Rashad Harden, known as DJ Rashad, was a Chicago-based electronic musician, producer and DJ known as a pioneer in the footwork genre, and often associated with Hyperdub Records.
Background
Born in Hammond, Indiana on October 9, 1979, Rashad Hanif Harden was the son of Gloria and Anthony Harden. He grew up on 108 Street in the southern part of Calumet City, a suburb of Chicago. According to his father, "since was a kid, he"s been doing this he knew what he wanted to do".
Career
He developed an early interest in music and began to DJ in his early teens. In high school, Harden gained further DJ experience at the Kennedy-King College radio station WKKC. In 1992 he made his first public appearance as a DJ at his high school jubilation. While attending Thornwood High School, Harden met Morris Harper (aka DJ Spinn) during homeroom class.
The two began to spend time at each other"s houses producing tracks and performing at parties.
Harden was one of the founders of the Teklife crew and developed footwork around dance battles in the greater Chicago area. Harden was one of the performers at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago in 2013 and completed support-slot on the tour of Chance the Rapper in December 2013.
On June 29, 2015, Hyperdub released the 6613 European Parliament, a four-track European Parliament of previously unheard DJ Rashad tracks. On Saturday, April 26, 2014, Harden was found dead at an apartment on West 21st Street, Chicago.
According to police reports, Harden was found by a friend and was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:50 p.m.
An initial autopsy proved to be inconclusive. However, on August 7, 2014 an autopsy confirmed that the death was in fact drug related, with heroin, cocaine and alprazolam being found in Rashad"s system.
Membership
He also became a member of local dance troupes, including the HouseOMatics, The Phyrm, and Wolf Pac.