Duke Bootee

Edward Gernel Fletcher, known by his stage name Duke Bootee (June 6, 1951 – January 13, 2021), was an American record producer and rapper. Born and raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey, his best known single, "The Message", was written in his basement with Clifton "Jiggs" Chase and was released in 1982 on Sugar Hill Records, featuring 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)", 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 in the Plainfield (NJ) Public School District. Later, Duke Bootee was a professor of English at Montclair State and Savannah State Universities. He died January 13, 2021, of end-stage congestive heart failure.

American record producer and rapper (1951–2021)

Duke Bootee
Born	Edward Gernel Fletcher June 6, 1951
Origin	Elizabeth, New Jersey[1]
Died	January 13, 2021 (aged 69)
Genres	Hip-hop
Occupations	Record producer rapper
Instruments	Percussion vocals
Years active	1982–1992
Label	Sugar Hill

Musical artist

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

Born and raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey, his best known single, "The Message", was written in his basement with Clifton "Jiggs" Chase and was released in 1982 on Sugar Hill Records, featuring rappers Duke Bootee and Melle Mel.^[3] 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)",^[4] 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 in the Plainfield (NJ) Public School District. Later, Duke Bootee was a professor of English at Montclair State and Savannah State Universities.

He died January 13, 2021, of end-stage congestive heart failure.^[5][3]

Discography

[edit]

• Bust Me Out (1984)^[6]

References

[edit]

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. ^ ^{a b} Alex, Traub (January 29, 2021). "Duke Bootee, Whose 'Message' Educated Hip-Hop, Dies at 69". The New York Times. Retrieved January 30, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
4. ^ Melle Mel & Duke Bootee Of Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - Message II (Survival) (Vinyl) at Discogs
5. ^ "Duke Bootee, Rapper and Co-Writer of Hip-Hop Classic 'The Message,' Dead at 69". Rolling Stone. January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
6. ^ Duke Bootee - Bust Me Out (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs

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