MC Tee
| MC Tee | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Touré Embden |
| Also known as | MC Tee Crime Master Tee Tee-Ski |
| Born | 1966 |
| Origin | Haiti |
| Genres | Old school hip hop Electro funk |
| Instruments | Microphone |
| Years active | 1984–1988 |
| Labels | Sleeping Bag Records Capitol/EMI Records |
| Associated acts | Mantronix |
Touré Embden (born 1966), known by the stage name MC Tee, is a Haitian-American emcee and co-founder (with DJ Kurtis Mantronik) of the 1980s old school hip hop and electro funk group Mantronix.
Early years
MC Tee was born in Haiti, emigrated with his family to the United States, and eventually settled in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York.[1]
Mantronix emcee
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In 1984, Brooklyn native MC Tee met Kurtis Mantronik at Downtown Records in Manhattan, where MC Tee was a regular customer, and Mantronik worked as the in-store DJ.[2][3] The duo soon made a demo, formed the group Mantronix, and eventually signed with Sleeping Bag Records.
MC Tee co-wrote Mantronix's debut single, "Fresh is the Word," a club hit in 1985, reaching #16 on the Hot Dance Singles Sales chart. "Fresh is the Word" was featured on Mantronix's debut album, Mantronix: The Album, which was released the same year.[4]
Mantronix's second album, Music Madness, was released in 1986. While MC Tee's rhyming style on the album continued in the traditional b-boy fashion of the times, Mantronik's club oriented production and mixing in Music Madness tended to attract more dance music and electro funk aficionados than hardcore, old school hip hop fans.[5]
In 1987, Mantronix signed with Capitol/EMI and released In Full Effect the following year (1988). MC Tee abruptly left Mantronix shortly after the release of In Full Effect to enlist in the United States Air Force.[6]
In a 1997 interview with MTV Europe, Kurtis Mantronik commented on the departure of MC Tee from Mantronix:
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MC Tee left the group because he wanted to further his education. And just I think dealing with the politics of the business, he just wasn't cut out for that. And it kind of got him a little frustrated.[7]
Mantronix continued for two more albums following MC Tee's departure, 1990's This Should Move Ya and 1991's The Incredible Sound Machine, with Bryce "Luvah" Wilson replacing MC Tee, before the group finally disbanded in 1991.
Current whereabouts
Speculation has surfaced on Mantronix and Kurtis Mantronik fan sites regarding a reunion of the original Mantronix line-up, but as of 2011, a reunion has yet to materialize.[1].
Touré Embden is listed as having lived in both Stone Mountain and Lilburn, Georgia.[8]
In 2003, Embden was convicted of child molestation in Georgia, and spent time in prison for the offense. He is, to date, listed as a sex offender in the state.[9]
References
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- ↑ http://www.homefacts.com/offender-detail/GA21195/Toure-A-Embden.html Toure A Embden Registered Sex Offender
