From raw grime beginnings to the international hit 'Candy,' Ben Drew's music mixes tough stories with unexpected melodies.
For the full picture, listen to the gritty storytelling on 'Mama (Loves A Crackhead)' back-to-back with the smooth, hit-making craft of 'Candy.' That's the range.
Plan B matters because he never settled into one lane. His 2006 debut 'Who Needs Actions When You Got Words' was all sharp, introspective grime, but by 2010's 'The Defamation of Strickland Banks,' he was crafting soulful pop narratives. The single 'Candy' from that album became a genuine international hit, proving his sound could reach far beyond London's streets while still carrying his direct, sometimes controversial point of view.
He started with the raw, lyrically dense 'Who Needs Actions When You Got Words' in 2006. The success of 'Candy' and the 'Strickland Banks' album in 2010 marked a shift toward a more polished, soul-infused sound. Later albums like 2012's 'iLL Manors' and 2018's 'Heaven Before All Hell Breaks Loose' continued blending those grime roots with other genres.
Keep it compact: a lyric you come back to, a live memory, or the part of the catalog you would point someone toward first.
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