Driving dance music forward through innovation and connection.

For the past decade, SHERM — Chicago's Matt Sherman — has built a multifaceted career as a house DJ and producer, A&R, podcast host, and co-founder of Chicago Music Nexus. It's a résumé built on one idea: pushing the culture forward through both innovation and connection.

His sound leans on groove-oriented basslines paired with soulful elements and energetic, club-ready production — music made to fill a floor and keep it moving. Behind the booth he's earned recognition for dynamic performances and original releases; away from it, he's just as known for championing emerging artists and building the community around them.

That combination — artist, curator, and connector — makes SHERM a natural fit for the Empowered family: talent that lifts the whole scene as it climbs.