| Plan B | |
|---|---|
Plan B perfoming at The Arches, Glasgow (2007) |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Benjamin Paul Ballance-Drew |
| Born | 22 October 1983 Forest Gate, East London, England |
| Genres | hip hop, soul, drum & bass, indie rock, grime |
| Occupations | Rapper, singer-songwriter, actor, film director |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Labels | 679, Atlantic, Pet Cemetery |
| Associated acts | Chase & Status, Skrein, Shameless, Riz MC, Killa Kela, Example, Professor Green |
| Website | www.time4planb.co.uk |
Benjamin Paul Ballance-Drew (born 22 October 1983), primarily known as Plan B or Ben Drew, is a British rapper, singer-songwriter, actor and film director from Forest Gate, London. Plan B first emerged as a hip hop artist releasing his critically acclaimed debut album Who Needs Actions When You Got Words in 2006. His second studio album The Defamation of Strickland Banks (2010) was a soul record and went straight into the UK album chart at no. 1. He has also collaborated with other artists such as Chase & Status most notably on the top ten single "End Credits" (2009).
Drew has also had a successful film career as an actor, with roles in Adulthood (2008), Harry Brown (2009) and 4.3.2.1 (2010). In 2012, he will release iLL Manors, his first film as a director.
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Ben Drew was born and brought up in Forest Gate, East London. His mother worked for a local authority and his father, Paul Ballance, played in the 1970s punk band The Warm Jets.[1] Ben was 5 months old when his father walked out, disappearing when he was 6 years old.[2] Growing up, Plan B felt outcast from the rest of the school pupils.[3]
"We weren't working class but we weren't middle class, we were in the void in-between. I've always felt like a social outcast."—Plan B, The Telegraph (15 June 2006)[3]
From 11, Plan B attended Anglo European School in Ingatestone, Essex and after leaving at 15, he was transferred to Tom Hood School,[4] a specialist Science College in Leytonstone, London and left with three GCSEs. Plan B taught himself how to play guitar at 14, first playing Blur and Oasis with friends,[5] then going on to write his own R&B love songs. At 18, feeling uncomfortable with R&B, he turned towards rap and hip hop music and wrote "Kidz", inspired by the murder of Damilola Taylor
"The whole reason for calling myself Plan B was that I was doing this sweet-boy Justin Timberlake shit, but I never felt comfortable... When I started rapping, it was easier for me to feel comfortable."
Plan B first appeared with the track "Cap Back", produced by DJ Wonder (ex-Roll Deep), on the grime compilation album Run the Road (2005).[7] 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 "Sick 2 Def"/"No Good" with his début music video filmed for "No Good".[8]
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",[8] and also released his first mixtape It's Time 4 Plan B in the May 2006 issue of Hip Hop Connection magazine.[7] 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)".[8] 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.[9] The album gained positive reviews from most critics, including a five-star review from The Guardian's Alex Petridis.[10]
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.[9] In 2006, Paul Epworth and Plan B collaborated again on the track “More Is Enough” by Epic Man (Paul Epworth).[7] 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'").[7]
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.[7] 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.[7]
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.[9]
In 2009, Plan B recorded “Shifty” with Riz MC and Sway.[7] 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”,[9] another collaboration with Chase & Status which was used in the soundtrack for Harry Brown.
Plan B's second album and film The Defamation of Strickland Banks was released on 12 April 2010. The lead single from the album, “Stay Too Long” reached No. 9 in the UK Singles Chart.[9]
He supported Noel Gallagher at the second night of his solo gigs at the Royal Albert Hall on 26 March 2010,[11] and played in Bangor at the Radio 1 Big Weekend on 23 May 2010 on the New Music We Trust stage.
After the success of his latest concept soul album, The Defamation of Strickland Banks, the record company made it clear that they were 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 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 recognises 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.”
He performed a duet of "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" with Elton John as part of Elton's BBC Electric Proms performance at the Roundhouse in London in October 2010.
On the 16th February 2011, Drew won Best British Male at the Brit Awards.
