Doc Brown (rapper)
Encyclopedia
Doc Brown is a former British
rapper
, currently an established comedian, actor, screenwriter and voiceover artist.
and Roots Manuva
, and often competing in rap battles at live events such as the now defunct Mudlumz, a notoriously tough gig based at the Dingwalls
nightclub in Camden Lock
where amongst others he battled and lost to fellow UK rapper Sway DaSafo
. Smith became a recurring battle champion at the fledgling competition "The Jump Off
" in 2003, when the now international event was housed underneath Yo! Sushi
on Poland Street in London
's Soho, moving to the Swiss Centre in Leicester Square
(Now the M&M museum). The following year Smith's growing reputation as a personality of the underground scene made him the host of a monthly event at the now closed record shop Deal Real near Carnaby Street
in the West End.
, whom he promptly featured on his first breakout single “Donnie’s Lament”, and who went on to be one of the most respected political rappers in the UK and internationally.
The popularity of the monthly event soared and soon Deal Real was attracting Hip Hop celebrities from the US, performing in the store to promote their own European tours. The first to perform were the Jungle Brothers
. Others included Pete Rock
and CL Smooth
, Slick Rick
, The GZA, the Black Eyed Peas, Rhymefest
, Pharoahe Monch
, Canibus
and Cee Lo, as well as a host of DJs including the producer and frontman of the Business Intl, Mark Ronson
.
It was in the shop that Smith met Ronson for the first time, caught in an impromptu rap battle with Chicago based rapper Rhymefest
, whom Smith admitted “beat him on his home turf”. However, Ronson recalled Smith’s ability to please a crowd with both good humour and a level of self deprecation often unusual to the Rap genre, and invited Doc to join a live set up that would form the basis of Ronson’s sophomore album "Version
".
The first gig Smith performed with Ronson was at the Fabric
nightclub in the Barbican area of east central London. The line up consisted of Ronson on guitar, Daniel Merriweather
, Amy Winehouse
and Beverly Tawiah
on vocals, former Jamiroquai bassist Stuart Zender
and the Scottish brass section The Haggis Horns.
Smith continued to tour with the band until spring 2007, rapping on stage alongside Lily Allen
on the Kaiser Chiefs
cover “Oh My God
”, providing the Ghostface Killah
vocals for the song “Ooh Wee” and performing his own lyrics on the instrumental cover of Kasabian’s “LSF
(Lost Souls Forever)”.
, originally by Tears for Fears
.
Smith’s version is notable for a number of reasons. Firstly, its sample led to legal issues with the label Sanctuary
, who did not sanction the remix, despite Smith’s appeal to them. Smith was therefore unable to recoup any money whatsoever despite his version's popularity. Smith met with Jules and a label executive in the offices of HMV
Oxford Circus
after an instore performance in January 2005, with both expressing a strong like of the song, and a remorse that Smith's version could never be made official.
Secondly, the song had a level of mainstream airplay unusual for UK Rap at the time, being championed by Jo Wiley and Jonathon Ross
among others. Some commentators have argued that the song helped raise awareness of the genre as a whole and earmarked a new wave of British rap artists.
Thirdly, the song provided a cameo to a sixteen year old rapper named Lowkey, who today is cited as one of the most politically influential rappers in the UK, Europe and particularly the Middle East, where his tireless campaigning for Palestinian rights amongst others has been lauded by many.
On the back of the track's minor success, Smith released three full length offerings: Citizen Smith: Volume One, The Document and Citizen Smith: Volume Two. It was during his work with the producer Mark Ronson that he was inspired to create the album Another Way
, which features no samples and mostly live studio music. Having moved into stand up, then television and film, the album is as yet unreleased and yet has built a cult status among fans, many of whom have dubbed Another Way ”the farewell album”.
In July 2011, a short film was released to accompany the song “Blighty
”, a song from the unreleased LP. The film features an interview with Smith at the end credits, in which he describes the film as an open project for young people to interpret his lyrics visually. The film was directed by photographer Kwame Lestrade and shot with the aid of various young people as part of a lottery funded youth project.
and Busta Rhymes
.
