Stephen Austin AKA Stevie Hyper D was a massive stage presence and musical pioneer, with a unique and pioneering MC style. After years of breaking boundaries under the radar, he finally signed to Island Records in 1996.
But on the brink of success, at the age of 31 the pressures of relentless performing proved too much. A heart attack extinguished his potential, leaving a gaping hole in his family and the burgeoning jungle scene. Today his contribution to UK music culture can be traced from 80s reggae sound systems and jungle’s thrilling 90s apex, all the way to UK rap’s evergreen swagger.
Our story unfolds through the focus of a family’s love for a man, whose life and untimely death were inextricably linked to a genre’s creation.
Darrell Austin, Stevie Hyper D’s nephew, goes on a personal journey through 90s London, to discover first hand his uncle’s legacy. Through conversations with Stevie’s friends, musical peers and other family members, he is forced to confront his own grief and mental health.
Darrell and Stevie were close in age, so their relationship was more akin to brothers than uncle and nephew. Their heritage, raised in London, of mixed Caribbean and Gibraltarian descent gave them a shared perspective, which is uniquely British and multicultural in equal parts – and which permeates the film.
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