STEVIE HYPER D
DJ PHANTASY
I didn’t realise how important
Stevie was to drum & bass until
he died. After that, there was a
gaping hole that took a long time
to be filled. I remember doing a
show with him just before he died
and it came out on tape pack a
few weeks later. I listened to it
while I was flying to Canada after
he had died and I was hearing
how he had the crowd in the palm
of his hand – everything he said
they responded to. I remember
looking out at the clouds in the
sky and thinking ‘What a waste of
life’ because he was so important
to the scene. It took a long time
for people like Skibadee and
Shabba to emerge properly after
his death and he is still a massive
influence on everyone. As a DJ,
for me to be able to say that he
blessed one of my sets is really a
beautiful thing.
EKSMAN
Hyper D was the biggest inspira-
tion for me – I remember hearing
him on a rave tape and he made
me think that I wanted to be an
MC. I saw him a few times live
and he was amazing to watch
on stage. I wasn’t really involved
in the rave scene back then
but when he died he left a lot
on the shoulders of people like
Skibadee because he had taken
it all to the next level. Stevie was
a real all-rounder – I loved his
double–time but he could sing
and rap as well and he would
mix them all together. He had
the whole package and there’s
not many people that can do it
all. He’s missed so much in the
scene – if he was still alive now,
who knows where it all could
have gone?
Stevie’s death on July 13, 1998 caused shockwaves in the world of drum & bass, with talking about new ideas and new hooks so that made me determined to make it as a
many fans refusing to believe the reports were true. The loss of MC Ruff a few weeks producer. Whenever I’m struggling to do something thinking about what Stevie was
earlier had robbed the British underground of one its brightest talents but Hyper D’s like makes me just get on with it and I have a lot to thank him for.”
demise sent the whole scene into mourning. Three weeks on, a hastily arranged night
at London’s The End nightclub paid tribute to his legacy, with everyone from Fabio to With so much unused material from their time together, Jason went on to make more
DJ Rap in attendance and the proceeds going to Stevie’s family. two more albums – ‘The First Step’ and then ‘The Legend’. The latter was released in
partnership with Dance Concept’s Benny V, who explained his decision to donate all
“Stevie made MCs think they could be superstars – he was getting people from all the proceeds to Stevie’s mother Ida: “I knew him from my time at Labrynth and when
over the world standing up and taking notice,” reflects Jason. I heard Jason was looking for someone to do the new album with, it seemed like a
great idea. Before I was playing in the same clubs as him, I was going out to see him
“He had that kind of persona where he would just go up there and do his thing and I always loved what he did. We wanted to make all the proceeds from the album
because he knew how good he was. It gave a lot of people the confidence to think that go to his family because they belonged to them. Stevie’s Mum wasn’t the richest lady
they could make it big as an MC and he brought a lot of colour to the music. He could in the world so we were pleased to help her out. Ten years have gone by since he died
have opened the door for the whole scene if he hadn’t passed away. but there’s the new generation who are 18 or 19 and they all know about Hyper D
and how good he was. You can go up to anyone in the scene and say his name and be
“Stevie was proper ghetto but he worked hard to try and move forward in life which guaranteed that everyone will love him – that’s amazing considering you’d have to be
was really inspiring to me,” he adds. “He strived to do well for himself and not just in your late 20s now to have even seen him perform.”
accept the fact that he was from a poor background. He was always ringing me up
www.kmag.co.uk
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