After sharing a spot with the mighty Michael Caine on the silver screen in 'Harry Brown' last year, among other gratifying endeavours of late, Ben Drew AKA Plan B returns to his major craft, armed with a brilliant second album, 'The Defamation of Strickland Banks', released on 12th April, in which he resurrects as the improbable lovechild of Terence Trent D'Arby and Will Young [which one gave birth? I bet it hurt - Ed], only having spent too much time in council estates...

For his new all-falsetto singing incarnation, which gives serious competition to Daniel Merriweather, the Forest Gate rapper, has ditched his trademark hoody and baggy jeans, as the album sleeve gives away.

This autumn, Plan B will face the music, so to speak, as to whether his alter-ego (Strickland Banks, Soul singer) is deserving of defamation, when he will tour the country in October, starting with Nottingham on the 6th, via the cities of Norwich, London, Bristol, Bournemouth, Southampton, Manchester, Lincoln, Dundee and Glasgow, among others.

Two singles, 'Stay Too Long' and 'She Said' have been released so far, the latter just three weeks ago - both of which made the UK top 10, with 'She Said' topping the UK R&B charts. 'The Defamation of Strickland Banks' is currently in the top spot in the UK album charts, as well.

Tickets for the Defamation of Strickland Banks' tour go on sale at 9AM today (Friday 23rd April), and cost £15 regionally, £17.50 for London + booking fee.

Solange Moffi