While 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 2011. The next single from The Defamation of Strickland Banks is "Love Goes Down". Official music video featuring Andy Crane, Paul Young, Abbey M Butler, Vicky McClure and Kaya Scodelario had its own premiere on 16 November 2010.[12]
Plan B, earlier in his music career, also expressed an interest in working in film. In an interview about Who Needs Actions When You Got Words, he said: "We’re still promoting this album and I’ve started work on the next one, but I’m really getting into film at the moment. I’m writing this script, and I really want to find some time to focus on it, I really feel that’s what I’m destined to be doing”.[13]
After previously appearing in Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard’s short film Walking After Acconci (Redirected Approaches) in 2005,[14] Ben Drew’s first major film role was as a supporting character (Dabs) in Noel Clarke’s Adulthood (2008).[15] His song “Kidz” was previously included in the soundtrack to Kidulthood (2006) which led to Drew being cast in the sequel. In 2008, Ben Drew also directed his first short film Michelle[16] which starred Adam Deacon and Skrein and he also directed the music video for “Pieces” (his collaboration with Chase & Status).
In 2009, Drew had another supporting role as Noel Winters in the Daniel Barber film Harry Brown[15] starring Michael Caine. In 2010, Ben Drew appeared in Noel Clarke's film 4.3.2.1[15] and began production on his musical film The Defamation of Strickland Banks[17] and his first full-length feature film Ill Manors.
Speaking in March 2010 to noted UK soul-writer Pete Lewis – Deputy Editor of the award-winning Blues & Soul – Drew expanded on his first full-length feature film 'Ill Manors': "It's a hip hop, music-based feature film which has six short stories that all kinda mix together to make one BIG story – and each mini-story will be represented by a different hip hop track. It'll all be narrated by me, and it'll actually be the reverse of 'The Defamation Of Strickland Banks' – in that with 'Ill Manors', the film will come out first and the soundtrack will come afterwards. And again the soundtrack will be a film for the blind, in that you'll be able to listen to it and it'll tell you the story of the film."[18] Made appearance at Elton John's Electric Proms show as a guest of honour. Elton introduced Plan B's album as "the best of the year" and said he'd probably be playing it for another 3 years.
In June 2011, Hewlett-Packard signed up Plan B as part of their advertising campaign for its laptops,[19][20] which featured a UK cinema shown film of Plan B in a recording studio.[21] In its 24 June issue, the British satirical magazine Private Eye made reference to the ad in its Ad Nauseam column[22] and voiced the magazine's view that Plan B's involvement in the commercial seemed to be at odds with his comments at the Ivor Novello Awards regarding music promotion and criticising what "...has to go on in order to get your music to get played to the masses."[23]
In July 2011 Bulmer's cider announced that they had signed up Plan B to help sell their product.[24] An advertisement for the cider was later released featuring a live performance by Plan B. [25]
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Adulthood | Dabs | Noel Clarke | |
| 2009 | Harry Brown | Noel Winters | Daniel Barber | |
| 2010 | 4.3.2.1 | Terry | Noel Clarke | |
| 2011 | Turnout | John | Lee Sales | |
| 2012 | The Sweeney | DS George Carter | Nick Love | In production |
| 2012 | The Devil's Dandruff | Jason Cook | Pre-production Also writer[26] |
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Walking After Acconci (Redirected Approaches) | Lead role | Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard | Short film |
| 2008 | Michelle | Himself, narrator | Ben Drew | Short film Also director |
| 2009 | "Sour Times" (by Riz MC) | Himself (cameo) | DNR Films | Music video |
| 2010 | "Let You Go" (by Chase & Status feat. Mali) | Drug dealer (cameo) | thirtytwo | Music video |
| 2010 | "2 Minute Silence" (by The Royal British Legion) | Himself (cameo) | Matthew Donaldson | Music video |
| 2010 | "Raver" (by Shy FX feat. Kano, Donaeo & Roses Gabor) | Himself (cameo) | Andy Hylton | Music video |
| 2012 | The Defamation of Strickland Banks | Strickland Banks | Ben Drew, Daniel Wolfe | In production |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Michelle | Short film |
| 2008 | "Pieces" (by Chase & Status feat. Plan B) | Music video |
| 2012 | Ill Manors | Post-production |
| 2012 | The Defamation of Strickland Banks | In production |
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