THE HERE & NOW...
Once an underground rapper who worked with, among others De La Soul and Mark Ronson, Ben “Doc Brown” Smith put down one mic and picked up another in 2008 after working as a “slang consultant” on a Lenny Henry sitcom, Rudy's Rare Records for BBC Radio 4.
Encouraged by various BBC producers and writers, Doc played his first ever stand up gig in February 08, and at the Edinburgh Festival of that year he reached the final of the annual So You Think You’re Funny? competition.
Since hitting the road as a professional stand up in October 2008, Doc has now become a headline act, as well as an accomplished comedic writer with credits on Radio 4's The Now Show and a bonafied comic actor with roles in CBBC's Big Babies, C4's The Inbetweeners and Ben Miller's forthcoming movie Huge, to name but a few.
THE CV...
Film
- Other Side of the Game, Splitwig Films, 2009
TV
- The Inbetweeners, Series 3, Channel 4 2010
- Handle With Prayer, BBC 2, 2010
- Get Rich Brown Eyed Boy/MTV 2009
- Never Mind the Full Stops (Contributor) Liz Clare
Radio
- The Now Show (Contributing Writer) BBC Radio 4 2010
- Newsjack (Contributing Writer) BBC Radio 7
- Danny Robins’ Music Therapy (Contributor/performer) BBC Radio 4, 2008
- Loose Ends (Topical Show) Radio 4, 2008
- 4 Stands Up (Live Stand-up) Radio 4, 2008
- Look Away Now (Sports Comedy) Radio 4, 2008
- Rudy’s Rare Records (Performer/script editor) BBC Radio 4, 2008
Theatre/Live
- So You Think You’re Funny? (Finalist 2008) Guilded Balloon
- Danny Robins: Dannyfest, Pleasance Courtyard, 2008
Music
- MC for Mark Ronson 2006 - 2007
- Sole support for De La Soul on
- Nokia/Prince’s Trust Urban Music Festival Earls Court 2005/06
- Sole Support for Busta Rhymes
- Signed to Janomi Records June 2004- Nov 2006
- Signed to Sony/BMG Feb 2001- April 2002
Discography
- Citizen Smith Volume 1, Bust-A-Gut Records, 2004
- The Document, Bust-A-Gut Records, 2005
- Citizen Smith Volume 2, Bust-A-Gut Records, 2006
THE BACK STORY...
Taking to the stage for the first time as a precocious teenager in 1999, Doc originally made a name for himself as a rapper via the rugged
He would come to be a well known personality within the Hip Hop scene in late 2003 when he pioneered a new night at Deal Real Record Shop in
At this juncture, Doc was signed to an independent label, Janomi Records, and released his debut album, The Document, early in 2005. Doc has since retrieved the rights to the album and re-released it on his own label, Bust-A-Gut Records. The interest in him heightened in the year of his debut release, being invited to teach Mylene Klass how to rap on four episodes of the now defunct CD:UK on ITV1; touring the UK with De La Soul on four occasions; playing the Prince’s Trust at Earl’s Court two years running.
It was back at Deal Real that Doc struck up a relationship with DJ/Producer Mark Ronson who invited Doc to be the MC in his 12-Piece band, featuring Stuart Zender (Jamiroquai) on bass, the Haggis Horns (Corrine Bailey Rae), Santogold, Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse and Tim Burgess (The Charlatans) touring the UK, taking in the major festivals in 2006/7 to road test new material that would become part of the multi-platinum album, Version.
Younger brother of award-winning novelist Zadie Smith (White Teeth), Doc had always shown a penchant for exceptional writing skills, particularly in Comedy, and has extended his talent to musical contributions for BBC TV and Radio. He currently boasts writing and performance credits on a number new BBC comedy shows such as Danny Robins’ Music Therapy, Lenny Henry’s vehicle Rudy’s Rare Records and the sports’ spoof Look Away Now. Doc has since branched even further out: into the world of Stand-Up, reaching the final of the prestigious So You Think You're Funny? competition at the Edinburgh Festival 2008.