Lucas
b. c.1970, Copenhagen, Denmark. His mother an artist and his father a writer, Lucas moved around the world from an early age, finding his most permanent port of call in New York. There he immersed himself in the prevailing hip hop culture on the Lower East Side, rubbing shoulders with old school crews like Kid Crush as he became first a breakdancer, secondly a DJ, and finally a rapper. By 1990 he was signed to Uptown Records as part of Key West, billed as the label's ‘first white artist’. When that band fell from favour Lucas worked briefly with Chubb Rock and Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), DJing for The Lifers Project, before leaving New York for England. His debut single for WEA, Wau Wau Wau/Work In Progress, revealed the experience he had gained. While the a-side was an easily likeable jazz-tinged affair, distinguished by a sample left on his answaphone by a drunken kid, the b-side cut, featuring the vocals of Fay Simpson (Nu Colours) and Junior Dangerous, spanned rap, soul and ragga. Lucas also became prominent in UK hip hop circles for his production skills (Nu Colours, Shara Nelson).