Slarta John, the voice behind a Basement Jaxx classic, has died

Tributes from across the music industry have poured in following news of the legendary Birmingham MC’s passing.

Date published: 7th Aug 2025

Slarta John, the legendary Birmingham MC known for his work on various dance classics, has died. His cause of death has not been disclosed. 

Basement Jaxx, whose 1999 track ‘Jump ‘N Shout’ catapulted the Brummie MC to fame, broke the sad news on Instagram. The electronic duo first heard the voice of Slarta John, born Mark Lebert James, on a version of Bizzi’s 1997 track ‘Bizzi’s Party’, where his “melodic, joyful, and vibrant” style compelled the pair to track him down and collaborate on ‘Jump ‘N Shout’. 

What followed for James were headline slots with Basement Jaxx at the likes of Fuji Rock and Glastonbury, and providing his signature ragga vocals to tracks like ‘New Kind Of Drama’ by Groove Armada and ‘Spaced Invader’ by Hatiras. His solo album, The Many Moods Of Slarta John, was released in 2012.

Tributes have poured in from across the music industry, with Defected Records “deeply saddened by his passing,” and DJ Zinc, whose track ‘Flim’ from his 2004 album Faster featured the vocalist, wrote that James, “made me the best special I ever had. rest easy king.” 

Basement Jaxx described the “tough ragga man from Birmingham” as having “had so much humour,” and was “an emotional, very funny, loving man. Some people leave an indelible print on the landscape, and Slarta was one of them.”

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