A chance phonecall from former BBC Radio 1 host and comedy writer Danny Robins, for whom Smith had previously written some spoof music, led to Smith working as a script consultant on Robins’ BBC Radio 4
sitcom “Rudy’s Rare Records,” a vehicle for veteran UK comedian Lenny Henry
. This eventually led to walk on roles and more editing and writing work on other Radio 4 comedy shows, including “Danny Robins'Music Therapy” and “Look Away Now
”.
Encouraged by producers at the BBC, Smith attended an BBC industry gig in January 2008 at a small venue in London’s Great Portland Street name The Albany, where he performed a comic song and told an anecdote regarding being the first rapper to work for Radio 4. By his own admissions in an interview from 2009, Smith claimed he “ran out of things to say” and called for the audience to offer words, names and places, with which he improvised a comic rap. According to Smith, the venue managers were impressed and invited him to perform a short set at a late night variety show named “Spank!”
Smith then entered a national talent competition for comedians called “So You Think You’re Funny” and his third ever stand up gig was in the first round of the competition in spring 2008 at the Hobgoblin Pub in Forest Hill, South East London. Smith eventually made the last eight at the grand final in Edinburgh that August, an event in which by his own admission he “froze up,” delivering what he saw as a disappointing performance.
Regardless, the performance led to interest from bookers, and Smith began a new incarnation as a professional Stand up Comedian in October 2008. Since then he has performed at the prestigious Tartan Ribbon event at the Edinburgh Festival
, debuted his own one man show “Unfamous” which sold out its run at both the Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh and London’s Soho Theatre. He also appeared on ITV's Comedy Rocks with Jason Manford
on the 21st January 2011 and gave a one off performance of Unfamous at the Elgar rooms in the Royal Albert Hall in March 2011. In April 2011 Smith was invited to take the show to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival
for one month.
” and “Miranda
”, as well as Channel 4
’s ”The Inbetweeners
”. Smith provided voices for the characters Budge and Koggs on the cult CBBC
series “Big Babies
” for which he also sang the theme tune. In 2008, Smith acted alongside fellow rapper Example in a series of comedy shorts for MTV
entitled "Get Rich."
In Film he has played a role in Ben Miller
’s “Huge” as well as a co-starring role in the thriller “Other Side of the Game”. Smith is also credited as a songwriter on the Joe Cornish
-directed film Attack the Block
. The character “Hi Hatz” is often seen and heard playing songs he has recorded. These were written and recorded by Smith and his creative partner, the composer Mikis Michaelides and re-voiced by the actor Jumayn Hunter.
Smith is currently shooting a 13 part teen comedy-drama for the BBC with the working title “The Four O’clock Club”, on which Smith is the co-creator, co writer, co-star and co-musical director, again working alongside Michaelides. Smith runs his own production company named Bust-A-Gut Ltd, which- whilst focussing on television and film- has also re-released the back catalogue of his music.
. He also has a younger brother Luke who is a professional rapper performing under the name Luc Skyz.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rapper
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
, currently an established comedian, actor, screenwriter and voiceover artist.
Early Work
Ben "Doc Brown" Smith began his career as a rapper in 2001, performing small gigs alongside upcoming young rappers of the time including EstelleEstelle (musician)
Estelle Fanta Swaray commonly known as Estelle, and formerly as Est'elle, is an English R&B singer-songwriter, rapper and record producer.-Early Life:Estelle was born 18 January 1980 in Hammersmith, London, England...
and Roots Manuva
Roots Manuva
Rodney Hylton Smith , better known by his stage name Roots Manuva, is a British rapper from Stockwell, South London. He is currently signed to Big Dada.-Biography:...
, and often competing in rap battles at live events such as the now defunct Mudlumz, a notoriously tough gig based at the Dingwalls
Dingwalls
Dingwalls is a venue adjacent to Camden Lock in London, England. It houses bars, cafes, clubs . The building itself is one of many industrial Victorian buildings that were put to new use in the 20th century. The original owner of the building, T.E...
nightclub in Camden Lock
Camden Lock
Camden Lock, or Hampstead Road Locks is a twin manually-operated lock on the Regent's Canal in Camden Town, London Borough of Camden. The sign on each of the twin locks reads "Hampstead Road Lock 1"...
where amongst others he battled and lost to fellow UK rapper Sway DaSafo
Sway DaSafo
Derek Andrew Safo is a Ghanaian British musician who uses the stage names Sway DaSafo or Sway. He is signed to Akon's Konvict Muzik record label and he is also a producer, establishing DCypha Productions.-Childhood:...
