Tributes pour in for beloved pioneering Aylesbury musician MC Conrad who has died aged 52

Tributes have flooded in for a pioneering Aylesbury musician who died, aged just 52, on Tuesday (30 April).

Music producer, vocalist, and recording artist, MC Conrad, who was born Conrad Thompson, had his death confirmed by his talent agency Clinic Talent. It said in tribute: “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.”

Before Conrad became one of the best known names and faces in the fledgling genres of drum’n’bass and jungle, his love of music first came to light in Aylesbury.

The former Grange School student was a key figure in the Aylesbury breakdancing scene which became a big hit in the 80s. He was known to dance by the ducks at Friars Square, before making his mark running more official dance nights at social clubs and community centres throughout the town.

He got his start performing in gigs in Aylesbury as a teenager as part of the ensemble Triple Element. On social media in 2020 he wrote in reference to his first ever gig at Aylesbury Civic Centre: “Small town beginnings on the shoulders of giants.”

It was this love of Hip Hop and dance developed in Aylesbury, that inspired and shaped the great MC he went on to become.

His legacy spread far beyond Aylesbury however, his entries on Pete Tong’s Essential Mix series on BBC Radio One, alongside his longtime collaborator LTJ Bukem, are fondly remembered. Working with Bukem and other producers such as PFM is what Conrad is best known for globally. The Guardian said: “[He] was celebrated for his dexterity on the mic, his singing ability, and affinity with the jazzier end of the [drum’n’bass] genre’s spectrum.”

World famous music producer and DJ Goldie said on social media: “Your contribution to the music and your #vibes was just different class… Just so glad we got to speak in the summer you were in such a great place… Rest in power.”

Wendover-born music manager and former president of Virgin EMI, Ted Cockle, saw Conrad’s passion for music first hand growing up in the Aylesbury area.

He told The Bucks Herald: “He was an exuberant character. Widely-adored, great energy, and there was only delight from the town when he became the ace face of that scene, because people would only wish him well.

"Normally the crowd is split on people, but the outpourings have gone far and wide, because he didn’t have a bad bone in his body. He was good and thankfully his talent shone through.”

Seen as one of the figureheads and pioneers of the drum’n’bass movement as it became mainstream in the 1990s, several other industry figures paid tribute to the Aylesbury man who performed all across the world.

Promoters Drum&Bass Arena posted on X: “So sad to hear the legendary MC Conrad has passed away. He set the blueprint for generations of MCs with his signature style and brought so much soul to this music.”