plan B-Music career

Music career

Early career and debut album (2005–07)

Plan B first appeared with the track "Cap Back", produced by DJ Wonder (Roll Deep), on the grime compilation album Run the Road (2005). Also in 2005, he released his first single, ("Kidz"/"Dead and Buried") as a limited edition 7" vinyl on his own label Pet Cemetery Records. He soon gained a recording contract with 679 Recordings and released his second double A-side single "No Good"/"Sick 2 Def" with his début music video filmed for "No Good".

In early 2006, Plan B released a video-only download single for "Missing Links", which had to be re-recorded because he did not gain sample permission from Radiohead for the use of "Pyramid Song",and also released his first mixtape It's Time 4 Plan B in the May 2006 issue of Hip Hop Connection magazine.^[ On 23 June 2006 Plan B made his first television appearance on Later... with Jools Holland performing an acoustic version of "Mama (Loves a Crackhead)". His début album Who Needs Actions When You Got Words, recorded with producers such as Paul Epworth, Fraser T. Smith and The Earlies, was released 26 June 2006 and charted the following week at No. 30 on the UK Albums Chart.^[8] The album gained positive reviews from most critics, including a five-star review from The Guardian's Alex Petridis.^[ His track "Everyday" featured on the soundtrack to London to Brighton (2006).

In July 2006, "Mama (Loves a Crackhead)" was released as a single which became the first Plan B song to appear on the UK Singles Chart peaking at No. 41. In 2006, Paul Epworth and Plan B collaborated again on the track “More Is Enough” by Epic Man (Paul Epworth). After touring throughout 2006 and playing at festivals such as Reading and Leeds, a music video was filmed for "No More Eatin'" and Plan B released Live at The Pet Cemetery EP on 30 October 2006 (with a new version of "No More Eatin'" and two b-sides). On 11 December 2006 he released Remixes EP (which included the Hadouken! remix of "No More Eatin'").

During his January–February 2007 tour (which included support from Professor Green, Example, Killa Kela and Hadouken!), Plan B released his second mixtape Paint It Blacker containing bootleg recordings of songs by artists such as The Rolling Stones, Nirvana, Radiohead, Coldplay, Leonard Cohen and José González with producers Sem, Beni G from The Mixologists and Analog Kid.^[6] In 2007, Plan B re-released his song “No Good” with new remixes and a music video was filmed for the b-side “Bizness Woman” (featuring beatboxer Kila Kella). Also in 2007, Plan B featured on songs by other artists such as Professor Green, Killa Kela, Skrein, Shameless and The Mitchell Brothers.^[6]

Soundtracks, collaborations and second album (2008–present)

With a supporting role in the film Adulthood (2008), Plan B recorded three songs for the film’s soundtrack – “End in the Streets”, “On It 08” with Adam Deacon and “I Need Love” featuring Jacob Anderson. Plan B also featured on the Chase & Status single “Pieces” which topped the UK Dance Chart in 2008 and reached No. 70 on the singles chart.

In 2009, Plan B recorded “Shifty” with Riz MC and Sway. The single was taken from the soundtrack to Eran Creevy’s film Shifty (2009) starring Riz Ahmed (Riz MC) and Daniel Mays. Also in 2009, Plan B played Noel Winters in Harry Brown and achieved his first Top 10 hit with “End Credits”, another collaboration with Chase & Status which was used in the soundtrack for Harry Brown.

Plan B first mentioned his second album in an interview with NME in 2006. He explained "I've started this project about a drug addict called David Frost – no relation to the guy on TV – and basically it's the story of this guy and the levels of addiction, rehab, rehab not working, robbing ... The trials and tribulations of a fucking smackhead. It's a big story. I might release a first edition, then a second edition ...". The David Frost album eventually evolved into the current Strickland Banks film/album.

In late 2009, Plan B announced news of the release of his second album and film The Defamation of Strickland Banks to be released in 2010. The lead single from the album, “Stay Too Long”, was released in January 2010, and reached No. 9 in the UK Singles Chart.

He supported Noel Gallagher at the second night of his solo gigs at The Royal Albert Hall on 26 March 2010.

He played in Bangor at the Radio 1 Big Weekend on the 23 May 2010 in the New Music We Trust stage

Plan B will release his new album himself after his record label, 679 Records, rejected his return to hip-hop.

After the success of his latest concept soul album, “The Defamation of Strickland Banks,” the record company has made it clear that they are no longer interested in him creating the music he originally set out to make. In fact, the company announced that they were “over the moon” when he decided to launch the record independently.

“I was offended but I said, ‘Alright, cool’. This is the compromise – I take that hip-hop record, I put it out on my own label and you own none of it,” Plan B, real name Ben Drew, told BBC Newsbeat. “I’ll promote it off the back of my soul record and that’s what I’m doing.”

The new album, called “The Ballad of Belmarsh,” is a hip-hop laden “series of events,” that depicts the story of Plan B’s alter-ego, Strickland Banks. He has said that he recognizes the fact that the upcoming hip-hop album will probably not have the same appeal or be as successful as his previous soul album, which has sold over 500,000 copies, which he is OK with.

“I know ‘The Ballad Of Belmarsh’ is not going to work commercially, I know radio ain’t going to play it but I’m still going to put it out there because I love it. It’s a piece of art,” he said. “It’s probably going to sell about 100,000 copies – no more. But I’m cool with that.”

While simultaneously occupying himself with the launch of his new album, Plan B has also begun working on his full arena UK tour, which will take place in March of next year.
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