. Smith became a recurring battle champion at the fledgling competition "The Jump Off
The Jump Off
"The Jump Off" is a Lil' Kim song. It is the first single on her multi-platinum album La Bella Mafia . The song is produced by Timbaland and features Mr. Cheeks for background vocals. The single debuted at number 95 and climbed into the Top 20 at #16....
" in 2003, when the now international event was housed underneath Yo! Sushi
Yo! Sushi
YO! Sushi is a British restaurant chain which was started in 1997 and is owned by Quilvest and the YO! Sushi Senior Management team. YO! Sushi specialises in delivering sushi to customers using the Japanese style 'kaiten' conveyor belt method...
on Poland Street in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Soho, moving to the Swiss Centre in Leicester Square
Leicester Square
Leicester Square is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. The Square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north; Charing Cross Road, to the east; Orange Street, to the south; and Whitcomb Street, to the west...
(Now the M&M museum). The following year Smith's growing reputation as a personality of the underground scene made him the host of a monthly event at the now closed record shop Deal Real near Carnaby Street
Carnaby Street
Carnaby Street is a pedestrianised shopping street in London, United Kingdom, located in the Soho district, near Oxford Street and Regent Street. It is home to numerous fashion and lifestyle retailers, including a large number of independent fashion boutiques...
in the West End.
Deal Real Records
The night was loosely named "Friday Night Live" and initially acted as a platform for aspiring young artists from the UK to perform at an open mic, hosted by Smith. In an interview from 2006 Smith stated that he felt he provided “light relief mixed with an authority necessary to marshall what was always a pretty raucous night.” The night was also notable for being the venue where Smith met the producer Mark Ronson with whom he would later work, and for being the place he discovered the rapper LowkeyLowkey
Kareem Dennis is a musician and political activist of English and Iraqi descent, better known by his stage name Lowkey. He first became known through a series of mixtapes he released before he was 18, before taking a hiatus from the music business...
, whom he promptly featured on his first breakout single “Donnie’s Lament”, and who went on to be one of the most respected political rappers in the UK and internationally.
The popularity of the monthly event soared and soon Deal Real was attracting Hip Hop celebrities from the US, performing in the store to promote their own European tours. The first to perform were the Jungle Brothers
Jungle Brothers
The Jungle Brothers are an American hip hop group that pioneered the fusion of jazz and hip-hop and also became the first hip-hop group to use a house-music producer. The group began performing in the mid-1980s and released its first album, Straight Out the Jungle, in July 1988...
. Others included Pete Rock
Pete Rock
Peter Phillips , better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth...
and CL Smooth
CL Smooth
CL Smooth is an American rapper, poet, and is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth....
, Slick Rick
Slick Rick
Richard Walters , better known by his stage name Slick Rick is a Grammy-nominated English-American rapper...
, The GZA, the Black Eyed Peas, Rhymefest
Rhymefest
Che Smith , known by the stage name of Rhymefest, is an American hip hop artist from Chicago, Illinois whose first official album, Blue Collar, was released on July 11, 2006. He co-wrote Kanye West's "Jesus Walks", which won a Grammy at the 47th Grammy Awards. In October, 2010, Rhymefest announced...
, Pharoahe Monch
Pharoahe Monch
Pharoahe Monch is an American hip hop artist. He is known for his complex lyrics, complex delivery, and internal and multisyllabic rhyme schemes.-Biography:...
, Canibus
Canibus
Germaine Williams , better known by his stage name Canibus, is a Jamaican-born American rapper. He is a part of supergroup The HRSMN. Canibus rose to fame in the mid-nineties...
and Cee Lo, as well as a host of DJs including the producer and frontman of the Business Intl, Mark Ronson
Mark Ronson
Mark Daniel Ronson is an English DJ, guitarist, music producer, artist and co-founder of Allido Records. He currently works with his band under the music alias of Mark Ronson & The Business Intl....
