Tony Bontana, a Birmingham based rapper, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, is a trailblazer in the UK’s experimental hip-hop landscape, renowned for his self-coined “Splayed” style—a distinctive blend of degraded, manipulated samples, non-linear rhythms, and deeply introspective lyricism, released through his independent label, Everything is Perfect Records.
Tony Bontana, a Birmingham based rapper, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, is a trailblazer in the UK’s experimental hip-hop landscape, renowned for his self-coined “Splayed” style—a distinctive blend of degraded, manipulated samples, non-linear rhythms, and deeply introspective lyricism, released through his independent label, Everything is Perfect Records.
His extensive discography, including emotionally charged works like L’Humanité (a tribute to his late mother), the mellow, left-field mixtape TUMPIT (2025), and collaborative projects such as The Beautiful Malaise (2025) with Psychedelic Ensemble, fuses abstract hip-hop, post-hardcore, indie rock, punk and soul influences, showcasing his genre-defying versatility.
Bontana’s production credits include work with prominent underground artists like Novelist, PREM, Lil B, Billy Woods, Jadasea, Goya Gumbani, Mary Sue and Cities Aviv, while his raw, evocative live performances have captivated audiences, notably as a supporting act for Nourished by Time’s 2024 UK tour with upcoming performances on their 2025 European tour, including Malmo (November 7, 2025) and Glasgow (November 24, 2025).
Tony is also a DJ with eclectic taste, showcased on various radio platforms. He delivers weekly sets on Birmingham Sounds Radio blending abstract hip-hop, Funk, Soul, and Electronic music. He has also appeared on NTS Radio with genre-spanning guest mixes of obscure soul, electronic, and experimental sounds, including on The Do!! You!!! Breakfast Show with Charlie Bones. Further radio features include BBC Radio 1 , Loose FM and Balamii, where his unpredictable sets, ranging from jazz to distorted rap to indie rock, reflect his “Splayed” philosophy of transforming the familiar.
His innovative sound and creative philosophy have earned critical acclaim from publications like Pitchfork, which lauded TUMPIT’s imaginative qualities, The Wire, which explored his “Splayed” ethos in a 2022 interview, as well as Afropunk, Cvltnation , Altpress and BABMAG, solidifying his undeniable growing influence in the global underground music scene.
