Professor Green
Encyclopedia
Professor Green better known by his stage name Professor Green, is a British rapper
. He was signed to The Beats, a record label run by Mike Skinner
and Ted Mayhem
, until 12 February 2008, as the label went under. He won the inaugural JumpOff MySpace
£50,000 battle rap tournament in July 2008. In 2009, Manderson worked with Lily Allen
on her 2009 concert tour
.
In 2006, at the age of 23, he released his first mixtape, Lecture #1.
After his first record label, The Beats, went under he produced on his own an EP called The Green EP. After he toured with Lily Allen he was signed to Virgin Records
and released "I Need You Tonight
", based around INXS
's "Need You Tonight
" through the label. He also joined up with Lily Allen
in "Just Be Good To Green
" which is based around The SOS Band
's "Just Be Good to Me
".
Green released his debut album, Alive Till I'm Dead
, on 19 July 2010, which features guest vocals from Lily Allen
, Emeli Sandé
, Fink
, Labrinth
and Example
, as well as The Streets
, who used to own The Beats.
, East London
and was raised by his grandmother, Patricia, from the age of one. His father, Peter, committed suicide in 2008 in Brentwood, Essex. Green has stated previously he feels his father's death has made him a better person, saying: "I'd had a turbulent relationship with my dad. He was always in and out of my life and I was raised by my grandmother Patricia. Mum, who had me at 16, was there for the most part but my grandmother was the most influential. I last saw my dad alive on my 18th birthday. He came over to see me but after that we just stopped talking. There was no real reason. He hanged himself and I had to go and identify the body in the morgue."
Manderson said he "fell in to rapping accidentally" as he was at a party at a friend's house, where everyone was free-styling, and he got put on the spot and he said it worked for him. Then, on seeing a flyer for a freestyle night called LyricPad, he decided to go. Despite having no experience freestyling, he won. After going to LyricPad again the next month, a scout from JumpOff spotted him. From there he battled and won every week, eventually becoming Champion. As of June 2011, he remains the only MC to win seven times in a row, a feat he accomplished twice. At JumpOff, Mike Skinner from The Streets
saw and signed Manderson up to his record label, The Beats, although Manderson is never very complimentary when asked about his experiences there. Manderson gained the alias of 'Professor Green' through selling marijuana at a young age. The 'Green' part derives from the slang of marijuana, and he continued to sell marijuana until he was signed to The Beats. He gained the name Professor as he was very intelligent, although dropping out of school; despite having been offered a place at St. Paul's School Barnes, he decided instead to go to a comprehensive in Tottenham
.
On 23 May 2009 Manderson was attacked with the neck of a broken bottle in the Cargo nightclub in Shoreditch
, East London. Before his attack, he had a tattoo done on the left side of his neck saying "lucky". His assailant was later convicted of the crime and sentenced to eight years in prison.
Manderson is also an ambassador for SportsLifestyle brand Puma.
", which was released on 12 April 2010. It samples the 1987 hit from INXS 'Need You Tonight
'. It peaked at #3 in the UK, and #15 in Ireland. The single was also certificated silver status in the United Kingdom as well.
He released his second single 'Just Be Good to Green
', on 11 July 2010 in the UK. The single features British singer Lily Allen
. It became a top 5 hit in the UK, a top 20 hit in Ireland
and on the European Hot 100 Singles. It also peaked at #32 in New Zealand and #49 in Australia. The song samples 'Just Be Good To Me' by the SOS Band.
His album was released a week later, and peaked at #2 in the United Kingdom
and #18 in Ireland
. He released 'Monster' as the third single from the album. The track features UK rapper Example. Released on 3 October 2010 the single became a top 30 hit on the UK Singles Chart
. His album has been certificated Gold with sales of over 100,000 in the United Kingdom
.
On 10 September 2010, Professor Green joined Lily Allen on stage at Wembley Stadium
whilst supporting Muse
, to perform her number one hit 'Smile'
, and 'Just Be Good To Green'.
On 19 October 2010 Manderson released the video for his next single 'Jungle' which features Maverick Sabre
. It was released on 3 January 2011 and reached #33 in the UK Singles Chart.
On 8 December 2010, a feud erupted on social networking site Twitter between Green and fellow grime artist Wiley. The argument arose when Wiley said that Green would not exist if it were not for the success of American rapper Eminem
, adding that he himself was a superior artist to Green. In retribution Green responded by saying '"I will always be a fan, but that's not to say I won't s**t all over you. It's not a problem for me." This then escalated into a larger argument before Green attempted to defuse the situation, to little avail.
