Plan B (musician)

1.1. Childhood and Education

Drew was born on 22 October 1983, and grew up in London. His mother worked for a local authority, while his father, Paul Ballance, was a musician who played in a punk rock band called the Warm Jets during the 1970s. His father left the family when Drew was only five months old and "disappeared completely" by the time Drew was six. This early experience contributed to a sense of isolation in his childhood; Drew described feeling like a "social outcast," belonging neither to the working class nor the middle class.

From the age of 11, Drew attended the Anglo European School in Ingatestone, Essex. He later transferred to Tom Hood School, before being expelled. Following his expulsion, he was sent to Tunmarsh Pupil Referral Unit in Newham, London, a special educational establishment for children who cannot attend mainstream schools. He ultimately left school with three GCSEs. At 14, he taught himself to play the guitar, initially learning songs by bands such as Blur and Oasis with friends. He then began writing his own R&B love songs.

1.2. Formation of Musical Identity

By the age of 18, Drew felt increasingly uncomfortable with the R&B style he had been pursuing. He shifted his focus towards rap and hip hop, finding these genres more authentic to his evolving artistic identity. This pivotal change was marked by the creation of his song "Kidz," which was directly inspired by the highly publicized murder of Damilola Taylor, a young boy in London.

His stage name, "Plan B," originated from this very transition. In a 2007 interview with USA Today, Drew explained that he initially pursued what he called "sweet-boy Justin Timberlake shit" in R&B, but it never felt comfortable. He chose "Plan B" because, when he began rapping, he felt more at ease and authentic. This name thus symbolizes his embrace of a musical path that resonated more deeply with his personal experiences and allowed him to express himself more freely.

2.1. Debut and Rise (2005-2009)

Plan B first gained attention in 2005 with the track "Cap Back," produced by DJ Wonder (formerly of Roll Deep), featured on the grime compilation album Run the Road. Later that year, he released his debut single, the limited edition 7" vinyl "Kidz"/"Dead and Buried," through his own record label, Pet Cemetery Records. He subsequently secured a recording contract with 679 Recordings, which led to his second double A-side single, "Sick 2 Def"/"No Good." He filmed his first music video for "No Good."

In early 2006, Plan B released "Missing Links" as a video-only download single, which later required re-recording due to issues with gaining sample permission from Radiohead for their song "Pyramid Song". He also released his mixtape It's Time 4 Plan B in May 2006, bundled with Hip Hop Connection magazine. On 23 June 2006, Plan B made his television debut on Later... with Jools Holland, performing an acoustic version of "Mama (Loves a Crackhead)".

His debut album, Who Needs Actions When You Got Words, recorded with producers Paul Epworth, Fraser T Smith, and The Earlies, was released on 26 June 2006. It charted at number thirty on the UK Albums Chart the following week and received widespread critical acclaim, including a five-star review from The Guardian's Alexis Petridis. In July 2006, "Mama (Loves a Crackhead)" was released as a single, becoming his first song to appear on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number forty-one. That same year, Paul Epworth and Plan B collaborated again on "More Is Enough" by Epic Man.

Following extensive touring in 2006, which included performances at major music festivals such as Reading and Leeds, a music video for "No More Eatin'" was produced for the Live at The Pet Cemetery EP, released on 30 October 2006. On 11 December 2006, he released the Remixes EP, featuring a Hadouken! remix of "No More Eatin'". During his January-February 2007 tour, where he was supported by artists like Professor Green, Example, Killa Kela, and Hadouken!, Plan B released his second mixtape, Paint It Blacker. This mixtape notably included bootleg recordings of songs by iconic artists such as the Rolling Stones, Nirvana, Radiohead, Coldplay, Leonard Cohen, and José González, remixed by producers Sem, Beni G from the Mixologists, and Amir Amor. In 2007, "No Good" was re-released with new remixes, and a music video was filmed for the b-side "Bizness Woman," featuring beatboxer Kila Kela. Plan B also collaborated on songs with Professor Green, Killa Kela, Skrein, Shameless, and The Mitchell Brothers in 2007.

His musical presence further expanded through his involvement in film. For the soundtrack of the 2008 film Adulthood, in which he also acted, Plan B recorded three songs: "End in the Streets," "On It 08" (with Adam Deacon), and "I Need Love" (featuring Raleigh Ritchie). In 2008, he was featured on the Chase & Status single "Pieces", which topped the UK Dance Chart and reached number seventy on the UK Singles Chart. In 2009, Plan B recorded "Shifty" with Riz MC and Sway for the soundtrack of Eran Creevy's film Shifty, starring Riz Ahmed and Daniel Mays. Also in 2009, he achieved his first Top 10 hit single with "End Credits", another collaboration with Chase & Status, featured in the soundtrack for Harry Brown, a film in which Plan B also starred.

2.2. The Defamation of Strickland Banks and Ill Manors (2010-2014)

Plan B's second studio album, The Defamation of Strickland Banks, was released on 12 April 2010. Shifting towards a soul and R&B sound, the album was a major commercial and critical success, debuting at number one on the UK Albums Chart. The album sold 1.29 million copies in the UK alone and was certified 4x Platinum by the BPI and 2x Platinum by the IFPI. It also charted in the top ten in Germany and Ireland. The lead single, "Stay Too Long", reached number nine on the UK Singles Chart. The music video for "Love Goes Down," the subsequent single, featured notable actors such as Vicky McClure and Kaya Scodelario.

