Beatdown Litnic Credit: Courtesy the Artist

Our culture generally doesn’t consider 22nd anniversaries especially momentous, but I’ll take any excuse to see some of the most important figures in footwork, juke, and ghetto-house history—and that’s exactly who DJ Clent has brought together for this year’s Litnic, a daylong picnic that celebrates the 22nd anniversary of his label and collective, Beatdown House. In the mid- to late 90s, Clent took ghetto house’s grimy, salacious sound in nervy new directions, helping shape its rhythmically complex offshoots juke and footwork. His first mix, a 1997 split with DJ Flint called South Side Beatdown (he founded Beatdown House around the same time), came out exclusively on cassette, the format that provided the heartbeat of ghetto house during those years. Since then Clent has become one of the most important figures in the scene, and he’s roped in so many other pivotal producers for this year’s Litnic that its lineup is basically a Chicago house hall of fame. Among the performers are footwork originator RP Boo, Teklife cofounder DJ Spinn, ghetto-house architect DJ Deeon, and Bosses of the Circle founder DJ Roc; I recommend showing up early to see juke mastermind DJ Puncho in action too. The Litnic also promises to have the inclusive atmosphere of a block party—one of the pluses of a festival that’s put together by a community rather than a corporation.   v

Twitter: @imLeor