ArtistInfo

MC Ruff

voc,
Singer of Dance
A.k.a. James MC Gruff

Ruff was resident MC at weekly London happy hardcore club night Labyrinth and he also provided vocal contributions on the track Babylon Time and on two freebie CDs from Dream Magazine. MC Ruff was a very talented MC and a shining beacon in the hardcore scene. MC Ruff first started out MCing on the pirate airwaves in London, but his first major break came when he was working as a sound boy for The Prodigy and he got a job as their tour MC. In the end, MC Ruff had done four tours with the The Prodigy as the tour MC but he parted company with them due because their music was going in a different direction than he was. After The Prodigy MC Ruff went back to what he was good at MCing on the pirates in London. MC Ruff went on to appear on Dream FM, which was a pirate radio station in London which went on to promote around 20 events within the London area. Dream FM eventually started a clubbing magazine which sadly now defunct. Out of the DJs on the station, MC Ruff struck up a good understanding with DJ Spinback where they clicked first time and formed quite a double act. With his now partner in crime DJ Spinback, MC Ruff provided the London airwaves with a healthy dose of Happy Hardcore week in, week out not realizing that he was going to get another major break. Due to his lyrical skills (he sung as well as MCing) which complimented the hardcore scene vibe, MC Ruff attained a weekly residency at the Labrynth, which was the premier & longest running hardcore club in London at the time. As word spread of his skills, MC Ruff got bookings at all the major events up and down the country week in and week out. A rave would not have been the same without this duo there. Tragically Ruff died from heart trouble in 1998 at the age of 27 (coincidentally the same weekend that Stevie Hyper D. also died). Special nights were held at Labyrinth to mark the anniversaries of his death with profits going to the Cry organisation (promoting awareness of Cardiac Risk in the Young). Ruff's MCing style was uniquely lyrical and captivating and hasn't been equalled since. RIP MC Ruff.

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