Toddla T

Thomas Mackenzie Bell, better known as Toddla T, is a Sheffield-born producer and DJ whose sound has always lived at the intersection of Northern England’s rave culture and Caribbean sound systems. Starting out in the clubs of South Yorks at just 14, he earned his nickname from older DJs who were struck by his ability to command a room despite his youth. Since then, he’s evolved from a "dancehall kid" making beats in a shoe shop to a definitive bridge between the UK underground and global reggae, notably spending over a decade as a voice for the culture on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra. His collaboration with Naomi Cowan on her album Welcome to Paradise (and the 2025 single "True Lies") highlights his knack for giving artists space to breathe while adding a polished, playful edge to their sound. Toddla’s approach isn’t about forcing a specific genre; it’s about "natural vibes," often sparked by a simple WhatsApp to an artist he admires. This philosophy has seen him produce for heavyweights like Stormzy and Roots Manuva, yet he remains most at home in the booth at Notting Hill Carnival or experimenting with "speaker-bothering" sub-bass in his London studio. Whether he’s piecing together a genre-blurring album like Foreign Light or working on deep-rooted reggae projects, Toddla T operates as a "studio boffin" with a magpie-like instinct for fresh sounds. He’s less concerned with industry trends and more focused on the consistency of the rhythm, maintaining a reputation as one of the UK’s most versatile and uncompromising producers.