Plan B

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 début 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 #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 2011, he will release Ill Manors his first film as a director.

Genre:

Hip Hop: an urban youth culture associated with rap music and the fashions of African-American residents of the inner city.

Grime: is a genre of urban music which first emerged in Bow, East London, England in the early 2000s, primarily a development of UK garage, dancehall, and hip hop.

Acoustic: Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means.

Soul: a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues.

Plan B believes that the public are wary of approaching him after viewing his violent film roles. Speaking to FHM about his villainous part in 2009 British crime drama Harry Brown, the 'Prayin' singer said: "It's my job to make the audience hate me. And it's much easier to make people hate you than like you." He added that critical reaction to his first album, 2006's Who Needs Actions When You Got Words, had contributed to this perception.

"People find me unapproachable and are intimidated by what's written about me. It's just playing on that, it's f**king easy for me."

However, the rapper also believes that the mainstream success of his second album, the platinum-selling The Defamation Of Strickland Banks, has helped soften his image by appealing to numerous demographics.

"I've had grannies and all sorts coming up to me," he revealed. "What's great about the new album is it's old music that dads and grans and s**t can be into, but also kids and teenagers because it's got rapping in it."

Plan B recently stated that he wasn't interested in becoming a role model or acting responsibly for the sake of his fans.