Man of the People EP

Pugslee Atomz is sort of like the Chase ATM of Chicago hip-hop. If you don't see him around the city, you're probably not looking hard enough. Whether performing or promoting, the dreadlocked MC has been a constant on the scene for years now and through his many projects has succeeded in furthering the movement he desires here. Understandably, it's a tiring jobbut Pugslee's never been afraid of a little hard work. "If this is what you wanna do, this is what you wanna do," says the South Side native. "I think some people don't understand what working hard means. Every day, you gotta put forth that effort. Some positive motion has to happen, otherwise you just got little sparks happening, but no fire." Of all the artists feeding the flames of hip-hop in this city, Pugslee seems to have the most fuel. A member of the venerable Nacrobats crew, he plays a role in everything from local DJ battles to the hip-hop TV show "Barbershop Hip-Hop" and the University of Hip-Hop, a South Side institution where he teaches a group of teenagers about rapping and the culture that surrounds it. But perhaps his most important contribution is the radio show he hosts every week along with fellow MC Thai One and JP Chill on 88.5 WHPK, the University of Chicago's radio station. Pugslee was asked to host 'CTA Radio' after years of coming down to the studio himself to get on the air. WHPK has long been a meeting spot for Chicago rappers to come and show what they can do, a place that welcomed the genre long before others would.