Paul Garth AKA Justice & 107 Renegade

This interview with Paul Garth (also known as Justice and 107 Renegade) explores his personal journey through music, writing and performance, and his involvement in Milton Keynes’ hip-hop and wider underground scene. Born in Redhill in 1980 and raised in Milton Keynes from infancy, he describes growing up immersed in Caribbean culture through his Jamaican family. Reggae, R&B and jungle were early influences, while his first encounters with hip-hop came as a child through youth clubs in Fishermead where his uncle and father were involved in DJing and community activities.

Although hip-hop culture surrounded him from a young age, he did not begin seriously engaging with rap music until his early twenties. Tupac’s conscious lyrics were particularly influential, shaping his interest in wordplay and message-driven music. As a teenager he gravitated toward jungle and drum and bass, eventually becoming part of the Bass Shock crew in the late 1990s with friends who organised events at the ice rink. These early experiences were informal and community-driven, built through word of mouth and enthusiasm rather than industry support.

His path into writing began at school through poetry exercises, later developing into MCing within jungle and garage settings. Around 2001 he joined the Milton Keynes hip-hop group PZK (Players Club), where he contributed lyrics and performances to the independently released album Homegrown. Recording sessions were informal and collaborative, often taking place in friends’ homes, with members creating CDs and artwork themselves and distributing copies locally. For him, the process was as much about friendship and expression as it was about music, with writing acting as a form of therapy and emotional release.

PZK continued with further releases, including City of Circles and PZKology, collaborating with local artists and collectives such as True Element and USN. Live performances at venues like Bar Central and community events helped build a local following, and projects occasionally included full live bands, blending MCing with instruments and DJs. A standout memory was recording large collaborative tracks featuring many Milton Keynes artists, capturing a sense of shared identity and momentum within the scene.

In later years, Garth stepped back from regular recording but continued writing and performing at open mic events across the city. He now sees music primarily as a personal outlet and a way to connect with others. He also hosts events and supports community initiatives like Break to the Beat, valuing hip-hop’s ability to bring people together across backgrounds. While he praises the city’s talent, he reflects on challenges such as limited venues, lack of support, and barriers to organising events. Despite this, he remains committed to the culture, viewing hip-hop as a tool for unity, self-expression and community connection.