What happened to Charles Chambers, aka DJ Funk? GoFundMe raises over $34,000 as Chicago artist dies at 54

Charles Chambers, better known by his stage name, DJ Funk, has died at the age of 54.

Chambers was a trailblazing Chicago ghetto house producer. His demise was announced on Instagram by his close friend and collaborator, DJ Slugo. He reportedly succumbed to stage four cancer, and his family launched a fundraising campaign to help with the costs of his funeral, which is slated for this week.

At the time of writing, his GoFundMe page has raised $34,588, which is 99% of the $35,000 goal. The donations have come in from over 750 patrons, and it is being organized by Shontae Chambers.

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The life and legacy of DJ Funk explored as a close friend calls on his fans to give his family some space

His GoFundMe includes an image of Charles Chambers in a hospital bed and gown, visibly ill. He can be seen sporting a beanie, a mask, and the page reads as follows:

"Dj Funk, a talented artist who has brought so much joy and inspiration to so many through his music, is now facing the heartbreaking reality of planning for his final farewell. He has been bravely battling stage 4 cancer and now doesn't have much longer left. We are raising $10,000 to cover funeral arrangements and give him the tribute he deserves. This is a challenging time for the family and any support you can provide whether through donations or sharing this post would mean the world to us. Thank you."

Chambers' productions, known as ghetto house or even booty house, are renowned for their signature of taking house music’s beats, bass, and vocals and speeding them up, while coupling them with explicit lyrics. Some of his most popular tracks include Work Dat Body, Pump It, and Run.

In his video on Instagram, DJ Slugo revealed that he took permission from Charles' family to announce his demise. "DJ Funk has passed," he said in the video, adding that the family has asked everyone for their condolences and support. He also called on all of Chambers' fans to "let the family grieve" and "deal with the loss of a loved one."

"DJ Funk has passed. They do have plans to do something big here in Chicago. He's not here in Chicago right now, he's in Georgia," he said in the clip.

DJ Slugo also reflected on what it was like for him and Chambers to come up together in the ghetto house world and how the music they created is still celebrated all over the world.

Speaking with The Guardian in 2015, DJ Funk reflected on how he would like to be commemorated.

“I really don’t want a funeral,” he said. “I’d like to have a party so people remember all the good times and aren’t sad. Then at the afterparty there’ll be a lot of booty shaking with all my music played.”

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At the time of writing, further details about DJ Funk's funeral remain unknown.