DJ Pharris

One of Chicago’s most iconic, influential disc jockeys, DJ Pharris has been a staple of the city’s radio airwaves since the 1980s. Initially known for spinning house music on the legendary WBMX, he can be heard daily on hip-hop station Power 92 (WPWX) in addition to hosting parties and appearing at clubs throughout the city. He is cited as the first radio DJ to play Kanye West, and has helped boost the careers other popular artists such as Drake. During the 2010s, he became more active as a producer, collaborating with West, R. Kelly, Future, Chief Keef, and many others. Pharris is a three-time winner of the Global Spin Award and was inducted in the Frankie Knuckles DJ Hall of Fame.
Pharris Thomas started his professional DJ career in 1986, playing house music on WBMX. While he’s continued to spin Chicago house and juke music, he mainly became known for playing hip-hop. After stints at various Chicago stations throughout the 1990s, he settled at Power 92 during the early 2000s, where he hosts the daily drive-time slot, as well as Real Radio most nights. He has occasionally hosted or co-hosted mixtapes, including 2012′s The New Chicago Vol. 1. While he’s produced tracks for several Chicago artists dating back to the 1990s, he became more visible on a national level during the late 2000s and early 2010s. “The Money,” a single featuring R. Kelly, Fat Joe, Fabolous, and Busta Rhymes, surfaced online in 2008, and was rebuffed and given a proper release a few years later. In 2012, Pharris co-produced Future’s “Parachute” (featuring Kelly), appeared on West’s “Cold” and “Theraflu,” and hosted Jeremih’s Late Nights with Jeremih mixtape.
Pharris occasionally released additional singles, including 2013′s “Money Dance” (with Yo Gotti, French Montana, and King Louie), promising a full-length solo album. He made appearances on 50 Cent’s BET comedy series 50 Central (2017) and the Showtime series The Chi (2018), executive produced by Common. In 2019, Pharris launched TCMG (This Chicago Music Group) in order to help give exposure to emerging artists from the city. The label’s first release was “Boss,” a collaboration between Pharris, Young Dolph, and G Herbo. ~ Paul Simpson