The Nextmen

The Nextmen

The Nextmen are a hip hop production and DJ duo from Cambridge, United Kingdom, active since 1996. The group consists of Brad Baloo and Dom Search, who are also known as Brad Ellis and Dominic Betmead. They work as DJs and producers and are associated with hip hop, with funk and reggae influences in their sound.

Background and work

Brad Baloo and Dom Search both grow up in Cambridge and are based in North London. They also play instruments, with Dom Search on guitar and Brad Baloo on keys. The pair work with a range of hip hop and urban artists from the UK, the US and Jamaica, and they have a reputation for remix work and mixtapes.

DJ sets and collaborations

The Nextmen are known for two-person DJ sets using four turntables, often with an MC. MC Wrec and Dynamite MC are among the performers who front these sets. Their performances draw on music from a wide range of genres and sit between turntablism and club-based DJing.

Releases and label work

The duo run Custom Records, an independent label that operates as a joint venture with Fat City Records. Their first album, Amongst the Madness, appears on Scenario and gains attention on the hip hop scene, featuring MC performances from both the UK and the US. Their second album, Get Over It, appears in 2003 and includes J-Live and Cutty Ranks, with a more electronic production style than earlier work.

In 2005, the reggae compilation Blunted In The Backroom on Antidote Records includes two new Nextmen tracks: “Blood and Fire” with Dynamite MC and “Piece Of The Pie” with Demolition Man. Over time, their production becomes more experimental and incorporates more live instrumentation.

Other connections

Dom Search also appears on Groove Armada albums Vertigo and Goodbye Country, Hello Nightclub. The Nextmen’s name refers to the Afro-American term “next man”.