Rumors are flying that Chicago producer and videographer DJ Kenn was arrested yesterday. Antonio Strong of TKO Radio was able to confirm that Kenn was picked up by law enforcement, and that his current status is uncertain. Kenn, a Japanese-born producer, had been living in the United States for five years. He has worked with Chief Keef for the bulk of that time, as well as rising Chicago artists Fredo Santana, Dapp, Sasha Gohard and Lil Reese, amongst others.
This past Friday, Kenn released a self-shot video (above) for "Intro," the first track of his excellent 2011 mixtape More than Music, featuring rapper 40 Boi. The tape also included Kenn-produced tracks by Chief Keef ("Bang", "It's Crackin" and "John Madden") Dapp ("Headache") and Lil Reese ("Letz Do a Drill"). Kenn's arrest could be a big blow to the nascent new-Chicago hip hop scene—Kenn is one of its most promising producers and a key creative force behind some of the city's younger artists. Below, download the Pack Boyz "Gun Show," which is an incredible beat from Kenn that best captures his aggressive-yet-hypnotic production style.
Download: Pack Boyz, "Gun Show" (Prod. by DJ Kenn)