Honouring The Fallen (RIEP) – MC Conrad (UK)

24/03/2025 Dan Inside

MC Conrad, or Con or Connie to his friends (and Conrad Thompson to everybody else) was a legend in his own lifetime.

He revolutionised the art of rave MCing by bringing conscious lyrics to the table with an inimitable vocal delivery style that was smooth, textured and buoyant.

He bought energy to the set, but also something incredibly heartfelt and touching, and of course, in the early days when paired with LTJ Bukem, there wasn’t a DJ/MC combo on the planet that could touch them for originality.

The Moog – Rush Hour Ft MC Conrad

I grew up with him. Many of us did. I never met the man in person (only on-line) but saw him perform countless times and played tapes and CDs featuring his timeless voice over and over again. When you grow up in line with the rise of a globally respected and highly talented artist like Conrad, who’s presence within the scene is so integral that their loss leaves a void that is difficult to put into words, you kind of feel like he’s a part of you, and you of him.

Like so many people reading this, I was both shocked and heartbroken when I heard that he’d passed. He was the first major name to trust me with an interview on the site when I first started it, and for a fledgling project like INSIDE DNB, that was (and still is) a massively big deal.

But he did it, and I’m really grateful to have met him just briefly. It was a bit different from when I watched him and LTJ playing pool in the back room at Hyperbolic in King’s Lynn as a young teenager. This would have been early 1992 I think. It vas a Friday night and a school night, and I’d just woken up after having a sleep out the back. It was about 3AM I think. He had dreadlocks back then and was talking in a deep Jamaican patios that confused the hell out of me, as his MC voice was English!

Even so, I was mesmerised. I just looked around the curtain at these two jungle legends and it was hard to take it all in. I wrote a poem there and then and thrust it into LTJ’s hand as they exited the club. I always wondered if he still has it.

Connecting with him to do the interview regarding his Resonance label was fantastic too, as we had quite a lot in common, including both being born in Northampton, both spending time living in Aylesbury and both having autism in the family. Conrad turned out to be a great supporter of the work we have done, and will continue to do around that very personal and very important subject.

With roots in breakdancing and hip-hop, he made his way in the rave scene by being himself. Genuine. True. Creative.

Anyway, with what feels like the right amount of time since his passing to be both honourable and respectful, his friends, family and peers from across the scene have agreed to share with us some of their stories, feelings, anecdotes and and treasured memories about this fantastic and ground breaking MC and friend.

Please join us as we give thanks and spread love around the world for the man like MC Conrad.

Bukem and Conrad got their first big break at Dreamscape 4 in 1992.

DJ Ray Keith

We were mutual friends and all grew up together. He mentored DRS in the early days of Good Looking Records. He was a lyrical genius and his voice was legendary with the combination with LTJ Bukem, and the work he did with Adam F plus the Golden Girl track with Makoto set his legacy in stone.

HIs lyrics were a pleasure to the ear and he was an innovator. Gone too soon but never forgotten.

Paul SG

MC Conrad or Conrad to me

In late April of 2024, when the Drum & Bass world lost arguably its most iconic voice, I lost one of my best friends.

We met, when LTJ Bukem started playing my music. I think the first time was backstage in Heidelberg in Germany. I was shy, in my early twenties and not the usual kind of music business guy, inexperienced and naive and just a young man.

My connection with Danny ended in him signing dozens and dozens of tracks for the label, me becoming a resident at Bukem In Session at Fabric in London and naturally seeing Conrad regularly.

At the time, I stayed with Furney in Aylesbury for a month every year and this is where I really met Conrad, who grew up n the same town. For the first time, we met outside of the usual nightclub environment.

He cooked the most amazing jerk chicken and I’ll never forget the taste of the rice, soaked in all the juices and marinade. It wasn’t the last time he cooked for me although it never tasted quite like that first time! He added Red Stripe to the jerk and rice and to this day I’m convinced that it made all the difference.

As we saw each other more regular and played a few shows with Bukem outside Fabric, we started becoming close. We clicked and understood each other on a deep level of mutual respect.

We went through dark times together in years to come.

When he couldn’t tour America or Asia anymore, I was there.

When he parted ways with Danny and Good Looking, I was there.

When he wasn’t allowed to use his artist name “MC Conrad” and nobody in the so called scene wanted to touch him and work with him, I was there.

We shared everything with each other, thoughts and emotions but also beds and plates.

When we weren’t seeing each other whilst playing shows together all over Europe or visiting each other, we would be on the phone several times a week, bouncing ideas off each other, making each other laugh or cry and just discussing life in general for hours. An intellectual exchange that became as regular as taking a shower or having a sandwich.

