Very few names in drum & bass carry the same weight as the legendary Stevie Hyper D. Whether you knew his distinctive double-timed flow from myriad mixtapes, experienced him in the flesh at one of the many raves he was regularly booked at (Helter Skelter, Telepathy, Labyrinth, Elevation, Utopia, Roast and many more) or you’re just well aware of his legacy, Stevie’s influence and impact on the scene is still respected to this very day.
On October 19, Uncle Dugs will broadcast Junglist Soldier, a never-heard-before documentary about Stevie on his Rinse show. Produced with care by Matthew Gale and Stevie’s cousin Darryl Austin, it’s the first time the MC’s story will be told in full. Two years in the making, and kept very very close to Gale and Austin’s chests, it’s unmissable for anyone with an interest in UK dance music, MC culture and drum & bass. Here’s the teaser vid…
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqvjOx-Yx4U&feature=youtu.be
“The funny thing is I never knew him, I never met him in my life.” says Dugs. “My experience of him is as a raver. When I first saw him I couldn’t believe how he had the crowd eating out the palm of his hand like he did. He’d say something and the crowd would do it back. It was mad. No MC owned the crowd like him. He owned the dance!
“When he said ‘junglists are you ready?’ the WHOLE place would shout ‘bo!’ back. The whole place. He had acceptance from the crowd. The crowd are fickle. They won’t just do what they’re told. Yeah of course you’ll get the odd ones shouting ‘whey!’ for the sake of it, but he had everyone shouting. Even the badboys at the back of the room doing naughty things. Even they would shout back to Stevie Hyper D!”
A more fitting tribute, you will not find. Stevie was a true entertainer with enough clout, charisma, humour and skill to appeal to everyone. He worked in tandem with DJ. He complemented the crowd’s buzz without compromise. He influenced the next generation…
“Ask a lot of the grime guys who their influence was back in the day and a lot of them will tell you Stevie Hyper D,” says Dugs. “From the garage MCs right through to the grime guys like Wiley – they were all influenced by Stevie. He’s like a Tupac or a Biggie. When you die at the top you never leave it. He might have been rubbish now. I doubt it though; he had an album deal just before he died. Who knows how that album would’ve affected the grime scene. If you’re a fan of him you’ll love this documentary; it’s his life story, there are loads of great clips on there. But even if you’re not a fan, if you love UK music and rave culture and MCs then this is really interesting. It’s such a well told story and the guy’s a fucking a legend at the end of the day. He changed the course of Mcing. All your Skibs and them lot, all their careers are off the back of what Stevie’s done…”
Find out the full story on Dug’s RCFF show on Rinse FM, Friday October 19, 11am-2pm.
And while we’re here… Win Uncle Dugs Rinse 20 CDs!
There’s also the small matter of Uncle Dug’s recent Rinse 20 CD. An old school workout mixed with slick style and a handful of tunes have NEVER seen an official release, it’s essential. We’ve got five to give away. All you need to do is answer this question:
What does RCFF stand for?
Answers over to comps@breakbeat.co.uk by October 19 please. Good luck!