A former rapper fighting with the Islamic State (Isis) in Syria is believed to be one of several British jihadists under investigation following the beheading of James Foley.

Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary, 24, was known as L Jinny or Lyricist Jinn at home in London, where his rising music career saw him appear in videos and have his singles played on BBC Radio in 2012.

He came to national attention earlier this year, when he posted a picture of himself holding a severed head on Twitter after resurfacing in Syria.

The gruesome picture, believed to have been taken in the Isis stronghold of Raqqa, was captioned: “Chillin’ with my homie or what’s left of him.”

Bary reportedly travelled to the country last year from Maida Vale, west London, where he lived with his mother and five siblings.

His father Adel Abdul Bary, an Egyptian refugee thought to be one of Osama Bin Laden’s closest lieutenants, was extradited from Britain to the United States on charges of terrorism in 2012 for his alleged roles in the bombings of two US embassies in east Africa in 1998.

His family is frequently mentioned in rap songs that can still be listened to online, with many people, unaware of L Jinny’s macabre transformation, praising his lyrics.

In early songs put online in 2012, Bary makes apparent reference to drug use, violence and life on a council estate and talks about the threat of his family being deported to Egypt.

“It’s hard to progress in the future with a damaged past but still I try to count my blessings and I thank Allah,” he rapped in 2012.

“I’m trying to change my ways but there’s blood on my hands and I can’t change my ways until there's funds in the bank.

“I can’t differentiate the angels from the demons, my heart’s disintegrating. I ain't got normal feelings.

“Even my life’s blessed, still I will not find rest.”

In later songs, apparent references to cannabis (“roll up and watch the leaves ignite”) stop and are replaced with tirades against people who choose to spend their money clubbing, drinking and on drugs rather than feeding their families.

Many British jihadists are known to be in Syria, including these men featuring in an Isis video to urge Islamists in the West to join them

The most recent video, which was posted on YouTube in March this year, is called “The Beginning”.

“Give me the pride and the honour like my father, I swear the day they came and took my dad, I could have killed a cop or two,” Bary raps.

“Imagine then I was only six, picture what I’d do now with a loaded stick. Like boom bang fine, I’m wishing you were dead, violate my brothers and I’m filling you with lead.”

Bary’s current whereabouts in Syria is not known and his Twitter account under the name “Terrorist” @ItsLJinny has been deactivated.

Previous posts mentioned Abu Hussein al Britani, a fellow Isis militant who has uploaded pictures of himself on Twitter with guns in Syria.

He and associate Abu Abdullah al-Britani were seen offering travel advice to would-be jihadists online earlier this year.

The Sun newspaper has linked the trio to a group of British jihadists known as “The Beatles”, including the man known as “John” who beheaded American journalist Mr Foley.

In pictures: James Foley Show all 11 1 /11 In pictures: James Foley In pictures: James Foley James Foley Freelance photo-journalist James Foley (left) on the highway between the airport and the West Gate of Sirte, Libya AFP In pictures: James Foley James Foley James Foley responds to questions during an interview with The Associated Press, in Boston AP In pictures: James Foley James Foley James Foley responds to questions during an interview with The Associated Press, in Boston AP In pictures: James Foley James Foley James Foley at an airport in Tripoli (Libya), August 2011 Jonathan Pedneault via freejamesfoley.org In pictures: James Foley James Foley James Foley in Syria, 2012 Manu Brabo via freejamesfoley.org In pictures: James Foley James Foley James Foley in Aleppo, Syria, in 2012 Nicole Tung via freejamesfoley.org In pictures: James Foley James Foley James Foley rests in Syria, 2012 Manu Brabo via freejamesfoley.org In pictures: James Foley James Foley US photo-journalist James Foley resting in a room at the airport of Sirte, Libya. Jihadist group the Islamic State claim to have executed American journalist James Foley in revenge for US air strikes against its fighters in Iraq AFP In pictures: James Foley James Foley Badges in support of James Foley displayed during a panel discussion about the importance and dangers of reporting on world conflicts at a Free James Foley event on 3 May 2013 in Boston. At the time, Foley, a freelance journalist, had been held in captivity in war-torn Syria for 162 days AFP PHOTO/Don Emmert In pictures: James Foley James Foley John and Diane Foley, parents of James Foley, at a Free James Foley event on 3 May, 2013 Getty In pictures: James Foley James Foley A ribbon is tied to a tree outside the home of American freelance journalist James Foley in Rochester, N.H AP

A sound expert who compared the footage of the brutal killing with Bary’s rap songs told the paper there was a “big likeness” between the voices.

Mr Foley’s murderer has not been identified by authorities but the Foreign Secretary said he sounded British and experts were urgently trying to trace him.