BBU is the Chicago-based, four-man crew made up of MCs Epic, Illekt, Jasson Perez and DJ Esquire, whose sound place the listener in the middle of a Chi-town juke party. Following the release of their self-released first mixtape, Fear of A Clear Channel Planet, BBU performed across the country with names like Mos Def, MF DOOM, and J. Cole, been on the Lollapalooza and South by Southwest (SXSW) stages, and featured in the pages of The New York Times, The Washington Post, URB, The Chicago Tribune and TimeOut Chicago. The Chicago Reader named BBU as one of the “Best New Musical Groups,” and Pitchfork hailed their anthem, “Chi Don’t Dance” as one of the “Best New Tracks” of 2009. In early 2011, BBU teamed up with friends Das Racist and The Hood Internet for a collaboration titled “Please, No Pictures,” which debuted on Prefix Magazine and became one of the hottest singles of the summer.

As artists, the group is not afraid to express their perspectives. Over danceable sweat-inducing beats, they are paving their path from underground hype to main stage recognition in order to share what they have coined as “Revolutionary Juke Music.” While ascending to the top, however, BBU stays grounded by their roots and beliefs that brought them together in the first place. “We’re here to educate and celebrate,” says Epic. “We all come from harsh backgrounds, but we’ve stepped above that,” exclaims Illekt. “It’s all about spreading a positive energy,” explains Esquire. When asked why BBU do what they do, Jasson Perez states that for BBU it is about “making a connection to the culture, to the movement.”

Now the guys are set to release their second mixtape, bell hooks, in February 2012. Presented by Mad Decent and Mishka and mixed by DJ Benzi, bell hooks provides a refreshing take on hip-hop from a group whose alternative inspirations have them tossing out sounds along the lines of M.I.A. and dead prez, with a hint of Bad Brains. As the crew puts down the final touches on bell hooks, which includes features by Das Racist, Mic Terror and more, the men of BBU remain on the artist-activist grind. They are all helping to grow a culture connected to a People’s Movement by working as community and union organizers, health care providers, legal counsel and educators. They are creating a soundtrack for the people, by the people.