EKSMAN

When MC Eksman stepped up to receive his Accelerated Culture Award for Best Lyrical MC at Coventry's SkyDome Arena on December 4th, 2004, it marked a new era in the history of the drum and bass MC.

The 24-year-old with a 2:1 in Computer Science from Brockley, South East London became only the second man to scoop the award since it was introduced in 2001, denying the legendary Skibadee his fourth title in as many years and confirming his new found status as the world's most in-demand drum and bass MC.

"I was kind of surprised," he reveals just a week after collecting his award that was voted for by more than 11,000 ravers.

"To beat someone like Skiba is just mad, but it just shows that all the work I've put in writing lyrics, and doing between five and eight raves every week up and down the country has paid off."

Having first shot to prominence as part of pirate radio station Ruud Awakening's growing reputation on the airwaves in the late 1990s, Eksman's trip to the top has been as fast as his chats.

"It all started in 1991 when I wrote my first lyric," he remembers. "I couldn't have been more than about 10 or 11 but I still know what it was:
DJ gonna mix it up,
Eksman I'm giving you the ruff stuff,
Shout goes out to all South crew,
Nuff respect from me to you!
I originally wanted to be a DJ and my brothers called me Ecstacy because that was all over the scene back then, but I became Eksman a few years later when I was rolling with the Pressure FM boys in 96."

Growing up with legendary jungle producer Remarc as his older brother, music was clearly in the blood and it was the sounds of the UK underground that inspired Eksman to develop his emerging talent.

"The first people that made me want to do it were Stevie Hyper D (RIP) and Fearless," he says. "I remember listening to Fearless on Weekend Rush and hearing the way he rhymed the words made me want to be a MC. I didn't really get inspired much by any artists outside the scene though, it's always just been drum and bass Ð even in my spare time now it's all I listen to." New Breed Crew Logo

Linking up with his long time friend Herbsie, the reputation of the duo spread quickly across London's airwaves following their debut in 1996 as ravers turned on to their unique style of MCing. The industry had been notoriously close-knit and difficult to break into for newcomers but unlimited exposure through both Ruud and Cyndicut FM along with his growing reputation meant that promoters were forced to sit up and take notice of Eks.