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Duke Bootee
Birth nameEdward Gernel Fletcher
BornJune 6, 1951
OriginElizabeth, New Jersey[1]
DiedJanuary 13, 2021 (aged 69)
GenresHip hop
Occupation(s)
  • Record producer
  • rapper
Years active1982–1992
LabelsSugar Hill Records

Edward Gernel Fletcher, known by his stage name Duke Bootee (June 6, 1951 – January 13, 2021), was an American early record producer and rapper.[2]

His best known single, "The Message", was released in 1982 on Sugar Hill Records. The hit song featured rappers Duke Bootee and Melle Mel. The record label marketed the song under the name Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Later, he collaborated again with Melle Mel on the singles "Message II (Survival)",[3] and "New York New York", in which the latter was credited to Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.

After concluding his music career in the early 1990s, Duke Bootee acquired teaching certification and became an educator.

He died January 13, 2021, of end-stage congestive heart failure.[4][5]

Discography

References

  1. ^ "GET FUNKY, MAKE MONEY & YA DON'T STOP: THE STORY OF DUKE BOOTEE AKA ED FLETCHER" (Interview).
  2. ^ "DUKE BOOTEE". oldschoolhiphop.com. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
  3. ^ Melle Mel & Duke Bootee Of Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - Message II (Survival) (Vinyl) at Discogs
  4. ^ "Duke Bootee, Rapper and Co-Writer of Hip-Hop Classic 'The Message,' Dead at 69". Rolling Stone. January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  5. ^ Alex, Traub (January 29, 2021). "Duke Bootee, Whose 'Message' Educated Hip-Hop, Dies at 69". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 30, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  6. ^ Duke Bootee - Bust Me Out (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs


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