Green appeared on Soccer AM
where he was challenged to a rap battle by Tubes, after several starting spits, Green said "I'm the Professor, the one that you don't wanna test, Tubes is about as smart as the Soccerette". This got a big reaction from everyone in the studio.
Green is also UK Ambassador for SportLifestyle brand Puma, focusing on the fashion and lifestyle side of the brand.
and was released on 31 October 2011. The title track "At Your Inconvenience
" was played by Zane Lowe
on BBC Radio 1
on 13 July 2011. That track was released as a promotional single only. The first official single "Read All About It" which features vocals from Emeli Sandé
was released on 23 October 2011.On 30 October it reached number 1.
EPs/Mixtapes
MTV Europe Music Awards 2010
MOBO Awards 2010
MP3 Awards 2010
Urban Music Awards 2010
NME Awards
2011
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
. He was signed to The Beats, a record label run by Mike Skinner
The Streets
The Streets were a British rap/garage project from Birmingham, United Kingdom, led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Skinner and has included a myriad of other contributors most notably drummer Johnny Drum Machine, vocalist Kevin Mark Trail and the Italian-American beatmaker Leroy.The...
and Ted Mayhem
Ted Mayhem
Ted Mayhem is a hip hop vocalist and record label boss from London, England. He is the main voice of Beat Stevie.Mayhem was Mike Skinner's partner in his record label The Beats and also his television show Beat Stevie which he co-presents with Skinner on Channel 4...
, until 12 February 2008, as the label went under. He won the inaugural JumpOff MySpace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
£50,000 battle rap tournament in July 2008. In 2009, Manderson worked with Lily Allen
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
on her 2009 concert tour
Lily Allen concert tour (2009)
The It's Not Me, It's You World Tour is the second concert tour by English singer-songwriter Lily Allen in support her second studio album, It's Not Me, It's You...
.
In 2006, at the age of 23, he released his first mixtape, Lecture #1.
After his first record label, The Beats, went under he produced on his own an EP called The Green EP. After he toured with Lily Allen he was signed to Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
and released "I Need You Tonight
I Need You Tonight
"I Need You Tonight" is a single by English rapper and singer Professor Green which was produced by The ThundaCatz. The track is based upon a sample replay of "Need You Tonight" , commissioned by EMI -Virgin Records and produced for them by Mark Summers at Scorccio Sample Replays...
", based around INXS
INXS
INXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax...
's "Need You Tonight
Need You Tonight
"Need You Tonight" is the fourth song on INXS's 1987 album Kick as well as the first single from the album released worldwide. It is the only INXS single to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100...
" through the label. He also joined up with Lily Allen
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
in "Just Be Good To Green
Just Be Good to Green
"Just Be Good to Green" is a reworked cover of "Dub Be Good to Me" by British recording artist Professor Green from his second studio album, Alive Till I'm Dead...
" which is based around The SOS Band
The SOS Band
The SOS Band is an American musical ensemble, founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1977. Originally known as Santa Monica, the 'SOS' initialism in the band's name stands for Sounds of Success.-History:...
's "Just Be Good to Me
Just Be Good to Me
"Just Be Good to Me" is a 1983 single by The SOS Band, written and produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. The single reached number two on the U.S. R&B chart, number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number three on the dance chart that year...
".
Green released his debut album, Alive Till I'm Dead
Alive Till I'm Dead
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...
, on 19 July 2010, which features guest vocals from Lily Allen
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
, Emeli Sandé
Emeli Sandé
Adele Emeli Sandé , known by her stage name Emeli Sande, is a Scottish R&B and Soul recording artist and songwriter, from Aberdeen, Scotland...
, Fink
Fink (music)
Fink, AKA Fin Greenall, is an English singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer and DJ from St. Ives, currently based in Brighton. Since 2006, the name Fink has also referred to the recording and touring trio fronted by Greenall himself, completed by Guy Whittaker and Tim Thornton . Fink is signed...
, Labrinth
Labrinth
Timothy McKenzie , better known by his stage name Labrinth, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. McKenzie is signed to Simon Cowell's record label Syco, becoming the first non-talent show signing in six years...
and Example
Example (rapper)
Elliot John Gleave , better known by his stage name Example, is an English singer and rapper signed to Data Records. His name arose due to his initials being E.G., which is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase "exempli gratia", which means, "for example".Example's third album Playing In The Shadows...
, as well as The Streets
The Streets
The Streets were a British rap/garage project from Birmingham, United Kingdom, led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Skinner and has included a myriad of other contributors most notably drummer Johnny Drum Machine, vocalist Kevin Mark Trail and the Italian-American beatmaker Leroy.The...
