Plan B
British MC and actor Plan B (real name: Ben Drew) came to notice with "Cap Back," a playful, Wiley-referencing track produced by Roll Deep's Wonder that appeared on the 679 label's Run the Road compilation in 2005. Signed to 679's roster, the London native proceeded to release a handful of singles across 2005 and 2006, which culminated in his debut album, Who Needs Actions When You Got Words. With its Meat Puppets-referencing title, and tracks featuring clever samples of Hall & Oates, the Prodigy, and Gary Puckett & the Union Gap (often with acoustic guitars over shuffling breakbeats), the album made it clear that there was no easy way to classify the MC.
Released in 2010, The Defamation of Strickland Banks -- not just an album but also a short film directed by and starring Drew -- was to prove a breakthrough for Plan B. Led by "Stay Too Long," a stomping, organ-led rock song depicting an alcohol-fueled tailspin, the record was also heavily influenced by soul and Motown. The Londoner's formidable singing voice shared the limelight with his rapping, helping to make Plan B a household name in the U.K., where the album was the fifth best seller that year. Award highlights for Drew on the back of The Defamation of Strickland Banks included the BRIT Award for British Male Solo Artist and the MOBO for Best U.K. R&B/Soul act, while V Festival and Glastonbury 2011 welcomed Plan B during his extensive global tour.
In 2012, Drew released his first feature-length film, Ill Manors, accompanied by a single and album of the same name. The Top Ten U.K. Single and title track touched on the subject of disaffected youth and the 2011 London riots, analyzing the mindset of the rioters while questioning the role of the government's response. This set the tone for the remainder of the record and the film, which together put work on The Ballad of Belmarsh -- an album that was originally intended to follow The Defamation of Strickland Banks -- on hold, with Plan B confirming it would be focused on again in the future.
Following a prolonged break from music, Plan B returned in 2017 with the single "In the Name of Man." Shortly afterward, he released "Heartbeat" as the lead single from Heaven Before Hell Breaks Loose, his fourth studio record. Arriving in spring 2018, the album also featured singles "Guess Again," "Queue Jumping," and "Grateful."
© Andy Kellman & Daniel Clancy /TiVo
Similar artists
-
Guess Again
Alternative & Indie - Released by Atlantic Records UK on Mar 8, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
...All Else Fails
Rock - Released by Audio Hill Records on Jan 1, 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Queue Jumping
Alternative & Indie - Released by Atlantic Records UK on Mar 30, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Push The Button
Jazz Fusion & Jazz Rock - Released by Plan B on Jan 1, 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Welcome, Generations!
Punk / New Wave - Released by Plan B on Jan 1, 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
-
Contingency Broadcast System
Rock - Released by Audio Hill Records on Jan 1, 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Crow's Nest - Single
Electronic - Released by Fourthcity on Aug 17, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
I'm the Captain, Where We Going?
Pop - Released by Fourthcity on Oct 27, 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Grab It! (2012 Version)
Alternative & Indie - Released by Dancing Propaganda on Dec 7, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
-
Sunday to Monday
Pop - Released by The Lime (Thailand) Co.,Ltd on Dec 15, 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Into the Chaos
Alternative & Indie - Released by 6488126 Records DK on Jan 30, 2024
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
15 Minutes de Réflexion
World - Released by F Records - MYSTIQUE HARMONIE on May 19, 2023
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Esu Ki Egο (Radio Edit)
Panos Haritidis, Plan B, Spiros Metaxas
Pop - Released by Yellow Music Entertainment - Viral Music Group Company on Feb 2, 2014
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
It's a War
Alternative & Indie - Released by Atlantic Records UK on Apr 13, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Guess Again (Preditah Remix)
Alternative & Indie - Released by Atlantic Records UK on May 2, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Fidelity
Miscellaneous - Released by Piece Of Tape Records on Oct 27, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo