With Plan B busy acting a smooth operator of late and Mike Skinner going missing from the scene, it's Stephen Paul Manderson aka Professor Green's time to shine.

A former protégé of The Streets' frontman, who had signed him on his label, The Beats, Professor Green has freshly been signed to Virgin Records, through which he will release his second album, "Alive 'til I'm Dead" (no sh*t?!) in the coming weeks (19th July). The first single off the album is 'Need You Tonight', in record stores since April, and named after the original by the mighty INXS. A second single, 'Just Be Good to Green' (sampled from The SOS Band's 1983 R&B classic, 'Just Be Good To Me') , featuring his current girlfriend (so we hear), Lily Allen, is due out on 12th July. And after a string of summer UK/ Ireland gigs from the Wireless, V, Jersey Live, Bestival, Oxegen and LED festivals, respectively on 4th July and 28th August, Professor Green will embark on a tour in October, kicking off on the 8th in Cambridge, via the cities of Sheffield (9th), Birmingham (10th), Glasgow (12th), Newcastle (13th), Manchester (14th) , Oxford (16th), Cardiff (17th), Brighton (18th) and finally London at Koko, on the 19th.

Tickets go on sale this Friday 11th June, at 9AM, so get ready to see Green!

Solange Moffi