Innovative turntablist
Ricci Rucker began producing under his own name in the early 2000s, releasing records intended as tools for scratch DJs and collaborating with fellow turntablists such as
Mike Boo and
D-Styles. In 2005,
Rucker designed the Vestax Controller One, a turntable meant to be used as a musical instrument. Following a 2005 promo-only mix LP entitled RRRRAP,
Rucker mastered and contributed scratching to
J Dilla's posthumous Jay Love Japan EP in 2007.
Rucker remixed
Jesse Boykins III and Exile under the name
Ruckazoid, and by 2010 he was using the name exclusively. Irish hip-hop label All City Records released the first
Ruckazoid 12", "Crush," in 2010.
Ruckazoid contributed vocals to three songs on Parisian producer
Breakbot's debut album,
By Your Side, released by Ed Banger Records in 2012.
Rucker continued developing his style combining turntable wizardry with his own vocals nodding to '80s and '90s R&B, and worked on solo material as well as collaborating with Salva and
Theophilus London. In 2015,
DJ Shadow signed
Ruckazoid to his Liquid Amber imprint, and released the Scratchgod I EP. ~ Paul Simpson