Chicago has always spoken its own language in hip-hop, one shaped by melody, survival, street poetry, and a deeply ingrained sense of soul. Few modern projects channel that lineage with as much intention and authority as DA-MOVEMENT, a collective that operates less like a group and more like a cultural summit. Founded on purpose rather than nostalgia, DA-MOVEMENT exists to restore weight, meaning, and emotional intelligence to the music. As co-founder Pompey Hicks (Pay) puts it plainly, they deliver beats, but they also deliver soul, and lyrics that actually say something.
That philosophy is fully realized on the debut EP DA-MOVEMENT MUZIC VOL 1, a body of work that feels historic without sounding trapped in time. Built from the chemistry of its four principal members, the project unites generations of Chicago hip-hop royalty into one cohesive voice. At the core are Pay and Qraft, the creative engine whose synergy anchors the entire movement. Orbiting that core are two figures whose names are etched into Midwest hip-hop history.
The late Johnny P., one of Chicago’s most revered vocalists, serves as the emotional backbone of DA-MOVEMENT. His story alone reads like music lore. A child prodigy who won 113 consecutive talent shows, Johnny P. secured a multi-million-dollar deal with Columbia Records as a teenager and launched his career with the album Connect the Dots. From there, he toured with global icons including Whitney Houston, The Jacksons, and Michael Bolton. Yet his greatest cultural impact came closer to home. As the defining voice of Midwest “gangsta love,” he became inseparable from era-shaping records like “Po Pimp” with Do or Die, “Emotions” with Twista, and the immortal “Smile” alongside Scarface and 2Pac. His smooth delivery and dignified presence made him not just a star, but a symbol of Chicago’s melodic soul.
Balancing that elegance is Never, a key member of Crucial Conflict, the group that helped rewrite Chicago hip-hop’s sonic identity with their 1996 anthem “Hay.” Known for gritty realism, inventive flows, and unfiltered street narratives, Never brings a grounded intensity that keeps DA-MOVEMENT rooted in Midwest tradition. Where Johnny P. floats, Never cuts, and together they form a dynamic that feels timeless rather than retro.
That chemistry is on full display across standout records from DA-MOVEMENT MUZIC VOL 1, including “Hey Girl”, a landmark collaboration uniting Johnny P., AK of Do or Die, and Never on one track, and “She Hot,” which pairs Never and Johnny P. in a masterful contrast of grit and grace. But the defining statement arrives with “All Black Everything.”
More than a single, “All Black Everything” functions as a cultural checkpoint. Featuring AK (Do or Die) and Never (Crucial Conflict), the track is a masterclass in thriving despite systemic obstacles that have long fragmented local scenes and erased innovators. This is not reunion music for sentiment’s sake. It is reclamation. Built on dark, soulful production and rapid-fire Midwest chopper flows, the song reasserts Chicago’s melodic foundations and refuses to let West Side history fade into footnotes.
Engineered as pure riding music, “All Black Everything” feels just as natural thumping through a Box Chevy as it does rattling a packed club system. The hooks glide, the bars cut sharp, and the energy never dips. It is music made for movement, physical and cultural. That authenticity has translated beyond city limits, with the track billing within the Top 10 percent worldwide on Digital DJ Pool and climbing as high as #39 among more than 10,000 records. Those numbers are not just metrics, they are proof of life.
The impact deepens with “All Black Everything – Remix,” which reinforces the song’s message of presence, pride, and determination. With AK, Never, and the emerging J. Harris, DA-MOVEMENT constructs a bridge between generations, showing that innovation from Chicago’s West Side is not a memory, but an active force. The remix does not dilute the original’s purpose, it amplifies it. In a culture obsessed with what is next, this collaboration insists that the foundation was solid all along.
Sonically, the record walks a rare line. It is neither slow nor acoustic, neither trapped in the past nor chasing trends. Instead, it meets the listener in the middle, classic in structure yet unmistakably current. This balance is what allows the track to resonate in NYC and LA clubs just as powerfully as it does on Chicago streets. The production stays dark, the delivery remains relentless, and the soul never leaves the room.
Ultimately, “All Black Everything” redefines what classic really means. Not a museum piece, but a built course that still maps, still reverberates, and still deserves respect. DA-MOVEMENT is not asking listeners to look back. They are showing that Chicago’s hip-hop story is still being written, loudly, proudly, and without compromise.
