She's one of those people. Somebody asked me about her, and I'm like she's 100 because she went and did music with the people that inspired her. So to even to be able to do music with people that inspired you, it's epic. But it's a lot of people who me and my colleagues have inspired who have never done anything with us… There are people who sampled us, replayed our bass lines, our words, but never once called and said, “hey, let's do a record together.” Or, “hey, I want to remix your record.” But it'd be beautiful. I could remix your record and we put another one on there. Now, I'm in a situation with Sony, or I'm in a situation with Atlantic, and I want to make sure you get a part of that situation, because I want to redo your song. But no, we don't get that. It's like every man for himself in the house world, unfortunately.

You’re in town for a show. What are you most looking forward to about tonight?

I love this sound, like, love this sound. So, just being able to get it to a newer generation in there that ain't heard it yet. That gives me another five years as they’re growing up and getting into the sound. That's what I'm really looking forward to, bringing the sound to people who've never heard it. I mean, of course, the people who've heard it and and want to hear it, blessings with them. But my goal is to bring the sound to new people.

I tell people my life is a party. I just want to have a good time, you know? I wanna leave this earth with a smile on my face. I had a ball, you know, and then have no regrets when I leave here, you know? So, that's what I'm looking forward to. Having fun.

What do you have in store for us in the booth today?

I never have a curated set. A lot of people do that, I don't. Whatever I'm feeling at that particular time, I'm gonna play it like. I might go back and critique this mix 100 times and it just prepares me for my next gig. When I'm doing sets like this, it's practice.

Follow DJ Slugo on Instagram to stay up to date with his events.

Stay tuned for new mixes on Carbon Sound every other Wednesday. If you’re a DJ and want to be considered for the series, email a mix of yours to jgreen@mpr.org.