Ben Bailey Smith

Music

Doc Brown began performing as a battle rapper in 2000, appearing at the Dingwalls nightclub in Camden Lock, and later at the "Jump Off" competition in Soho.^[4] He released his debut album Citizen Smith Volume 1 in 2004.^[8] This was followed by The Document and Citizen Smith: Volume 2: Nothing to Lose, released in 2005 and 2006 respectively, before he went on a hiatus in his solo musical career.^{[citation needed]}

He formed the British hip hop group Poisonous Poets alongside rappers Lowkey, Stylah, DJ Snips, Therapist, and Tony D, releasing a mixtape in 2005.^[9]

In 2015 he released Empty Threats, his first album in a decade, this time solely based on comedy rap, a first in his discography.^[10] He returned to his original rapping style on his fifth album, Stemma, released in 2017.^{[citation needed]} During this time he also collaborated with Ricky Gervais on the soundtrack to the 2016 film David Brent: Life on the Road, performing alongside Gervais as David Brent on the tracks "Lonely Cowboy", "Equality Street", "Ain't No Trouble", and on his solo track "Cards We're Dealt.” ^[11]

Since then, Doc Brown has released collaboration material with Andy Burrows,^[12] The Jazz Defenders,^[13] Verb T, and Romesh Ranganathan.^[14]

Film and television

Smith appeared in the BBC series Rev and a 2009 episode of Miranda,^[15] as well as Channel 4's The Inbetweeners, and the CBBC series Big Babies. In 2013 he guest starred in the Channel 4 comedy-drama series Derek as a young man sentenced to community service in a nursing home.^[4]

He appeared in Ben Miller's film Huge, and co-starred in Other Side of the Game. He wrote music for the 2011 Joe Cornish film Attack the Block.^[4]

Smith co-created a teen comedy-drama for the BBC called 4 O'Clock Club.^[4]

He starred in the 2012 Frank Spotnitz television show Hunted, a thriller for Cinemax,^{[citation needed]} and went on to shoot an episode of Midsomer Murders.^{[citation needed]} In 2014, he played DS Joe Hawkins in the final series of ITV's Law & Order: UK.^{[citation needed]}

In 2013 he appeared as a guest musician in The Horne Section.^[16]

In 2016, he guest-starred on the BBC One television film Damilola, Our Loved Boy as a taxi driver.^[7]

In February 2017, he appeared on Dave's Crackanory, reading "Devil's Haircut" by Sarah Morgan.^{[citation needed]} That October, he was a guest on Episode 100 of The Gaffer Tapes: Fantasy Football Podcast.^[17] In late 2017, he played DS Evans in Sky One's Bounty Hunters.^[18]

In 2018, he appeared in the Doctor Who episode "The Tsuranga Conundrum".^[19]

In 2020, he played Richie Hansen, an abusive husband, in the second series of BBC TV drama The Split.^{[citation needed]}

In 2022, he played Lieutenant Supervisor Blevin in five episodes of the first series of the Star Wars TV series Andor.^[20]

In 2023, he played Simon Blake, in a four-part series of BBC TV drama The Sixth Commandment. His song “Smash That” featured in episode 3.^[21]

Radio and podcasts

Smith has been a guest presenter several times on the BBC Radio 5 Live film review show hosted by Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode.^[22]

He has co-hosted the podcast Shrink The Box with Nemone.^{[citation needed][when?]}

In April 2024, he appeared on the football trivia podcast Career We Go, and in October 2024 appeared on the Football Cliches podcast.^{[citation needed]}