DA-MOVEMENT Resurrects Chicago’s Golden Era With “24’s,” ft. Never of Crucial Conflict and the Late Johnny P
A sixteen-year-old West Side session finally sees daylight, restored in pristine stereo and Dolby Atmos. The single stitches together generations of Chicago hip-hop into one seamless, soulful record. It marks the first collaboration ever between a member of Crucial Conflict and the legendary Johnny P.
Some records don’t just get released, they get reborn. That’s the story behind “24’s,” the new single from Chicago collective DA-MOVEMENT, a track that spent sixteen years waiting in the vault before finally emerging as the centerpiece of the group’s Audio Resurrection Campaign. Built from a foundational 2010 studio session, the song has been carefully restored, remixed, and remastered for a modern listening experience without losing a trace of the raw, street-soul energy that made it special in the first place.
The bones of “24’s” were laid by the late Chicago producer Jason Pamon, an architect of the city’s sound who passed away from cancer in April 2026. His instrumental, a slow-burning blend of expansive synths and drum programming that nods directly to 90s Midwest hip-hop, forms the backbone of the track. It’s a beat that manages to feel both nostalgic and startlingly current, and that duality runs through every element of the production.
To bring the session into 2026, DA-MOVEMENT enlisted Rae Nimeh of United Technique for a pristine new stereo mix, then handed the track to two-time Grammy-winning, eight-time Grammy-nominated mastering engineer Mike Tucci for a cutting-edge Dolby Atmos spatial master. It’s the first time this particular strain of Midwest sound has ever been presented in immersive audio, and the result is a track that rewards close listening. Percussion, vocal presence, and ambient layering are all given their own distinct space in the mix, which means the song holds up just as well blasting through a car system as it does through headphones tuned for spatial detail.
What truly sets “24’s” apart, though, is who’s on it. The track brings together Qraft, Never of Crucial Conflict, DA-MOVEMENT founder Pompey “Pay” Hicks IV, and the unmistakable voice of the late multi-platinum artist Johnny P. This is the first time a member of Crucial Conflict has ever appeared on a track with Johnny P, and that historical weight is felt throughout the record. Four distinct voices, four distinct eras of Chicago hip-hop, all occupying the same space without ever stepping on one another.
Qraft opens the track, setting the tone with a verse steeped in the historic street-soul culture of Chicago’s West Side. Pay follows with the kind of authentic, pimped-out flavor that has defined his catalog, his verse punctuated by Johnny P’s signature ad-libs weaving in and out like a second voice guiding the track along. The lyricism throughout is vivid and specific, painting pictures that feel lived-in rather than performed, with flashes of modern drill cadence sitting comfortably alongside classic gangster rap storytelling. Every verse carries its own rhythm and its own point of view, yet none of them ever feel disconnected from the whole.
Never closes things out, and his verse is where the track really catches fire. Rather than easing into a fade, he takes over the finale at a breakneck pace, reflecting on the journey from the analog roots of the streets into the digital age. It’s a verse dense enough that it practically demands a second listen just to catch everything packed into it, delivered with the kind of wild West Side energy that has always defined Crucial Conflict’s sound.
Holding the whole record together is a chorus that layers melody over melody, rich with soulful tonality and built for repetition. It’s the kind of hook that lodges itself in your head long after the song ends, and it’s a big part of what makes “24’s” feel so radio ready despite its underground bones. There’s a horn section that swells through the choruses, adding an almost anthemic quality that pulls the track further out of nostalgia and into something that feels built for the stage. Listening to it, it’s easy to imagine a room full of people with their hands in the air, shouting the hook back at the group.
Johnny P’s presence on the track carries particular significance. A Chicago legend who won 113 consecutive talent shows as a child before signing with Columbia Records as a teenager, he went on to become the defining voice of the Midwest’s gangsta love sound. His work on Do or Die’s multi-platinum single “Po Pimp,” his role in shaping the Chicago sound alongside Twista on “Emotions,” and his appearance alongside Scarface and 2Pac on “Smile” all cemented his status as one of the city’s most beloved artists. His voice on “24’s” is a reminder of exactly why that legacy endures.
DA-MOVEMENT itself was built around the idea of putting soul back into hip-hop, a mission co-founder Pay has described in terms of pairing strong beats with lyrics that actually say something. The group’s debut album, DA-MOVEMENT MUZIC VOL 1, already showcased that vision, and their catalog includes standout collaborations like “All Black Everything” featuring AK of Do or Die and Never, along with “Hey Girl” and “She Hot.” “24’s” extends that lineage while adding a new layer of historical weight thanks to its restoration story.
With “24’s” arriving as the flagship release of the Audio Resurrection Campaign, DA-MOVEMENT is positioning the track as more than a single. It’s a statement about preservation, about honoring the architects of Chicago’s sound while pushing that sound forward into a new listening format. The combination of vintage songwriting instincts with modern spatial audio technology gives the track serious repeat value, and its cross-generational lineup gives it a cultural significance that goes beyond the runtime of the song itself.
For fans of classic Midwest hip-hop, sharp storytelling, and hooks built to last, “24’s” delivers on every front. It’s a rare thing for a sixteen-year-old session to feel this alive, but that’s exactly what DA-MOVEMENT has pulled off here. Catch “24’s” on all digital streaming platforms and don’t be surprised when it’s still stuck in your head days later.
OFFICIAL LINKS: Instagram – Facebook – X – LinkedIn – Reverbnation – Youtube – TIDAL – Deezer – Apple Music – Spotify
