Mr. C

His rapping for the Shamen made him one of the most ubiquitous MCs in Britain during the early '90s, but by the end of the decade Mr. C became one of the most respected DJs around the world. Born Richard West in London, he emerged as a leading DJ and label head (of Plink Plonk) by the late-'80s house explosion in Britain. Introduced to the Shamen's Colin Angus at one of the seminal Spiral Tribe events of the era, Mr. C was invited to join the group after the death of bandmember Will Sin in 1990.

One year later, his deft Cockney rap, added to a remix of 1989's "Move Any Mountain," helped the single storm the Top Five in England. During 1992, the Shamen returned to the Top Five four times, led by Mr. C on the number one lads-on-E anthem "Ebeneezer Goode" as well as "LSI" and "Boss Drum." As the Shamen slipped from the charts during the mid-'90s, Mr. C returned to the dance underground and his first love, DJing. His first mix albums, 1996 volumes in the X-Mix and Mixmag Live! series, made clear his focus on American techno from Detroit to New York. By 1997, his Sub-terrain residency at the club he co-owns, The End, made it one of the hottest spots in England, with a hard but danceable tech-house fusion. Mr. C also inaugurated a new label, End Recordings, and produced three singles during 1998-99. In 2000, the tech-house mix set Subterrain 100% Unreleased appeared on Engine.