, who used to own The Beats.
Early and personal life
Manderson was born in HackneyLondon Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
, East London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and was raised by his grandmother, Patricia, from the age of one. His father, Peter, committed suicide in 2008 in Brentwood, Essex. Green has stated previously he feels his father's death has made him a better person, saying: "I'd had a turbulent relationship with my dad. He was always in and out of my life and I was raised by my grandmother Patricia. Mum, who had me at 16, was there for the most part but my grandmother was the most influential. I last saw my dad alive on my 18th birthday. He came over to see me but after that we just stopped talking. There was no real reason. He hanged himself and I had to go and identify the body in the morgue."
Manderson said he "fell in to rapping accidentally" as he was at a party at a friend's house, where everyone was free-styling, and he got put on the spot and he said it worked for him. Then, on seeing a flyer for a freestyle night called LyricPad, he decided to go. Despite having no experience freestyling, he won. After going to LyricPad again the next month, a scout from JumpOff spotted him. From there he battled and won every week, eventually becoming Champion. As of June 2011, he remains the only MC to win seven times in a row, a feat he accomplished twice. At JumpOff, Mike Skinner from The Streets
The Streets
The Streets were a British rap/garage project from Birmingham, United Kingdom, led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Skinner and has included a myriad of other contributors most notably drummer Johnny Drum Machine, vocalist Kevin Mark Trail and the Italian-American beatmaker Leroy.The...
saw and signed Manderson up to his record label, The Beats, although Manderson is never very complimentary when asked about his experiences there. Manderson gained the alias of 'Professor Green' through selling marijuana at a young age. The 'Green' part derives from the slang of marijuana, and he continued to sell marijuana until he was signed to The Beats. He gained the name Professor as he was very intelligent, although dropping out of school; despite having been offered a place at St. Paul's School Barnes, he decided instead to go to a comprehensive in Tottenham
Tottenham
Tottenham is an area of the London Borough of Haringey, England, situated north north east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:Tottenham is believed to have been named after Tota, a farmer, whose hamlet was mentioned in the Domesday Book; hence Tota's hamlet became Tottenham...
.
On 23 May 2009 Manderson was attacked with the neck of a broken bottle in the Cargo nightclub in Shoreditch
Shoreditch
Shoreditch is an area of London within the London Borough of Hackney in England. It is a built-up part of the inner city immediately to the north of the City of London, located east-northeast of Charing Cross.-Etymology:...
, East London. Before his attack, he had a tattoo done on the left side of his neck saying "lucky". His assailant was later convicted of the crime and sentenced to eight years in prison.
Manderson is also an ambassador for SportsLifestyle brand Puma.
2010-2011: Alive Till I'm Dead
He confirmed his debut album's title was "Alive Till I'm Dead" on his official MySpace. The first single off the album is produced by The ThundaCatz and called "I Need You TonightI Need You Tonight
"I Need You Tonight" is a single by English rapper and singer Professor Green which was produced by The ThundaCatz. The track is based upon a sample replay of "Need You Tonight" , commissioned by EMI -Virgin Records and produced for them by Mark Summers at Scorccio Sample Replays...
", which was released on 12 April 2010. It samples the 1987 hit from INXS 'Need You Tonight
Need You Tonight
"Need You Tonight" is the fourth song on INXS's 1987 album Kick as well as the first single from the album released worldwide. It is the only INXS single to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100...
'. It peaked at #3 in the UK, and #15 in Ireland. The single was also certificated silver status in the United Kingdom as well.
He released his second single 'Just Be Good to Green
Just Be Good to Green
"Just Be Good to Green" is a reworked cover of "Dub Be Good to Me" by British recording artist Professor Green from his second studio album, Alive Till I'm Dead...
', on 11 July 2010 in the UK. The single features British singer Lily Allen
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
. It became a top 5 hit in the UK, a top 20 hit in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and on the European Hot 100 Singles. It also peaked at #32 in New Zealand and #49 in Australia. The song samples 'Just Be Good To Me' by the SOS Band.
His album was released a week later, and peaked at #2 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and #18 in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He released 'Monster' as the third single from the album. The track features UK rapper Example. Released on 3 October 2010 the single became a top 30 hit on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. His album has been certificated Gold with sales of over 100,000 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
On 10 September 2010, Professor Green joined Lily Allen on stage at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
whilst supporting Muse
Muse (band)
Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of school friends Matthew Bellamy , Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard...
