Duke Bootee, Co-Writer of Hip-Hop’s Iconic ‘The Message,’ Dies at 69
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variety.comNatalie Oganesyan editorDuke Bootee, whose 1982 hit “The Message” changed the tone of hip-hop, died on Jan. 13 of heart failure at his home in Savannah, Ga., the New York Times confirmed.
He was 69.Born Edward Fletcher, he began writing “The Message” in 1980, the same year he became a studio musician at Sugar Hill Records, which released the early work of groups such as the Sugar Hill Gang and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.
Fletcher also toured with the Sugar Hill acts and contributed to the writing and recording of their seminal tracks.“The Message” describes the “jungle” that is living in an impoverished city and marked a stark contrast between the hip-hop hits of the era, which were largely upbeat and meant to make a crowd.
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