From local radio to global influence, the rise of Baltimore club music

Baltimore club music has never been just a sub-genre of dance music. For the residents of the city, it’s a destination, both physical and intangible.

“The sound would just take over your body in such a magical and beautiful way,” says Baltimore musician and poet Abdu Ali.

Born in neighborhood roller rinks and dance floors, and spread through local radio airwaves, Baltimore club grew loud and fast beginning in the early ’90s. As part of our latest Sense of Place series, we sat down with two of Baltimore club’s fiercest advocates to capture a snapshot of its rise.

For Ali, the sound is inseparable from growing up in the city.

“[The Paradox] was one of the first places where I really clubbed,” they say. “I went to a dance party, and I snuck in there too. I went to, like, a 17-and-over party, but I was only 13 or 14.”

DJ Ducky Dynamo, born Meagan Buster, first remembers hearing Baltimore club on the radio, spun by iconic DJs like Frank Ski and K-Swift.

“When I was in third grade, I had a best friend, and it was one of those sleepover nights and ‘sleep overnight’ meant we just turn on the radio and dance and turn on MTV and look at the videos,” she says. “And in this case, it was a Friday night, so 92Q was broadcasting live from Club Choices.”

In today’s session, Ali and DJ Ducky share their memories of Baltimore club, and they explain what they’re doing to make sure the music — and the culture around it — continues to thrive.

This episode of World Cafe was produced and edited by Kimberly Junod and Miguel Perez. World Cafe‘s engineer is Chris Williams. Our programming and booking coordinator is Chelsea Johnson and our line producer is Will Loftus.