Album Debuts At #1 In The UK This Week And Also Serves As Soundtrack To Self-Penned Directorial Film Debut
“ILL MANORS” Arrives On August 21st
Atlantic Records has announced the US release of “ILL MANORS,” the new album from Plan B. The album arrives in stores and at all US DSPs on August 21st.
“ILL MANORS” is proving a phenomenon in Plan B’s native United Kingdom, entering the album charts at #1. The collection follows the Brit Award-winning artist’s milestone second album “THE DEFAMATION OF STRICKLAND BANKS,” which decisively established Plan B as one of Britain’s most exciting and talented musicians, lyricists, and social commentators.
Now “ILL MANORS” sees Plan B – a.k.a. Ben Drew – pushing the envelope even further, weaving together a series of overlapping narratives and scathing socio-political critiques with a stunningly soulful, bass-heavy sonic adventurism. A remarkable work in its own right, the album serves as soundtrack companion to Drew’s recently released, self-penned directorial feature length film debut, ill Manors, which opened earlier this summer. Both the film and album offer a stark, often brutal depiction of Forest Gate, the East London neighborhood where Drew was born and raised. Set over the course of one violent week, “ILL MANORS” follows eight diverse characters as they struggle to survive in a nightmarish inner-city world seemingly on the brink of destruction.
The album – which includes the UK hit singles, “Ill Manors” and “Lost My Way” – was produced by Plan B with Grammy Award-winner Al Shux (Jay-Z & Alicia Keys, Lupe Fiasco, Lana Del Rey). A stunning line-up of guest artists appears throughout, including Labrinth, Kano, and the legendary Manchester punk poet John Cooper Clarke.
“ILL MANORS” has earned Plan B the most ecstatic critical response of his career thus far. “Placing himself in a lineage that stretches from Crass to Public Enemy, (Plan B) makes the case that music should force you to think,” noted NME in its eight-out-of-10 rated lead review. “(Songs like “Lost My Way” and “Ill Manors”) contain the record’s protest element as well as its exemplary musicality: heartbreaking soul choruses, classical samples and ’80s rocksteady rhythms.” The Independent decreed “ILL MANORS” to be “one of the most exhilarating albums of the year… Like an audio equivalent of The Wire, it lays bare the causal connections between the macro and the micro, political corruption and callousness and street-level disorder and despair.”
The Guardian hailed the album’s “widescreen production values” as “polished and ferocious,” applauding its “warped fairytale strings, dub bass and antic Dr Dre swagger.” The Telegraph summed it up in their five-out-of-five starred rave: “Ben Drew is the boldest and most lyrically ambitious pop star in British music right now…On a production level, (‘ILL MANORS’) is cutting-edge, on a lyrical level it is brutally brilliant. It will melt your ears and your heart.”
Plan B arrived in 2006 with his highly praised debut, “WHO NEEDS ACTION WHEN YOU GOT WORDS,” but truly made his mark with 2010’s bold and brilliant breakthrough, “THE DEFAMATION OF STRICKLAND BANKS.” The album – which found the gifted rapper adapting a more R&B-based vocal style on such smash singles as “Stay Too Long,” “She Said,” and “Prayin’” – proved a landmark upon its initial release in the United Kingdom, entering the charts at #1 before ultimately earning triple platinum certification.
Told from the perspective of the fictional title character, “THE DEFAMATION OF STRICKLAND BANKS” drew widespread critical applause for its uncompromising lyricism and soulful musical approach. “THE DEFAMATION OF STRICKLAND BANKS” was also Plan B’s international breakthrough, hitting the Top 10 in France, Germany, Ireland, and Australia on its way to worldwide sales in excess of 2 million. In addition to the widespread critical and commercial success, he received an array of awards and nominations from the BT Digital Music Awards, MTV Europe Music Awards, the MOBO Awards, BASCA’s Ivor Novello Awards, and most prestigiously, the 2011 Brit Awards, which honored him with the “Best British Male Solo Artist” trophy.
For additional news and information, please visit: https://time4planb.co.uk, https://twitter.com/4PlanB, www.facebook.com/planbmusic, and www.youtube.com/user/planbuk.
Source: Atlantic Records
