Dr Syntax is a hip hop artist based in Bristol, UK. He is a renowned and unique voice within UK hip hop, known for songs such as ‘My House’, ‘Cats and Dogs’ and ‘Middle Class Problems’, as well as for his charismatic and engaging live performances. He has decades of experience as a solo artist and as a collaborator with various heavyweights of the scene. 

He has consistently released music and performed live since the early 2000s, when he formed the group The Menagerie with Professor Elemental, Tom Caruana and DJ Nick Maxwell. The Brighton-based crew were a staple in the city’s hip hop scene, supporting the likes of Wu Tang Clan and Slum Village and gaining a loyal local fanbase. 

He first came to national attention when he met UK hip hop pioneers Foreign Beggars in 2003, appearing on their classic debut ‘Asylum Speakers’ and touring the UK and Europe with them relentlessly. He would go on to feature on many of their albums throughout their career and perform with them countless times at venues and festivals across the world.

In 2007, he released his debut solo album ‘Self Taught’ on Foreign Beggars’ label Dented Records. Regarded as a classic of the UK hip hop genre, the album featured collaborations with Stig of the Dump, Wordsmith and Orifice Vulgatron of Foreign Beggars, and was featured in Hip Hop Connection’s 100 Best UK Hip Hop Albums of All Time. 

His follow up, ‘Benny Huge’, saw his first collaborations with producer Pete Cannon. The duo would go on to work extensively together, notably on their 2014 album ‘Killer Combo’, featuring collaborations with the likes of Dirty Dike, Lunar C and Californian hip hop legend Del The Funky Homosapien. In 2019 They released their fourth full collaborative album, ‘Wallop’, a multi-genre mash up of hip hop, drum and bass, jungle and old skool hardcore, and their riotous live shows are similarly eclectic. 

In 2012, Dr Syntax teamed up with Mancunian hip hop band The Mouse Outfit, contributing seven songs to their critically acclaimed debut ‘Escape Music’, including the title track. As frontman of the band, alongside MCs Sparkz, Truthos Mufasa and Fox (Levelz), he toured extensively across the UK and Europe and performed at festivals such as Glastonbury, Shambala, Boomtown Fair (UK) and Outlook (Croatia). 

In 2020, his track ‘I’m On It’, a collaboration with The Allergies and Skunkadelic, received airplay on BBC Radio 2 and Radio 6, and was used by ITV on an advert played throughout January 2021 showcasing their upcoming programming schedule. 

In 2021 he released ‘Crumbs’, a collaborative album with producer Tom Caruana and the follow-up to 2011’s ‘A Slice Of Fried Gold’. The project, conceived and recorded during lockdown in 2020, showcases Caruana’s ever-inventive production skills and Dr Syntax proving himself lyrically sharper than ever, notably with humorous social commentary on lead single ‘Get Your Dad Off The Internet’. 

In 2022, Dr Syntax has formed a new band, featuring heavyweight Bristolian musicians MC Binbags and Dur Brain (Binbag Wisdom) on guitar and drums respectively, and Harry Stoneham (Waldo’s Gift) on bass. The band will release a new EP in Spring 2022 to coincide with a tour.