Skinnyman (born Alex Holland) is a rapper born in Leeds, who moved to Finsbury Park, London at a young age. He formed the seminal Mud Family alongside Mongo and Chester P with whom he released a number of EPs. These included such underground hits as Itchy Town and Lash Suttin, a reworking of Redman's Smash Something. After a period of incarceration for dealing marijuana and the collapse of a record deal with Talkin' Loud/Def Jam UK, Skinnyman released his much delayed solo album, Council Estate of Mind, through Lowlife Records in 2004.