Artist Profile: SP:MC

Few navigate the space between voice and production with the finesse of SP:MC. For over two decades, Stewart Procter has built a reputation as a vocal artist who redefined what an MC could be and a producer whose beats expose dance music's most elemental forms. His influence is everywhere, whether hosting drum & bass sessions, laying down textured dubstep productions, or curating UK garage hybrids. In an era when MCing often means rapid-fire lyricism or hyped-up crowd control, SP:MC's approach is an extension of the music rather than a layer on top of it. On March 29, feel it for yourself as SP:MC joins Breakage [Artist Profile] for a night of drum & bass at Control Club.

Like many who shaped UK dance music in the early 2spmc000s, SP:MC's rise resulted from knowing how to make his presence count. His entry into drum & bass was almost accidental. He and Jubei, another artist on the verge of breaking through, recorded a mixtape, and legendary MC GQ heard it. The reaction was immediate: GQ invited them to be residents at his Emcee Sessions at Dingwalls in Camden. Around the same time, DJ Friction recruited SP:MC to Renegade Hardware nights at the legendary London club The End.

SP:MC’s approach immediately set him apart. His influences—MCs GQ, Dynamite, and Conrad—favored clarity over chaos, and SP:MC refined this style into something even more stripped-back. By 2003, he was nominated for Best Breakthrough MC at the Knowledge D&B Awards. By the late 2000s, he had become a resident at Fabric, a regular at Metalheadz, Shogun Audio, and Exit Records events, and the go-to MC for dBridge’s Exit showcases. He also hosted events for other respected imprints, including Digital Soundboy, Hospital Records, Rinse, Tempa, System, Tectonic, Hessle Audio, and more.

While drum & bass remained his foundation, SP:MC’s impact also extended into dubstep. He became a resident MC for Youngsta, a defining DJ in the deep dubstep school that emerged through FWD>> and labels like Tempa and Tectonic. But his entry into dubstep wasn’t just as an MC. In 2008, he released Trust Nobody/Future on Tempa, an instant underground hit. This was followed by Hunted / Oh My Gosh (2011), fitting perfectly into the deep dubstep aesthetic that Youngsta, Hatcha, and Loefah were pushing at the time. His Code 3 project, alongside Jubei and Dakuan, went even further. Their track Living Proof on Exit Records remains a modern classic.

By the early 2010s, SP:MC was as much a producer as an MC. Where many artists chased bigger sounds, SP:MC’s career has been defined by removing excess. His production approach mirrors his vocal one: leave space, use silence, and let the bass energize. His 2013 Declassified EP on Tempa was a perfect example: four tracks of pure, percussive 140-BPM bass pressure. 

Through the late 2010s, SP:MC continued to push minimalism as a statement, releasing Pondlife / R1 on System Music (2017) and Vintage / Slugfest on Sentry Records (2019), both of which explored the intersection of dubstep, garage, and drum & bass. In 2024, he released XL Bully / Core Memories. This followed It’s Over Now / Full Circle (2023), a collaboration with longtime affiliate Youngsta. His 2023 release Missing You / Big Request leaned into classic 2-step and modern system culture, where weight and movement mattered more than melody or excess ornamentation.  

This approach extended to his collaborations. His 2011 track Dreadnaught with Icicle on Shogun Audio took drum & bass to the edge of cold, futuristic techno, becoming a favorite of DJs who leaned towards the drum & bass's darker fringes. His 2022 collaboration with Alix Perez and DLR, Keep Up, showcased the fluidity of this approach—somewhere between garage, dubstep, and techy half-step D&B.

This prolific work led directly to the launch of his own label, Declassified, in 2021. In this space, he could explore UKG, 2-step, and bass-heavy hybrids on his own terms. The first two vinyl releases sold out almost immediately, and the label has since become a go-to for DJs in the space between bass music genres.

SP:MC’s legacy is built on precision, longevity, and authenticity. As an MC, he helped reshape the role into something more refined. As a producer, he operates at the cutting edge of bass culture. And now, as a label curator, he has crafted a platform for bass music that prioritizes rhythm and depth over hype or gimmicks.