Mc Skibadee
Born Alphonso Bondzie on 10 February 1967 in Waterloo, London, MC Skibadee was one of the most distinctive and influential voices to ever touch jungle and drum & bass. Raised in South London with Ghanaian heritage, Skibadee came up surrounded by sound-system culture, reggae, funk and the raw energy of London street life. Before jungle had a name, he was already developing a vocal style that would rewrite the rules of MCing in rave culture.
Skibadee’s roots were in hip hop and sound-system mic work, and by the late 1980s he was already making a name for himself as a fast-talking, rhythmically sharp MC, what truly set him apart was speed, clarity and confidence. While most MCs rode the beat, Skibadee attacked it, flipping syllables at machine-gun pace while staying perfectly locked to the rhythm.
As the UK rave scene exploded in the early 1990s, Skibadee became a central figure. When hardcore fractured into jungle, he was right there at the birth of the sound, mic in hand, shaping how MCs interacted with faster tempos and heavier basslines. Jungle demanded urgency, and Skibadee delivered it in spades.
His name soon became synonymous with Drum & Bass, alongside DJs like DJ Randall, DJ Hype, DJ Die and DJ Brockie, Skibadee became a regular presence at some of the most legendary raves of the era. Whether at packed London clubs or sweaty warehouses across the world, his voice became part of the DNA of the dancefloor.
Skibadee treated the microphone like an instrument. His lyrics were sharp and filled with energy, braggadocio and rapid-fire flows that pushed other MCs to raise their game. He helped establish the MC culture that became a defining feature of jungle and drum & bass events in the ’90s and early 2000s.
By the late ’90s, Skibadee was widely regarded as one of the fastest MCs in the world, not just in drum & bass but across all forms of dance music. His ability to deliver complex patterns at high BPMs earned him respect from DJs, ravers and fellow MCs alike. He wasn’t just hyping the crowd, he was performing, turning every set into a high-stakes display of skill and stamina.
Skibadee’s vocal talents featured on numerous drum & bass releases, lending his voice to tracks that became staples of the scene. His recorded performances captured the same energy he brought live, raw and unmistakably his own. Even when MCing styles shifted toward minimalism, Skibadee stayed unapologetically maximalist, proving there was still space for full-throttle lyricism in bass music.
Outside the rave, Skibadee’s influence extended into grime, dubstep and bassline, where younger MCs drew inspiration from his speed, confidence and technical ability. Many of today’s high-tempo vocal styles owe a debt to groundwork he laid decades earlier. He was never chasing trends; instead, trends chased him.
Live, Skibadee was electric. His presence on stage was commanding, his timing razor-sharp. He knew when to dominate the mic and when to let the music breathe, a skill that only comes from years of experience and deep respect for the DJ-MC relationship. Crowds didn’t just hear Skibadee; they felt him.
Tragically, MC Skibadee passed away on 27 February 2022, sending shockwaves through the jungle and drum & bass community. Tributes poured in from across the scene, with DJs, promoters and MCs recognising his enormous contribution to UK underground culture. For many, his voice was the soundtrack to their first rave, their wildest nights, and their introduction to drum & bass.
Skibadee’s legacy is immeasurable. He helped define what it meant to be an MC in jungle and drum & bass, fearless, technical, expressive and uncompromising. He pushed tempos, challenged peers and raised the bar for everyone who picked up a microphone after him.
MC Skibadee wasn’t just part of the scene — he was the scene. A pioneer, a competitor, a performer and a true original, his voice continues to echo through sound systems, recordings and memories worldwide.
Essential Listening / Moments:
🎧 MC Skibadee with DJ Randall – Drum & Bass Arena sets
🎧 Skibadee clash performances (’90s–2000s)
🎧 Classic jungle and D&B recordings featuring Skibadee
Gone, but never silenced. Still fast. Still legendary. Still Skibadee.
