Traxman

Cornelius Ferguson, professionally known as Traxman, and also as Corky “Traxman” Strong, originates from the west side of Chicago. He is recognized as one of the longest-serving producers within the house and footwork genres. His career began in the early nineties with releases on the Dance Mania label during the period known as the glory days of ghetto house. Traxman is a co-founder of the Chicago-based Geto DJ’s Inc., a collective active for two decades, and is also a member of the Teklife crew, alongside artists DJ Rashad and DJ Spinn. He further established the Tekk DJz crew and has recorded for various labels such as Planet Mu, Dizzy Tunes, Chiwax, Lit City Trax, Booty Tune, Booty Call Records, and Factory Music Chicago. His work also includes the creation of legendary mixtapes on colored cassettes, which served as a prototype for the evolution of juke and footwork music. His productions are characterized by a blend of hip-hop’s funk, footwork’s drum programming, and an understanding of Chicago’s house music history.

Traxman’s musical style is deeply rooted in Chicago’s soul, funk, house, and ghetto trax traditions. He is acknowledged as a veteran and a knowledgeable crate-digger, having sourced samples for a number of classic house, juke, and footwork tracks over the years. His extensive musical knowledge contributes to his versatility as both a DJ and a producer. His productions are noted for their synthesis of hip-hop’s sample-flipping techniques with the energetic and complex drum patterns characteristic of footwork, alongside a respect for Chicago’s house music heritage. This combination reflects his technical skills and deep understanding of the genre’s evolution. He has released numerous official and unofficial mixtapes, albums, and EPs, including the “Da Mind of Traxman” series on Planet Mu, which is considered among his more prominent works.

His career progression highlights his role in shaping Chicago’s dance music landscape. He was involved in the early stages of footwork’s international emergence in the late 2000s, leading to increased productivity in his releases. Traxman maintains an active presence as a DJ, often utilizing his deep knowledge of music to provide samples for other artists within the Chicago scene. He incorporates his unofficial edits of tracks across various genres, from soul and funk to acid house, into his DJ sets.