.
It was in the shop that Smith met Ronson for the first time, caught in an impromptu rap battle with Chicago based rapper Rhymefest
Rhymefest
Che Smith , known by the stage name of Rhymefest, is an American hip hop artist from Chicago, Illinois whose first official album, Blue Collar, was released on July 11, 2006. He co-wrote Kanye West's "Jesus Walks", which won a Grammy at the 47th Grammy Awards. In October, 2010, Rhymefest announced...
, whom Smith admitted “beat him on his home turf”. However, Ronson recalled Smith’s ability to please a crowd with both good humour and a level of self deprecation often unusual to the Rap genre, and invited Doc to join a live set up that would form the basis of Ronson’s sophomore album "Version
Version (album)
-iTunes digital edition:-Japanese CD edition:-Chart performance:-Release history:-External links:* at MetaCritic...
".
The first gig Smith performed with Ronson was at the Fabric
Fabric
A fabric is a textile material, short for "textile fabric".Fabric may also refer to:*Fabric , the spatial and geometric configuration of elements within a rock*Fabric , a nightclub in London, England...
nightclub in the Barbican area of east central London. The line up consisted of Ronson on guitar, Daniel Merriweather
Daniel Merriweather
Daniel Paul Merriweather is an Australian R&B singer-songwriter who has worked as a featured vocalist for other artists and has a solo career. His guest vocals are included on album tracks by Disco Montego, Mark Ronson and Phrase...
, Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
and Beverly Tawiah
Tawiah
Beverly Tawiah, also known as Tawiah, is a female soul/R&B singer from South London, UK. She has been a backup singer for Corinne Bailey Rae, The Guillemots and Mark Ronson's touring band, The Version Players, with whom she toured internationally....
on vocals, former Jamiroquai bassist Stuart Zender
Stuart Zender
Stuart Patrick Jude Zender is an English bassist, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for being the original bass player for Jamiroquai.-Early life:...
and the Scottish brass section The Haggis Horns.
Smith continued to tour with the band until spring 2007, rapping on stage alongside Lily Allen
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
on the Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 1996. They were named after the South African football club Kaizer Chiefs....
cover “Oh My God
Oh My God (Kaiser Chiefs song)
"Oh My God" is a song by Kaiser Chiefs, initially released as their debut single by the Drowned In Sound label on May 17, 2004. It only hit #66 in the UK charts. "Oh My God" was re-released on February 21, 2005, just two weeks before the release of their debut album Employment...
”, providing the Ghostface Killah
Ghostface Killah
Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success...
vocals for the song “Ooh Wee” and performing his own lyrics on the instrumental cover of Kasabian’s “LSF
L.S.F.
"L.S.F." is the second single released by British rock group Kasabian. The song earned the band their first UK Top 10 hit, peaking at # 10 and staying in the Top 75 for 5 weeks...
(Lost Souls Forever)”.
Released Music
The first breakthrough record and Smith’s biggest hit to date was a 2004 track entitled “Donnie’s Lament”, better known as the “Mad World Remix” due to its extensive sampling of that year’s Christmas number one “Mad World, performed by Gary JulesGary Jules
Gary Jules is an American singer-songwriter, best known for his cover of Tears for Fears' third single "Mad World", which he recorded together with friend Michael Andrews for the film Donnie Darko. It became the UK Christmas Number One single of 2003...
, originally by Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears are an English new wave band formed in the early 1980s by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, they were initially associated with the New Wave synthesiser bands of the early 1980s but later branched out into...
.
Smith’s version is notable for a number of reasons. Firstly, its sample led to legal issues with the label Sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
, who did not sanction the remix, despite Smith’s appeal to them. Smith was therefore unable to recoup any money whatsoever despite his version's popularity. Smith met with Jules and a label executive in the offices of HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
Oxford Circus
Oxford Circus
Oxford Circus is the area of London at the busy intersection of Regent Street and Oxford Street, in the West End. It is served by Oxford Circus tube station, which is directly beneath the junction itself.- History :...
after an instore performance in January 2005, with both expressing a strong like of the song, and a remorse that Smith's version could never be made official.
