Rewrite and translate this title MC Stevie Hyper D: The untold story of jungle’s formative MC to Japanese between 50 and 60 characters. Do not include any introductory or extra text; return only the title in Japanese.

MC: Master of Ceremonies. The phrase has come a long way since it was first used to apply to those who presided over rituals in the Catholic Church hundreds of years ago. There were the MCs of the hip-hop scene, deft linguists who led the similarly sermon-like parties of the Bronx in the 1970s. Then, there were the British drum ‘n’ bass MCs of the 1990s, whose place of worship was the rave. Unleashing collective euphoria with lyrical refrains that both educated and excited, these orators arrived as the latest evolution in a tradition that strikes to the heart of human experience, and, in Britain, few played a more formative role than Stevie Hyper D. 

“Stevie was really ahead of his time,” says Darrell Austin, nephew of Hyper D and centrepiece of newly-released documentary HYPER: The Stevie Hyper D Story, which sheds light on the prolific influence that the late MC had on British music. “For a long time, I was really angry that he didn’t get the credit or respect he deserved. That was the real motivation for me in starting the process of making this film and solidifying his legacy.”

From his pioneering of the maniacal ‘double time’ flow that accommodated the breakneck 160 beats-per-minute of drum ‘n’ bass and jungle, to his callbacks to the cultural melting pot that spawned these movements (see: “junglists are you re-a-dy?’, a remixed refrain borrowed from Jamaican singer Poppa Echo), the West London Barbadian-Gibraltan defined an artform that can still be heard at raves almost 25 years after his passing. But, as the documentary started taking form, and British music greats like D Double E, Megaman and Darcus Beese began sharing their memories of Stevie in force, it soon became clear that, to many, he had never been forgotten. 

“Our original title for the film was ‘The Hidden Influence’. We were out to prove that Stevie was this ‘hidden’ mythical folk like character that we were unearthing from the past and we were on a mission to solidify his legacy,” reflects the film’s director Jamie Ross-Hulme, “But, for those that were there, he wasn’t actually ‘hidden’ at all. He was blatantly and obviously ‘the guy’.”

And, indeed, it is through transporting viewers back to the unbridled idealism of Britain’s 90s rave scene that Stevie’s legacy can truly be appreciated. With archival footage depicting cult-like crowds in their thousands writhing to explosive breakbeats and singing his lyrics back to him, Stevie emerges as an early figurehead of a very British movement, born out of the 80s rave scenes and Jamaican soundsystem culture that came before it.

“It’s time for [jungle MCs] to make their mark just like hip hop and reggae music made their marks, and it needs to be in a British accent,” Stevie proclaims in a 1998 televised interview included in the film. Back then, the quote likely stood as a powerful call to arms for the fledgling movement, but, in hindsight, it arrives with a hint of tragedy. Passing away from a sudden heart attack just months later, with his debut album under the legendary Island Records label still unfinished, it seems that Stevie’s potential was never fully realised. 

“A key theme of the film is ‘what could’ve been’ and ultimately we will never know,” says Ross-Hulme, “I like to think he would have fulfilled his destiny and become a truly worldwide version of Dizzee or Wiley.” These fantasies of ‘what could’ve been’ are only heightened by the fact that, thanks to the groundwork of Stevie, as well as DJs like Nicky Blackmarket, Roni Size and more, drum ‘n’ bass is now bigger than ever. 

“Look at Chase & Status having a number 1 this year with Stormzy and selling out Milton Keynes bowl with 65,000 people,” Ross-Hulme continues, “The younger generation are still just as passionate about it as we are and were back then. 30 years on and the culture still gets bigger and bigger, that’s why this film is so important. Keep pushing it forward, but always respect the heritage!”

Buried deeper within Stevie’s story, and the euphoric dancefloors that he presided over, then, is also a testament to the power of nightlife as a whole. With UK dancefloors going from dropping basslines to dropping like flies over the last few years, this footage appears more magical than ever – it’s a reminder to fight for these spaces to remain for future generations. 

“There’s no doubt that without the smaller clubs incubating the music at a grassroots level, it has a huge impact on the rest of the scene,” explains Ross-Hulme, “We need to take a hard look at the lifecycle side of things and what is happening on the ground – it all starts with the youth, they are the next ones up. Let’s not just create superstar DJs, let’s create superstar MCs, promoters, event producers, film producers, podcasters. Like hip-hop culture in the US and reggae culture in Jamaica: you have to know your history!” 

And, the history of jungle and drum ‘n’ bass can’t be told without mentioning MC Stevie Hyper D – if the collective energy of the rave can be called a ceremony, then he certainly was a master. 