, to perform her number one hit 'Smile'
Smile (Lily Allen song)
"Smile" is a song by British recording artist Lily Allen from her debut studio album, Alright, Still. It was written by Allen, Iyiola Babalola and Darren Lewis in 2004, while sampling The Soul Brothers' "Free Soul". The song was released as the lead mainstream single of the album in March 2006...
, and 'Just Be Good To Green'.
On 19 October 2010 Manderson released the video for his next single 'Jungle' which features Maverick Sabre
Maverick Sabre
Maverick Sabre is an English/Irish vocalist and rapper, born in Hackney, London in England. Associated with genres such as R&B and Folk, Sabre is known for his eerie vocals and guitar playing. In January 2011, Sabre appeared on Professor Green's single Jungle, which peaked at number 31 on the UK...
. It was released on 3 January 2011 and reached #33 in the UK Singles Chart.
On 8 December 2010, a feud erupted on social networking site Twitter between Green and fellow grime artist Wiley. The argument arose when Wiley said that Green would not exist if it were not for the success of American rapper Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
, adding that he himself was a superior artist to Green. In retribution Green responded by saying '"I will always be a fan, but that's not to say I won't s**t all over you. It's not a problem for me." This then escalated into a larger argument before Green attempted to defuse the situation, to little avail.
Green appeared on Soccer AM
Soccer AM
Soccer AM is a British Saturday-morning football-based comedy/talk show, predominantly based around the Premier League...
where he was challenged to a rap battle by Tubes, after several starting spits, Green said "I'm the Professor, the one that you don't wanna test, Tubes is about as smart as the Soccerette". This got a big reaction from everyone in the studio.
Green is also UK Ambassador for SportLifestyle brand Puma, focusing on the fashion and lifestyle side of the brand.
2011-present: At Your Inconvenience
Professor Green's second album is titled At Your InconvenienceAt Your Inconvenience
-Reception:In general, the album has received poor reviews from the major critics.However, RWD Magazine gave the album 4/5 stars and stated 'Introspective and reflective, this borders on emo-rap on occasions, while retaining edginess on the sonic side'...
and was released on 31 October 2011. The title track "At Your Inconvenience
At Your Inconvenience (song)
"At Your Inconvenience" is a song by British rapper Professor Green. It is the promotional single and title-track of his second studio album, At Your Inconvenience. It was released on 26 July 2011 as a digital download in the United Kingdom.-Background:...
" was played by Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe also known as 'Zipper', is a radio DJ and television presenter. He was born in New Zealand and grew up in Auckland, where he was a presenter on the local music station Max TV, before moving to England...
on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
on 13 July 2011. That track was released as a promotional single only. The first official single "Read All About It" which features vocals from Emeli Sandé
Emeli Sandé
Adele Emeli Sandé , known by her stage name Emeli Sande, is a Scottish R&B and Soul recording artist and songwriter, from Aberdeen, Scotland...
was released on 23 October 2011.On 30 October it reached number 1.
Discography
Albums- Alive Till I'm DeadAlive Till I'm DeadAlive 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...
(2010) - At Your InconvenienceAt Your Inconvenience-Reception:In general, the album has received poor reviews from the major critics.However, RWD Magazine gave the album 4/5 stars and stated 'Introspective and reflective, this borders on emo-rap on occasions, while retaining edginess on the sonic side'...
(2011)
EPs/Mixtapes
- Lecture #1 (2007)
- The Green EPThe Green EPThe Green EP is an EP by English rapper Professor Green that was released on 5 November 2008. The album features guest vocals from the likes of Nyomi Gray , Adele and Ed Hayes.-Background:...
(2008)
Awards and nominations
- BT Digital Music Awards 2010
- Breakthrough Artist of the Year –
- Best Newcomer – Nominated
MTV Europe Music Awards 2010
The 2010 MTV Europe Music Awards took place on November 7, 2010 at Caja Mágica in Madrid. The award show was presented by Eva Longoria and Justin Bieber was the official MTV EMA 2010 digital host. The nominations were announced on September 20...
- Best Push Act – Won
- Best Newcomer – Nominated
- Best Song - I Need You Tonight - Nominated
- Best Hip Hop/Grime Act -
- Radio/ Charts/ Downloads - Just Be Good To Green – Pending
- Best Newcomer – Nominated
- Best Hip-Hop Act – Nominated
- Best Song - I Need You Tonight – Nominated
NME Awards
The NME Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine, NME .The first awards show was held in 1953 as the NME Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding of the magazine....
2011
- Best Dancefloor Filler - Jungle – Won