[11] While attending Thornwood High School, Harden met Morris Harper (aka DJ Spinn) during homeroom class.

[11] Harden was one of the founders of the Teklife crew and developed the footwork style around dance battles in the Chicago metropolitan area.

[5] He gained global attention after releasing his single "Itz Not Rite" on Planet Mu and being included on their Bangs and Works album in 2010.

[5] Throughout 2012 and 2013, Rashad performed regularly at 285 KENT in Brooklyn, New York City, drawing further national attention to his own music and to Footwork.

[18][19] A variety of artists paid tribute thereafter, with Vice writing that "Rashad will undoubtedly be remembered as one of contemporary dance music's most innovative stylists and most irreplaceable presences.

Harden's music as DJ Rashad is multifaceted, largely built around samples and drawing from other genres such as trap and jungle.

Ruth Saxelby of DUMMY Magazine said that his debut album Double Cup "crystallises the inherent duality of footwork (as represented by the ingredients of the titular syrupy drink: the blunt slowness of codeine and swift sharpness of sugar).

"[21] This refers to the low sub-bass and frenetic percussion at a high BPM featured in Harden's music, characteristic of footwork as a whole.