In support of the album, Plan B performed at several significant events. He supported Noel Gallagher at the Royal Albert Hall on 26 March 2010 and played on the New Music We Trust stage at the Radio 1 Big Weekend in Bangor on 23 May 2010. In October 2010, he performed a duet of "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" with Elton John at the BBC Electric Proms in London. His success was recognized at the Brit Awards on 16 February 2011, where he won Best British Male.

Following this, Plan B announced plans for a new hip-hop concept album, The Ballad of Belmarsh, which would tell the story of his alter-ego, Strickland Banks. However, work on this album was later put on hold to prioritize the film Ill Manors and was eventually shelved completely, demonstrating his dedication to his filmmaking endeavors.

In March 2012, he released the single and video for "Ill Manors", a powerful song that addressed the 2011 London Riots. The track, which notably contained a sample from Peter Fox's "Alles neu," was lauded by The Guardian as "the first great mainstream protest song in years," highlighting Plan B's continued engagement with social issues. A soundtrack album of the same name, Ill Manors, accompanying the film he wrote and directed, was released in July 2012. This was followed by three more singles: "Lost My Way", "Deepest Shame", and "Playing with Fire". In July 2012, Drew issued an apology after appearing on the cover of Shortlist magazine wearing a t-shirt featuring the white supremacist rock band Skrewdriver, which drew criticism. In 2014, he produced "Pray for Love" by Kwabs, released on 6 May 2014.

2.3. Recent Activities and Artistic Evolution (2017-Present)

On 18 May 2017, Plan B released "In the Name of Man," his first single in five years, and announced a new album was in production. The album, Heaven Before All Hell Breaks Loose, was released on 13 April 2018. In interviews, Drew explained that this album was less hip-hop-oriented than his previous works, stating he felt it would be dishonest to continue rapping about "the other side of things" while personally experiencing a more comfortable life.

Drew also revealed that he had taken a hiatus from the music industry to focus on his role as a father and to reconnect with friends and family from whom he felt alienated following the intensive period surrounding the release of Ill Manors. He candidly expressed feeling "spiritually lost" at the conclusion of the Ill Manors project, realizing he had little left to "fight for" after achieving significant recognition and success. This period marked a shift in his artistic and personal priorities, reflecting a desire for greater personal connection and authenticity in his life and work.

3.1. As an Actor

Plan B's acting career began with an appearance in Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard's short film Walking After Acconci (Redirected Approaches) in 2005. His first significant film role was as the supporting character Dabs in Noel Clarke's 2008 film Adulthood, a role he secured after his song "Kidz" was included in the soundtrack to the film's prequel, Kidulthood (2006).

In 2009, he took on another supporting role as Noel Winters in the Daniel Barber film Harry Brown, starring alongside veteran actor Michael Caine. The following year, Drew appeared in Noel Clarke's film 4.3.2.1. (2010) as Terry. He also played John in Turnout (2011).

His most recent major role was co-starring in The Sweeney (2012), a film adaptation of the 1970s British TV show, where he played DS George Carter opposite Ray Winstone. The film was a commercial success, debuting at number one in the UK box office charts upon its release on 12 September 2012. Additionally, he made a cameo appearance as a taxi driver in his own directorial debut, Ill Manors (2012). Drew has also been involved in pre-production for upcoming films such as Catch Me Daddy and The Devil's Dandruff, in which he is slated to play Jason Cook.

Beyond feature films, Plan B has appeared in several short films and music videos. These include his own directed short film Michelle (2008), where he also served as narrator, and a short film adaptation of The Defamation of Strickland Banks where he portrayed the titular character. He also made cameo appearances in music videos for other artists, such as "Sour Times" (by Riz MC) (2009), "Let You Go" (by Chase & Status feat. Mali) (2010), "2 Minute Silence" (by The Royal British Legion) (2010), and "Raver" (by Shy FX feat. Kano, Donaeo, and Roses Gabor) (2010).

3.2. As a Director

Plan B expressed an early ambition to work in film, even before his musical career fully took off. In an interview regarding his debut album, he stated his strong interest in film and his dedication to writing a script, believing it was his "destiny."

In 2008, he made his directorial debut with the short film Michelle, which featured actors Adam Deacon and Ed Skrein. He also directed the music video for "Pieces", his collaboration with Chase & Status.

His most significant directorial achievement is the full-length feature film Ill Manors, for which he began production in September 2010. In a March 2010 interview with Blues & Soul magazine, Drew detailed his vision for Ill Manors as a "hip hop, music-based feature film" composed of six intertwining short stories that collectively form a larger narrative. Each mini-story was to be represented by a distinct hip-hop track, with his own narration guiding the audience. He conceptualized the film as the "reverse" of The Defamation of Strickland Banks in its release strategy, with the film preceding the soundtrack. He famously described the soundtrack as a "film for the blind," intended to narrate the film's story audibly. In 2012, he also directed the music video for his song "Lost My Way". In 2018, he wrote the music video for his song "Guess Again".