Secondly, the song had a level of mainstream airplay unusual for UK Rap at the time, being championed by Jo Wiley and Jonathon Ross
Jonathon Ross
Jonathon Ross is a former Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League. He played with the Adelaide Crows.A well-built, strong key position player, Jonathon Ross had the potential to go far...
among others. Some commentators have argued that the song helped raise awareness of the genre as a whole and earmarked a new wave of British rap artists.
Thirdly, the song provided a cameo to a sixteen year old rapper named Lowkey, who today is cited as one of the most politically influential rappers in the UK, Europe and particularly the Middle East, where his tireless campaigning for Palestinian rights amongst others has been lauded by many.
On the back of the track's minor success, Smith released three full length offerings: Citizen Smith: Volume One, The Document and Citizen Smith: Volume Two. It was during his work with the producer Mark Ronson that he was inspired to create the album Another Way
Another Way
"Another Way" is the name of a song made by Italian DJ and Italo artist Gigi D'Agostino in 1999, which was first released on the L'Amour Toujours album in the Electronic genre...
, which features no samples and mostly live studio music. Having moved into stand up, then television and film, the album is as yet unreleased and yet has built a cult status among fans, many of whom have dubbed Another Way ”the farewell album”.
In July 2011, a short film was released to accompany the song “Blighty
Blighty
Blighty is a British English slang term for Britain, deriving from the Hindustani word vilāyatī , from Persian vilayet and ultimately from Arabic wilayah, originally meaning something like "province"...
”, a song from the unreleased LP. The film features an interview with Smith at the end credits, in which he describes the film as an open project for young people to interpret his lyrics visually. The film was directed by photographer Kwame Lestrade and shot with the aid of various young people as part of a lottery funded youth project.
Comedy
From Spring to winter 2007 Smith hinted at suffering from elements of depression, himself citing that he experienced "rock and roll withdrawal symptoms", feeling unable to return to the underground rap scene having as he put it in a 2010 interview “had a taste of honey” performing alongside the likes of Ronson, as well as touring as support with De La SoulDe La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
and Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
.
A chance phonecall from former BBC Radio 1 host and comedy writer Danny Robins, for whom Smith had previously written some spoof music, led to Smith working as a script consultant on Robins’ BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
sitcom “Rudy’s Rare Records,” a vehicle for veteran UK comedian Lenny Henry
Lenny Henry
Lenworth George "Lenny" Henry, is a British actor, writer, comedian and occasional television presenter.- Early life :...
. This eventually led to walk on roles and more editing and writing work on other Radio 4 comedy shows, including “Danny Robins'Music Therapy” and “Look Away Now
Look Away Now
Look Away Now is a BBC Radio 4 sports-based comedy series presented by Garry Richardson . The programme takes the form of a sports news programme and mocks many aspects of such programmes. The cast also includes Laurence Howarth, Katherine Jakeways, Dave Lamb, Richie Webb and Mark Evans...
”.
Encouraged by producers at the BBC, Smith attended an BBC industry gig in January 2008 at a small venue in London’s Great Portland Street name The Albany, where he performed a comic song and told an anecdote regarding being the first rapper to work for Radio 4. By his own admissions in an interview from 2009, Smith claimed he “ran out of things to say” and called for the audience to offer words, names and places, with which he improvised a comic rap. According to Smith, the venue managers were impressed and invited him to perform a short set at a late night variety show named “Spank!”
Smith then entered a national talent competition for comedians called “So You Think You’re Funny” and his third ever stand up gig was in the first round of the competition in spring 2008 at the Hobgoblin Pub in Forest Hill, South East London. Smith eventually made the last eight at the grand final in Edinburgh that August, an event in which by his own admission he “froze up,” delivering what he saw as a disappointing performance.
Regardless, the performance led to interest from bookers, and Smith began a new incarnation as a professional Stand up Comedian in October 2008. Since then he has performed at the prestigious Tartan Ribbon event at the Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
, debuted his own one man show “Unfamous” which sold out its run at both the Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh and London’s Soho Theatre. He also appeared on ITV's Comedy Rocks with Jason Manford
Jason Manford
Jason John Manford is an English comedian, television presenter and actor.- Early life :Manford was born to an Irish family in Salford, Greater Manchester, a son of Sharon , who is a Catholic and Ian Manford. He grew up in poverty in a terraced house in Manchester...
on the 21st January 2011 and gave a one off performance of Unfamous at the Elgar rooms in the Royal Albert Hall in March 2011. In April 2011 Smith was invited to take the show to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is the third-largest international comedy festival in the world and the largest cultural event in Australia. Established in 1987, it takes place annually in Melbourne over four weeks in April typically opening on or around April Fool's Day...
for one month.
