MC Duke's career sounds like the plot to a bad hip hop film - but this actually happened!
Duke was more known for being a breakdancer than an MC, but his life took an unexpected turn.
He began his rapping career at a DMC World Championships after show party, where the winner of the MC battle competition got on stage and boasted that he would beat any rapper who challenged him. MC Duke took the bait and climbed on stage to take the challenge, and ripped the smug git apart.
The battle was witnessed by an A&R man for Music of Life records. He quickly arranged a meeting between Duke and Simon Harris, the head of the record label, where instead of bringing a demo tape, Duke rapped live in Harris' office.
Harris agreed to sign him!
I'm'Riffin - (remix) - Theres a couple of versions knocking about, but the one with the Kraftwerk backing track, is the one you want.
When MC Duke released I'm Riffin, with an accapella on the flipside, little did he know what he was unleashing!
His vocals got cut up, sped up and sampled over and over and over and you will hear snippets of this accapella across every genre in the dance music spectrum.
Its been used in Hardcore, Gabba, Jungle, Techno, House - I've even heard some MC Duke over trance! (It was shit.)
This is a real fun record to own as this is a little moment in UK hip hop history - plus you can play around with the accapella too, which is great for scratching.
Buy the record here: http://www.discogs.com/MC-Duke-Im-Riffin-English-Rasta/master/65023
