He said his name was Lazy. He’s from the Austin neighborhood on Chicago’s Far West Side. I met him in Lawndale (also known as K Town), where local history has it the Harlem Globetrotters started. They opted to use the name Harlem, though, because Harlem is cool and Lawndale really isn’t.
Around 2PM, as I was driving down 16th, I heard Lazy’s drums. This is the other side of Chicago that most visiters don’t see, and why would they? It’d be like London tourists eschewing the National Gallery in favour of the Pembury Estate. Most of the time, this place is a mess. But today, apart from a couple of homeless people sleeping under a tree, this corner is clean enough. Usually you can find a syringe within a couple of feet. Now there’s a garbage bag and it even looks as though someone has swept.
Videos by VICE
I think bum’s corner’s unusually aspirational mood that afternoon was down to Lazy. He was marching around banging absent-mindedly, inadvertently waking the drugged-out homeless guys up and moving them on. A decade ago, he’d have been on Giuliani’s payroll. I’ve been visiting this area for a couple of years and honestly, I wouldn’t have been on this corner if it wasn’t for Lazy’s drum.
VICE: What are you doing?
Lazy: Drumming! I’ve been drumming since I was seven!
What are you doing drumming on this corner? I’ve never seen you here before.
I’m part of a drumline sir. We have auditions today.
For a drumline?
It’s called “Genesis Drumline”, it’s a group of young people. We march on the streets, anywhere really. You should come see.
Do you march in the neighbourhoods? Like right now, would you go head up Kildare Ave and play?
Yes. We perform down streets, behind buildings, in parks. We dance when we perform, do illusions with the sticks. You feel that? Sometimes it rains, but we don’t stop.
I’m sure marching in the neighbourhood is harder than marching in the rain. Do people give you problems?
They do, they do. We mostly march on the West Side, some dealers have a problem with it. The police also don’t like it if we go downtown and play, which I really don’t understand. Most people love it. They will stick up for us if some of the gang-bangers and dealers have a problem. I don’t get why they do though, it’s not like we go beating them up and taking their money, so why do they pick on us? They’re the ones putting crack and heroin in our neighbours.
Yep, dealers are pricks. What’s your stance on weed, though?
Well, weed ain’t bad. That’s just an herb. It doesn’t tear up the neighbourhood like alcohol and other drugs. Weed is just there, God-given. Some people want the bad drugs here. Look at this lot. We can’t wait to solve these problems or have other people do it. Young people gotta do it. There are too many old people in the system that aren’t going to help young black men.
What kind of people does Genesis attract?
All kinds of young people. From five to 25. But mostly young men in their twenties. Angry people, happy people. If you can’t leave your problems at the door than bang them out on the drum. We can roll around with just a few of us, or a crew of up to 20.
