DJ Semtex

DJ Semtex (born 1974 in Manchester as John Fairbanks) is an English disc jockey and presenter for BBC Radio 1Xtra digital radio station, presenting the flagship hip-hop show, Friday nights from 22:00-01:00.

Biography

DJ Semtex is notable for having one arm, but there is no information about how he lost the missing part except for some anecdotal fan reports that it may have been military related. He can be seen scratching using his nose at live shows. Semtex began his career in the music industry in 1992, hosting weekly pirate radio shows in Manchester and performing at clubs such as the Haçienda and Home. During this time he also DJed for De la Soul when they performed in Manchester, and hosted Wyclef’s Carnival afterparty in London. He also produced hip-hop mixes for BBC Radio 1’s Trevor Nelson, Tim Westwood and various DJs on Galaxy FM between 1996 and 1998.

His proficiency at producing and distributing hip-hop mixtapes internationally led to Semtex being commissioned to produce promotional mixtapes for major labels such as Sony, Universal, Loud Records, and Def Jam.