MC Conrad worked closely with LTJ Bukem and was influential during the nascent years of drum and bass.
The drum and bass community has suffered another tragic loss. MC Conrad, one of the genre’s most recognizable voices, has passed away at age 52 of unspecified causes.
The news was first shared by Clinic Talent, the agency representing MC Conrad (real name Conrad Thompson). It was confirmed by Polish DJ, producer, and promoter ROS Addiction, a close family friend of Thompson’s.
“We’re sorry to say that MC Conrad passed away in April 2024,” reads the statement on the Clinic Talent website. “One of the most recognisable and best-loved voices in D&B, he leaves behind him an unmatched legacy. Conrad will be deeply missed by all of us, and by all of you who were touched by his performances over the years.”
Thompson got his start in UK hip-hop and electro in the ’80s, a scene that came to cross-pollinate with rave as the movement took shape toward the end of the decade. As acid house begat hardcore which in turn begat jungle and drum and bass, so too did the emcee (and later, producer) evolve creatively.
Thompson forged a key partnership with drum and bass DJ and producer LTJ Bukem, and the two launched seminal drum and bass label Good Looking Records in 1991. The genre exploded in popularity, affording Thompson opportunities to perform in cities across the globe. Some of his most popular tracks are “Soul Patrol,” “Words 2B Heard Meets Planetary Funk Alert,” and “Energetic Poetry.”
Thompson isn’t the first drum and bass veteran to die in recent memory. Just last week, the news of MC Duke‘s passing rattled electronic music fans the world over.
Figureheads in drum and bass and beyond such as Doc Scott, Steppa, and Carl Loben have posted tributes to MC Conrad on social media. “A truly iconic and unique artist, he helped define and build the world of jungle & drum and bass music,” wrote Hospital Records on X.
No details of a memorial for MC Conrad have been shared with the public at the time of writing.
