Dispatches from the Rap Wars
My 18 months inside one of Chicago’s most notorious gangs.
All Stories
The Hamilton Handoff
The show’s creator and original lead, Lin-Manuel Miranda, shares insight on the role with his Chicago replacement, Miguel Cervantes (including when to take a breath).
What to Expect from Your Hamilton Chicago Cast
Meet the soon-to-be stars in Hamilton's first run out of New York.
Can Jerryon Stevens Be Saved?
He’s a kid from the West Side, a former straight-A student. Last summer, at 15, he was arrested for selling heroin. This spring, one of his best friends was gunned...
Power 50
Things have shaken up like never before in our annual list of the most influential Chicagoans. Starting at the top.
Christmas vs. Hanukkah: Two Comics Sound Off
Two rising standup comics—one raised Catholic, the other a Jew—go head to head on the merits of their holiday traditions.
Paris, After
A chronicler of Chicago’s violence finds himself in the middle of a new crime scene abroad
Tony Fitzpatrick Believes Chi-Raq Will Help Save Lives
Seven questions for the artist/actor/writer who plays Captain Riptide in Spike Lee’s upcoming movie
Why Amanda Williams Painted This Building the Color of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos
The visual artist has been repainting structures all around the South Side. Her latest work is now on display as part of the Chicago Architecture Biennial.
The Mountains of Black Dust Next Door Were Covering Them in Grime. So They Fought Back.
After BP started storing millions of tons of a refinery byproduct on the Southeast Side, residents fought back. Their story, told through photos