Bronx native Chuck Chillout began his career in music DJ'ing house parties and block parties. In response to the success WBLS-FM was having with their hip hop shows hosted by Magic Mike and Marley Marl, Chillout was recruited to DJ on New York’s WRKS “Kiss FM” on Friday nights (some sources say he began in 1982, some 1983, others 1984). Chillout’s show pioneered bringing hip hop to the masses, and the show became so popular an in-store appearance in 1987 brought thousands of people to the venue, leading the owner to call the police to handle the chaos.

Meanwhile, he was also a turntablist in The B-Boys alongside Donald D. The group released three singles in 1983 that have been sampled hundreds of times by artists including Britney Spears, The Prodigy, Massive Attack, De La Soul and The Beastie Boys. After the addition of Brother B to the group, two more singles followed in 1985. In the 80s, Chillout also produced songs by acts like Dismaster Crew, Deuces Wild and Kam, participated on two tracks on Run DMC’s seminal King Of Rock album, and remixed Public Enemy’s “Night of the Living Baseheads”.

In 1989, Chillout was suspended by WRKS for appearing on rival station WBLS at the invitation their renown program director Frankie Crocker, who then hired him upon hearing the news (he would later name Crocker as a mentor). That same year, Chillout released the album Masters Of The Rhythm with fellow Bronx native Kool Chip, later calling its top 15 Rap Chart hit “Rhythm Is The Master” his most influential recording.

Within a couple years WBLS had moved away from rap, so in 1992 he moved from radio to TV as a host of the popular New York hip hop video show Video Music Box. In 1995, Chillout pioneered bringing hip hop music to masses again as a radio DJ in Japan.

In 2001, Chillout returned to his original home WRKS until the station merged with long-time rival WBLS in 2012. In addition to WBLS, he currently hosts radio shows on Power 88 KECP, Soulradio.com, Desert Storm Radio & Rapstation.com