Television and Film Work
Since moving into the world of Comedy, Smith has taken on various roles in front of and behind the camera in both Film and Television. As an actor he has played roles in the acclaimed BBC series “RevRev. (TV series)
Rev. is a British television sitcom produced by Big Talk Productions. The show premiered on BBC Two on 28 June 2010. The show's working titles were The City Vicar and Handle With Prayer...
” and “Miranda
Miranda (TV series)
Miranda is a BBC television series co-written by and starring comedienne Miranda Hart, which first aired on BBC Two on 9 November 2009. The situation comedy also features Sarah Hadland, Tom Ellis, Patricia Hodge, James Holmes and Sally Phillips...
”, as well as Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
’s ”The Inbetweeners
The Inbetweeners
The Inbetweeners is a British sitcom which aired for three series from 2008 to 2010 on E4. Created and written by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris, the show follows the life of suburban teenager Will , and three of his friends at the fictional Rudge Park Comprehensive. The Inbetweeners Movie was...
”. Smith provided voices for the characters Budge and Koggs on the cult CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
series “Big Babies
Big Babies
Big Babies is a live action cartoon comedy, in which Rocco and Brooks, the babies with grown-up heads, reluctantly leave the telly to go on unpredictable adventures in the world of the everyday...
” for which he also sang the theme tune. In 2008, Smith acted alongside fellow rapper Example in a series of comedy shorts for MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
entitled "Get Rich."
In Film he has played a role in Ben Miller
Ben Miller
Bennet Evan "Ben" Miller is an English comedian, actor and director. He is perhaps best known as one half of comedy double act Armstrong and Miller, along with Alexander Armstrong. Together the pair wrote and starred in Channel 4 sketch show Armstrong and Miller, and the more recent BBC television...
’s “Huge” as well as a co-starring role in the thriller “Other Side of the Game”. Smith is also credited as a songwriter on the Joe Cornish
Joe Cornish (comedian)
Joseph Murray "Joe" Cornish is an English comedian, television and radio presenter, director, writer and actor, who along with his long-time comedy partner, Adam Buxton, form the comedy duo Adam and Joe....
-directed film Attack the Block
Attack the Block
Attack the Block is a 2011 British science fiction action film written and directed by Joe Cornish. The film stars Jodie Whittaker, John Boyega, Alex Esmail, Franz Drameh, Leeon Jones, Simon Howard. Set on a council estate in South London on Bonfire night, the film follows a street gang which have...
. The character “Hi Hatz” is often seen and heard playing songs he has recorded. These were written and recorded by Smith and his creative partner, the composer Mikis Michaelides and re-voiced by the actor Jumayn Hunter.
Smith is currently shooting a 13 part teen comedy-drama for the BBC with the working title “The Four O’clock Club”, on which Smith is the co-creator, co writer, co-star and co-musical director, again working alongside Michaelides. Smith runs his own production company named Bust-A-Gut Ltd, which- whilst focussing on television and film- has also re-released the back catalogue of his music.
Personal life
Smith is married with two children and is the younger brother of novelist and essayist Zadie SmithZadie Smith
Zadie Smith is a British novelist. To date she has written three novels. In 2003, she was included on Granta's list of 20 best young authors...
. He also has a younger brother Luke who is a professional rapper performing under the name Luc Skyz.
Discography
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | “Poisonous Poetry” (With Poisonous Poets) | QBM/BMG |
| 2004 | Citizen Smith: Volume One | Bust-A-Gut Productions |
| 2005 | The Document | Bust-A-Gut Productions |
| 2006 | Citizen Smith: Volume Two | Bust-A-Gut Productions |
| 2008 | Another Way (UNRELEASED) | Bust-A-Gut Productions |