The loss of Stevie Hyper D remains one of the most shocking moments in jungle's brief history and anyone who was around at the time won't need reminding of the general feeling of denial and disbelief that most junglists felt on hearing the news. In any underground scene, rumours are constantly doing the rounds - and in a time before internet discussion forums and mainstream drum & bass coverage became commonplace, many simply refused to accept the word on the street and dismissed the stories as nothing more than idle gossip.

Of course, the brief period of denial was brought to an abrupt end by Friday evening. Raves and clubs up and down the country echoed with the sounds of MCs paying their respects and dancefloors were a sea of lighters as the scene united in grief. Stevie had spent the past decade establishing himself as a permanent fixture on the rave circuit and the name Hyper D had become almost synonymous with live drum and bass events. To suddenly have to adapt to a scene without the presence of one of its biggest stars was a huge adjustment and for a while things just didn't seem the same.

To understand exactly what Stevie meant to jungle, you only have to look at what he achieved in his short but revolutionary career. Today's mile-a-minute motormouth MCs owe a debt of gratitude to the man simply for his groundbreaking originality on the mic. The 'double time' style of MCing used by almost every lyricist today was literally developed and pioneered by Hyper D and it's a testament to the man that his style is still being emulated five years after his death. That's not to say that modern MCs lack originality, simply that Stevie managed to redefine the role of drum & bass MC both lyrically, and in raising the image and status of jungle lyricists within the industry.

Pre Hyper-D, the typical MC fit a very different description to what we've come to expect today. Added almost as an afterthought to early rave and acid house parties, they served only to offer brief and basic vocal support for the DJ, and as for lyrics - well, lets just say that they weren't exactly rivalling Eminem for clever wordplay and metaphor. Most relied more on enthusiasm than any real talent to succeed and were often content to perform for little or no payment at all. When Stevie began to emerge in the early 90's, he instantly stood out not only for his distinctive lyrical style and ability, but his overall professionalism and stage presence. Suddenly, here was an MC who went beyond the simple two or three line rhymes used by others and could happily chat skilfully for minutes on end. Obviously, the new kid on the block forced others to raise their games and gradually, the MCs began to get more and more attention. By the time the fledgling jungle scene broke away from its hardcore roots in 1994, the once humble mic controllers were emerging as a force to be reckoned with.

The fact that Hyper D's rise to fame coincided almost exactly with that of the drum & bass scene itself is no accident. By establishing himself as a major player in the early days, he ensured he was perfectly placed to ride the tidal wave of success that followed and it's difficult to find a flyer from the mid 90's without Stevie's name on the lineup. Notorious for his hard working attitude, he set about building up a significant fanbase through frequent bookings up and down the country and now legendary resedencies on Kool FM and other pirate stations. The latest Hyper D mixtape became hot property and Stevie rapidly established himself as the scene's first lyrical superstar. For the first time, ravers were checking the MC lineups as well the DJ talent when deciding what to do with their weekends, and promoters who were previously content to book one or two MCs for their events became eager to get as many big names on board as possible.

The main thing that made Hyper D stand out from the crowd in those early days was undoubtedly his sheer versatility on the microphone. Whilst other MCs limited themselves to simple, stereotypical templates, Stevie drew on a wide range of influences to ensure his lyrics always sounded distinctive and fresh. Combining elements of hip hop, dancehall, r&b and reggae, he gave himself an advantage over the competition by having the ability to switch up his style at any given moment. At a time when drum & bass was beginning to become far more varied and diverse than the early bedroom produced tunes, this immediately set Stevie Hyper D apart from the rapidly expanding MC scene.

Of course, there were plenty of other MCs putting in hard work back in the day and many have gone on to enjoy considerable success today - but it's fair to say that throughout his career Stevie stood out from the crowd and was widely regarded as number one not only by the public, but by his peers in the MC community. Ask any lyricist on the circuit today and they'll cite Hyper D as a major influence or inspiration. Even in todays current climate, with MCs coming in for more criticism from certain areas of the scene, it's almost unheard of to hear anything other than positive comments when the subject of Stevie Hyper D is brought up.

The real tragedy about the timing of Stevie's death was that he was literally on the verge of true recognition. I was lucky enough to interview him for Eternity magazine in 1997, and his enthusiasm about his debut album was enough to convince anyone that he was destined for even greater things. The drum & bass scene has lost soldiers before, most notably the likes of Kemistry and GE Real, but arguably none has been as high profile and heartfelt as the loss of Stevie. The queues round the block at the recent Hyper D memorial event at the Coronet, and the imminent Different Levels remix project just serve to illustrate that even though Stevie might be absent from rave lineups these days, his memory and legacy lives on and he remains as popular as ever.

Words: Lee Henaghan