Alive Till I'm Dead

Alive Till I'm Dead is the debut studio album by English rapper Professor Green, that was released on July 16, 2010.^[1] The album features guest vocals from the likes of Lily Allen, Example, Labrinth and Emeli Sandé, among others.

Background

Just Be Good to Green was originally made back in 2007 when Professor Green was signed to The Beats. The track was composed and produced by Semothy Jones and at the time featured Neon Hitch on the chorus. Though when The Beats folded the track was put on hold. Also Professor Green spoke about how the collaboration came about between him and Lily Allen, the pair got speaking through Facebook. Green stated "We got chatting on Facebook and I mentioned the track, which turned out to be one of her favourite songs. She suggested her singing the chorus. I didn't take much persuading! Lily's wicked. She's straightforward and honest, you always know where you're at with her."^[2]

Singles

• "I Need You Tonight" was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland as the first single from Alive Till I'm Dead. The song features guest vocals from Ed Drewett. The song was written by Professor Green and was produced by The ThundaCatz, mixed by Steve Fitzmaurice. The single debuted at number 3 in the UK Singles Chart and also did well in Ireland, where it charted at number 15. I Need You Tonight samples the 1987 rock/New Wave song "Need You Tonight" by INXS.

• "Just Be Good to Green" is the second single from the album. The single features guest vocals from world wide superstar, Lily Allen. The single was officially released on June 25, 2010. The single has been released around the world. The song has charted at number 52 in Australia. Just Be Good to Green also samples the 1983 R&B song "Just Be Good to Me" by The SOS Band.^[2]

• "Monster" is the third single from album. The single features vocals from Example and was released on October 1, 2010. Video shooting started on September 8. The video was released on September 17, 2010.^[3]

• "Jungle" is the fourth single from the album. The single features guest vocals from Maverick Sabre. The single was released on December 20. The video was shot on October 28–29. It peaked at 31 on the UK Singles Chart and 9 on the UK R&B Chart.

Commercial performance

The album debuted at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart.^[4]

Reception

Alive Till I'm Dead has received positive reviews from music critics, with BBC Music stating that the album is "As fizzy, dramatic and inventive as pop should be without losing his initial grime edge". Paul MacInnes of The Guardian gave a similar review, agreeging that it was "Pop music, yes, but sparky and cleverly composed pop that still has an ear for the club". He also remarked that Professor Green has a "flow like an estuary Eminem and a humorous sensibility reminiscent of Lily Allen".

Helen Clarke of MusicOMH also praised the album, likewise comparing Professor Green with Eminem, saying that "Alive Till I'm Dead grabs you like the first few times you heard The Slim Shady LP". She also asserts that the album is a "ball of tightly wound bitterness, anger and aggression", while also managing to be "cheeky, playful and almost frighteningly confident and experimental". Jesal Padania of RapReviews gave a positive review, tempered with a feeling that Professor Green is "so much more" than what his record label have allowed him to display thus far.

Track listing

Charts and Certifications

References