Conrad was a visionary, incredibly talented and very tough on himself when it came to his art but for me, he was this gentle giant. A kind and selfless, incredibly funny and witty, highly intelligent loving friend that I could count on 24/7 and vice versa.

It’s not easy to live in 2 different countries and preserve something so fragile as a deep friendship but it was easy with Conrad.

I loved him like a brother and will do for the rest of my life. I miss him every day and the thought of him being at peace gives me great comfort. Conrad went to Jamaica for the first time in his life and came back to Birmingham literally a couple of days before he passed away. I was very happy that he finally got to go to Jamaica, the land of his parents and and I was looking forward to hear all about it but it sadly never got to that.

I will continue to wave his flag until I can’t raise my arm anymore.

AbuQadim Haqq

Illustrator & Afrofuturist since 1989

Tribute to Conrad “Con” Thompson**

Today, I remember Conrad Thompson, or as we all called him, Con—the greatest drum and bass MC of all time. Con wasn’t just a force in music; he was a true artist with a brilliant mind for lyrics and a voice that could shake a room. He elevated every track he touched, leaving us all in awe.

Beyond the music, Con had a heart as big as his voice. Generous to the core, he opened his home to me many times whenever I came to the UK, welcoming me not just as a guest but as family. I’ll always remember him offering me his favorite Jamaican dishes—his way of sharing a piece of himself with everyone he loved.

One of the best moments of my career was painting live to his DJ set, a memory I’ll always treasure. His energy filled the room, pushing me to create something as powerful and vibrant as his music. Thank you, Con, for every beat, every lyric, and every act of kindness. You were and always will be unforgettable.

MC Conrad Wall of Remembrance

If you have a story or memory of Conrad that you would like added here, get in touch with us and if it’s appropriate, we’ll add it!

WWW.INSIDEDNB.NET

Honouring The Fallen (RIEP) – MC Conrad (UK)

MC Conrad, or Con or Connie to his friends (and Conrad Thompson to everybody else) was a legend in his own lifetime.

He revolutionised the art of rave MCing by bringing conscious lyrics to the table with an inimitable vocal delivery style that was smooth, textured and buoyant.

He bought energy to the set, but also something incredibly heartfelt and touching, and of course, in the early days when paired with LTJ Bukem, there wasn’t a DJ/MC combo on the planet that could touch them for originality.

The Moog – Rush Hour Ft MC Conrad

Like so many people reading this, I was both shocked and heartbroken when I heard that he’d passed. He was the first major name to trust me with an interview on the site when I first started it, and for a fledgling project like INSIDE DNB, that was (and still is) a massively big deal.

Even so, I was mesmerised. I just looked around the curtain at these two jungle legends and it was hard to take it all in. I wrote a poem there and then and thrust it into LTJ’s hand as they exited the club. I always wondered if he still has it.

With roots in breakdancing and hip-hop, he made his way in the rave scene by being himself. Genuine. True. Creative.

Please join us as we give thanks and spread love around the world for the man like MC Conrad.

Bukem and Conrad got their first big break at Dreamscape 4 in 1992.

DJ Ray Keith

We were mutual friends and all grew up together. He mentored DRS in the early days of Good Looking Records. He was a lyrical genius and his voice was legendary with the combination with LTJ Bukem, and the work he did with Adam F plus the Golden Girl track with Makoto set his legacy in stone.

HIs lyrics were a pleasure to the ear and he was an innovator. Gone too soon but never forgotten.

Paul SG

MC Conrad or Conrad to me

In late April of 2024, when the Drum & Bass world lost arguably its most iconic voice, I lost one of my best friends.

We met, when LTJ Bukem started playing my music. I think the first time was backstage in Heidelberg in Germany. I was shy, in my early twenties and not the usual kind of music business guy, inexperienced and naive and just a young man.

My connection with Danny ended in him signing dozens and dozens of tracks for the label, me becoming a resident at Bukem In Session at Fabric in London and naturally seeing Conrad regularly.

At the time, I stayed with Furney in Aylesbury for a month every year and this is where I really met Conrad, who grew up n the same town. For the first time, we met outside of the usual nightclub environment.

As we saw each other more regular and played a few shows with Bukem outside Fabric, we started becoming close. We clicked and understood each other on a deep level of mutual respect.

We went through dark times together in years to come.

When he couldn’t tour America or Asia anymore, I was there.

When he parted ways with Danny and Good Looking, I was there.

When he wasn’t allowed to use his artist name “MC Conrad” and nobody in the so called scene wanted to touch him and work with him, I was there.

We shared everything with each other, thoughts and emotions but also beds and plates.

Conrad was a visionary, incredibly talented and very tough on himself when it came to his art but for me, he was this gentle giant. A kind and selfless, incredibly funny and witty, highly intelligent loving friend that I could count on 24/7 and vice versa.

It’s not easy to live in 2 different countries and preserve something so fragile as a deep friendship but it was easy with Conrad.

I will continue to wave his flag until I can’t raise my arm anymore.

AbuQadim Haqq

Illustrator & Afrofuturist since 1989

Tribute to Conrad “Con” Thompson**

Today, I remember Conrad Thompson, or as we all called him, Con—the greatest drum and bass MC of all time. Con wasn’t just a force in music; he was a true artist with a brilliant mind for lyrics and a voice that could shake a room. He elevated every track he touched, leaving us all in awe.

MC Conrad Wall of Remembrance

If you have a story or memory of Conrad that you would like added here, get in touch with us and if it’s appropriate, we’ll add it!

Like this:

Dan Inside

MC Conrad, or Con or Connie to his friends (and Conrad Thompson to everybody else) was a legend in his own lifetime.

He revolutionised the art of rave MCing by bringing conscious lyrics to the table with an inimitable vocal delivery style that was smooth, textured and buoyant.

He bought energy to the set, but also something incredibly heartfelt and touching, and of course, in the early days when paired with LTJ Bukem, there wasn’t a DJ/MC combo on the planet that could touch them for originality.

The Moog – Rush Hour Ft MC Conrad

Like so many people reading this, I was both shocked and heartbroken when I heard that he’d passed. He was the first major name to trust me with an interview on the site when I first started it, and for a fledgling project like INSIDE DNB, that was (and still is) a massively big deal.

Even so, I was mesmerised. I just looked around the curtain at these two jungle legends and it was hard to take it all in. I wrote a poem there and then and thrust it into LTJ’s hand as they exited the club. I always wondered if he still has it.

With roots in breakdancing and hip-hop, he made his way in the rave scene by being himself. Genuine. True. Creative.

Please join us as we give thanks and spread love around the world for the man like MC Conrad.

Bukem and Conrad got their first big break at Dreamscape 4 in 1992.

DJ Ray Keith

We were mutual friends and all grew up together. He mentored DRS in the early days of Good Looking Records. He was a lyrical genius and his voice was legendary with the combination with LTJ Bukem, and the work he did with Adam F plus the Golden Girl track with Makoto set his legacy in stone.

HIs lyrics were a pleasure to the ear and he was an innovator. Gone too soon but never forgotten.

Paul SG

MC Conrad or Conrad to me

In late April of 2024, when the Drum & Bass world lost arguably its most iconic voice, I lost one of my best friends.

We met, when LTJ Bukem started playing my music. I think the first time was backstage in Heidelberg in Germany. I was shy, in my early twenties and not the usual kind of music business guy, inexperienced and naive and just a young man.

My connection with Danny ended in him signing dozens and dozens of tracks for the label, me becoming a resident at Bukem In Session at Fabric in London and naturally seeing Conrad regularly.

At the time, I stayed with Furney in Aylesbury for a month every year and this is where I really met Conrad, who grew up n the same town. For the first time, we met outside of the usual nightclub environment.

As we saw each other more regular and played a few shows with Bukem outside Fabric, we started becoming close. We clicked and understood each other on a deep level of mutual respect.

We went through dark times together in years to come.

When he couldn’t tour America or Asia anymore, I was there.

When he parted ways with Danny and Good Looking, I was there.

When he wasn’t allowed to use his artist name “MC Conrad” and nobody in the so called scene wanted to touch him and work with him, I was there.

We shared everything with each other, thoughts and emotions but also beds and plates.

Conrad was a visionary, incredibly talented and very tough on himself when it came to his art but for me, he was this gentle giant. A kind and selfless, incredibly funny and witty, highly intelligent loving friend that I could count on 24/7 and vice versa.

It’s not easy to live in 2 different countries and preserve something so fragile as a deep friendship but it was easy with Conrad.

I will continue to wave his flag until I can’t raise my arm anymore.

AbuQadim Haqq

Illustrator & Afrofuturist since 1989

Tribute to Conrad “Con” Thompson**

Today, I remember Conrad Thompson, or as we all called him, Con—the greatest drum and bass MC of all time. Con wasn’t just a force in music; he was a true artist with a brilliant mind for lyrics and a voice that could shake a room. He elevated every track he touched, leaving us all in awe.

MC Conrad Wall of Remembrance

If you have a story or memory of Conrad that you would like added here, get in touch with us and if it’s appropriate, we’ll add it!

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