HYPER: The Stevie Hyper D Story premieres with a limited run in cinemas this evening. Take a look at the gallery above for a closer look at the film, and sign up to available dates here.

MC: Master of Ceremonies. The phrase has come a long way since it was first used to apply to those who presided over rituals in the Catholic Church hundreds of years ago. There were the MCs of the hip-hop scene, deft linguists who led the similarly sermon-like parties of the Bronx in the 1970s. Then, there were the British drum ‘n’ bass MCs of the 1990s, whose place of worship was the rave. Unleashing collective euphoria with lyrical refrains that both educated and excited, these orators arrived as the latest evolution in a tradition that strikes to the heart of human experience, and, in Britain, few played a more formative role than Stevie Hyper D. 

“Stevie was really ahead of his time,” says Darrell Austin, nephew of Hyper D and centrepiece of newly-released documentary HYPER: The Stevie Hyper D Story, which sheds light on the prolific influence that the late MC had on British music. “For a long time, I was really angry that he didn’t get the credit or respect he deserved. That was the real motivation for me in starting the process of making this film and solidifying his legacy.”

From his pioneering of the maniacal ‘double time’ flow that accommodated the breakneck 160 beats-per-minute of drum ‘n’ bass and jungle, to his callbacks to the cultural melting pot that spawned these movements (see: “junglists are you re-a-dy?’, a remixed refrain borrowed from Jamaican singer Poppa Echo), the West London Barbadian-Gibraltan defined an artform that can still be heard at raves almost 25 years after his passing. But, as the documentary started taking form, and British music greats like D Double E, Megaman and Darcus Beese began sharing their memories of Stevie in force, it soon became clear that, to many, he had never been forgotten. 

“Our original title for the film was ‘The Hidden Influence’. We were out to prove that Stevie was this ‘hidden’ mythical folk like character that we were unearthing from the past and we were on a mission to solidify his legacy,” reflects the film’s director Jamie Ross-Hulme, “But, for those that were there, he wasn’t actually ‘hidden’ at all. He was blatantly and obviously ‘the guy’.”

And, indeed, it is through transporting viewers back to the unbridled idealism of Britain’s 90s rave scene that Stevie’s legacy can truly be appreciated. With archival footage depicting cult-like crowds in their thousands writhing to explosive breakbeats and singing his lyrics back to him, Stevie emerges as an early figurehead of a very British movement, born out of the 80s rave scenes and Jamaican soundsystem culture that came before it.

“It’s time for [jungle MCs] to make their mark just like hip hop and reggae music made their marks, and it needs to be in a British accent,” Stevie proclaims in a 1998 televised interview included in the film. Back then, the quote likely stood as a powerful call to arms for the fledgling movement, but, in hindsight, it arrives with a hint of tragedy. Passing away from a sudden heart attack just months later, with his debut album under the legendary Island Records label still unfinished, it seems that Stevie’s potential was never fully realised. 

“A key theme of the film is ‘what could’ve been’ and ultimately we will never know,” says Ross-Hulme, “I like to think he would have fulfilled his destiny and become a truly worldwide version of Dizzee or Wiley.” These fantasies of ‘what could’ve been’ are only heightened by the fact that, thanks to the groundwork of Stevie, as well as DJs like Nicky Blackmarket, Roni Size and more, drum ‘n’ bass is now bigger than ever. 

“Look at Chase & Status having a number 1 this year with Stormzy and selling out Milton Keynes bowl with 65,000 people,” Ross-Hulme continues, “The younger generation are still just as passionate about it as we are and were back then. 30 years on and the culture still gets bigger and bigger, that’s why this film is so important. Keep pushing it forward, but always respect the heritage!”

Buried deeper within Stevie’s story, and the euphoric dancefloors that he presided over, then, is also a testament to the power of nightlife as a whole. With UK dancefloors going from dropping basslines to dropping like flies over the last few years, this footage appears more magical than ever – it’s a reminder to fight for these spaces to remain for future generations. 

“There’s no doubt that without the smaller clubs incubating the music at a grassroots level, it has a huge impact on the rest of the scene,” explains Ross-Hulme, “We need to take a hard look at the lifecycle side of things and what is happening on the ground – it all starts with the youth, they are the next ones up. Let’s not just create superstar DJs, let’s create superstar MCs, promoters, event producers, film producers, podcasters. Like hip-hop culture in the US and reggae culture in Jamaica: you have to know your history!” 

And, the history of jungle and drum ‘n’ bass can’t be told without mentioning MC Stevie Hyper D – if the collective energy of the rave can be called a ceremony, then he certainly was a master. 

HYPER: The Stevie Hyper D Story premieres with a limited run in cinemas this evening. Take a look at the gallery above for a closer look at the film, and sign up to available dates here.