Plan B - The Defamation of Strickland Banks Review

The Defamation of Strickland Banks

Plan B

Release Date: 12th Apr, 2010
Label: 679 Recordings
Genre: Soul

After terrifying most listeners with his grim urban rap-ballads about underage sex, drug use and gang violence back in 2006, London based musician and sometimes actor Ben Drew is back with that most delicious of 1970s staples: the concept album. Bringing the idea bang up to date with the tale of a famous soul singer locked up for a crime he swears he didn’t commit, his incarceration and subsequent re-trial, Plan B changes tack dramatically and focuses on a jazzy soul style last showcased by a certain Amy Winehouse. Blending mellow, laid-back compositions with hard-hitting rap choruses, it’s a bold but successful move, bringing the story to life effectively. With a smooth soulful voice not heard previously, it seems Plan B might have found the magic formula to bring mass appeal.

HIGHLIGHTS: Love Goes Down/Stay Too Long/She Said/Prayin’/Darkest Place

Reviewed by Pete Muscutt

About The Artist

Plan B

At least five artists have used the name Plan B: 1. A popular rapper, singer and musician from England 2. An artist from Stuttgart, Germany 3. A hardcore band from Croatia 4. A rock band from Hamburg, Germany 5. A reggaeton duo from Puerto Rico 6. A rap duo from Bulgaria 1.) Plan B (real name Ben Drew, b. 1983) is a rapper from Forest Gate, London. From the age of 11 he attended Anglo European School in Ingatestone Essex, before transfering to Tom Hood, an inner-city comprehensive. He has described his character, in these school days, as "a bit of a cunt". He is signed to 679 Recordings, home to UK rap act The Streets. His unique sound is characterised by his use of acoustic beats and lyrics involving drugs, rape, murder and underage sex. He was placed fourth in the BBC's "Sound of 2006" competition. His second album was released in April 2010; The Defamation of Strickland Banks was released on 12 April 2010. The album is a departure from the sound heard on Plan B's debut album Who Needs Actions When You Got Words, with the rapper's sophomore effort showcasing much more of his singing ability. Lyrically the album's songs tell the fictitious tale of one Strickland Banks, a sharp-suited British soul singer who finds fame with bitter-sweet love songs like the album's opener "Love Goes Down", but then loses everything when he ends up in prison for a crime he didn't commit. The album was a great success, reaching #1 in the UK album charts, and three singles from the album reached the top 20 of the UK singles charts, with 'Stay Too Long' reaching #9 and 'She Said' reaching #3. 2.) Plan B from Stuttgart of the Label "Chimperator" (http://www.chimperator.de) 3.) Plan B is a melodic hardcore/punk band from Zagreb, Croatia (http://myspace.com/planbzg) 4.) Plan B also was a German rock band, founded in Hamburg in 1984. International acknowledgement was given to them with the release of their fourth album "Intensified!" (1991) which was produced by Pat Collier. In Germany the predecessor "The Greenhouse Effect" (1989) was much more popular ("Beam me up Scotty, this planet sucks!"). 5.) Plan B is a reggaeton duo based in Puerto Rico. Members include Chencho (real name Orlando Javier Valle Vega) and Maldy (Edwin Vázquez Vega). Their latest album, "House of Pleasure," was released in 2010.

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12 Comments

  1. kaska13 19 Jul 2011

    I love this album!!! :D

  2. werty36 22 Feb 2011

    This album is a big thing! Awesome!

  3. LeH450 20 Feb 2011

    Best British album of 2010 [2]

  4. johnmach 23 Oct 2010

    Best album of 2010

  5. PabloVirgo 19 Oct 2010

    Best British album of 2010 by a long way!!

  6. lm525 13 Oct 2010

    Excellent, absolutely!!

  7. sunrisezihan200 31 Aug 2010

    I hate Warner Bros.!they even don't give any information about this album!

  8. Venomous9 09 Aug 2010

    I agree completely with the below poster. This is utterly amazing.

  9. CityOfDoors 28 May 2010

    Okay, now I'm 100% sure. This album is amazing.

  10. CityOfDoors 25 Apr 2010

    I'm still not 100% sure on this album yet but no one can deny that Ben is an absolute master of telling a story through music.

  11. Bulykin17 09 Mar 2010

    new album

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