DJ Deeon

Deeon Boyd (October 5, 1966 – July 18, 2023), known under his stage name DJ Deeon, was an American Chicago house DJ, credited with pioneering ghetto house and helping create the Dance Mania label.[2]

DJ Deeon
DJ Deeon in 2009
Background information
Birth nameDeeon Boyd
Also known asDebo
Born(1966-10-05)October 5, 1966
Chicago, Illinois
OriginSouth Side, Chicago
DiedJuly 18, 2023(2023-07-18) (aged 56)
GenresGhetto house[1]
Years active1980–2023
LabelsDance Mania

Early life

Boyd was born in Chicago in 1966. Growing up in a housing project in the South Side, he became interested in electronic music after listening to "Numbers" by Kraftwerk off their 1981 album Computer World, later discovering house mixes on WBMX.[3]

Career

Boyd started DJing in 1980, with Boyd being influenced by Kraftwerk, John Rocca, and Soulsonic Force.[4][5] He helped with the creation of the Dance Mania label with Ray Barney as well as creating the sound of ghetto house in the Chicago area.[6]

Boyd released his debut EP in 1994, named "Funk City".[7] After "Funk City", he released "Freak Like Me" in 1996, which is regarded as his most successful work.[7] Boyd would continue to release music regarded as classics in the house genre, such as "Bomb 96", "2 B Free", "Wicked", "Back 2 Skool", "House-O-Matic" and "The Freaks".[7][8] He was named in the Daft Punk song "Teachers" from their 1997 album Homework.[9]

In 2015, the record label Numbers reissued four tracks from Boyd in the EP Deeon Doez Deeon!.[10] In 2016, a remix of his track "Freak Like Me" by Lee Walker featuring Katy B and MNEK was released on Defected Records, reaching #80 on the UK Singles Chart.[11] In 2021, Boyd released Destiny on the label Teklife, with the proceeds of the project going to DJ Rashad's family after his death in 2014.[12] Starting from May 5, 2023, Boyd released four EPs over the span of 2 days, those EPs being "Bad Robot", "Glasgow to London", "My CPU" and "Space Age Digital Pimp".[13]

Personal life

In July 2020, Boyd launched a crowdfunding campaign for his health issues, having no income from gigs due to the COVID-19 pandemic and no disability benefits due to his previous touring.[14] In June 2022, he revealed through his Facebook account that he had gone through amputation and pneumonia and was in an intensive care unit. A GoFundMe had started to cover his medical costs.[15][16] On July 18, 2023, he died of undisclosed causes.[17]

Artistry

Boyd's style has been described as minimal and raunchy, a staple of the ghetto house genre.[9] He personally described his work as "Get-freaky-with-a-stranger music. Girls kissing girls music. Stress-relief music."[7] He was known for using the Roland TR-909 drum machine as the main backbone of his tracks, the instrument "pushed to the breaking point, asked to provide a waterfall of drum sounds".[18]

Discography

Singles and EPs by DJ Deeon
  • Funk City (EP) (Dance Mania, 1994) – incl. "House-O-Matic"[7]
  • "Freak Like Me" (1996)[7][19]
  • Work This M.F. (EP) (DiKi, 1997) – with DJ Puff[20]
  • "Feel Good" / "Akceler 8" (Caution, 1998)[20]
  • "2 B Free"[7]
  • "Let Me Bang" (Databass, 2003) – incl. "Ride This MF"[19]
  • "The Freaks" (Juke Trax, 2005)[7]
  • "Wanna Go Bang" (Drumcode, 2022)[19]
  • "Bad Robot" (2023)[13]
  • "Glasgow to London" (2023)[13]
  • "My CPU" (2023)[13]
  • "Space Age Digital Pimp" (2023)[13]

Music with contributions by DJ Deeon
  • "Work It" by Dance System – DJ Deeon contributed vocals[7]

References
  1. Sfetcu, Nicolae (May 9, 2014). Dance Music. p. 181.
  2. Twells, John (May 29, 2017). "FACT mix 603: DJ Deeon". Fact.
  3. ""No one was doing the type of music we were doing": An oral history of Dance Mania". Fact. March 4, 2014. p. 1.
  4. McNamee, Kai (July 18, 2023). "DJ Deeon, influential and iconic Chicago house music DJ, dead at 56". National Public Radio.
  5. "Fifteen Questions Interview with DJ Deeon". Fifteen Questions. August 11, 2018. p. 1.
  6. Martin, Lauren (2015). "Do you like house?". Dazed.
  7. Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (July 18, 2023). "DJ Deeon, star of Chicago house music scene, dies aged 56". The Guardian.
  8. Duran, Anagricel (July 18, 2023). "Chicago House star DJ Deeon dies aged 56". New Musical Express.
  9. Monroe, Jazz (July 18, 2023). "House Innovator DJ Deeon Has Died". Pitchfork.
  10. "Numbers to reissue '90s ghetto house classics from Dance Mania producer DJ Deeon". Fact. February 25, 2015.
  11. "FREAK LIKE ME". Official Charts Company.
  12. Middleton, Ryan (June 18, 2021). "DJ DEEON RELEASES DEBUT TEKLIFE EP 'DESTINY'". Magnetic Magazine.
  13. Ross, Gemma (May 9, 2023). "DJ DEEON RELEASES FOUR EPS IN TWO DAYS". Mixmag. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  14. Middleton, Ryan (July 28, 2020). "DJ DEEON LAUNCHES CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN TO BATTLE HEALTH, ECONOMIC HARDSHIPS". Magnetic Magazin.
  15. "GoFundMe launched for DJ Deeon amid ongoing health issues". DJ Mag. July 27, 2022.
  16. Buckle, Becky (July 27, 2022). "GOFUNDME SET UP FOR DJ DEEON AMID CONTINUING HEALTH ISSUES". Mixmag.
  17. Bain, Kaite (July 18, 2023). "Ghetto House Pioneer DJ Deeon Has Died". Billboard.
  18. CMJ New Music Monthly. CMJ. 1995. p. 48.
  19. "DJ Deeon, ghetto house pioneer, dies · News". Resident Advisor. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  20. "Ghetto house legend DJ Deeon has died". The Fader. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
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