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Professor Green | |
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 Stephen Manderson in 2012 | |
| Born | Stephen Paul Manderson (1983-11-27)27 November 1983 (age 42) |
| Occupations |
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| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Labels |
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Musical artist | |
| Website | professorgreen |
Stephen Paul Manderson (born 27 November 1983),[1] better known by his stage nameProfessor Green or simplyPro Green, is an English pop artist, rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, television personality and mental health activist from London.[2][3][4][5]
Growing up on a council estate in Clapton, east London, Green went on to become a multi-platinum artist, with 3.5 million combined sales in the UK. He is the former co-host ofLip Sync Battle UK onChannel 5.[6] His autobiography featured on theTimes bestseller list, and he is a supporter of thesuicide prevention charityCALM.[7][8]
Manderson's mother gave birth to him when she was 16 years old, splitting with the boy's father shortly after. At six weeks old he required apyloromyotomy operation to his stomach.[9] Manderson was raised by his grandmother, great-grandmother and uncles in a two bedroom flat on the Northwold housing estate in Upper Clapton,Hackney, London, in a home which he describes as chaotic.[10] Green expressed how the passing of his great-grandmother Edie when he was 13 had a great impact.[11]
He sold cannabis as a youngster and smoked it on a daily basis between the ages of 16 and 24.[1] Although he was a bright student and dreamed of being a lawyer, he suffered from depression at the loss of his parents and he leftStoke Newington School in Clissold Road without any qualifications.[12][13][14]
When Green was 24 years old his father died by suicide. Green went to identify the corpse in the morgue. He stopped using any drugs from that point to allow himself to process the death fully.[14][15]
In 2006, Green released his first mixtape,Lecture #1.[16] He won the inauguralJumpOff MySpace £50,000 battle rap tournament in 2008.[17]
After touring withLily Allen, Green was signed toVirgin Records. In 2010, Green released his debut album,Alive Till I'm Dead. His first pop single, "I Need You Tonight", peaked at number 3 in the UK,[18] and number 15 in Ireland, and was certified silver in the United Kingdom.[19]
He released his second single 'Just Be Good to Green', in 2010 in the UK, which featured British singer Lily Allen.[20] It became a top 5 hit in the UK, a top 20 hit in Ireland and on theEuropean Hot 100 Singles.[21] It also peaked at #32 in New Zealand and #49 in Australia.[22] His album was released a week later, and peaked at #2 in the UK[23] and #18 in Ireland.[24] He releasedMonster on 3 October 2010 as the third single from the album, featuring UK rapper Example (Elliot Gleave).[25] The single became a top 30 hit on theUK Singles Chart, and the album has been certificated Platinum with sales of over 300,000 in the United Kingdom.[26]
In 2010 Green joined Lily Allen on stage atWembley Stadium whilst supportingMuse, to perform her number one hit'Smile', and 'Just Be Good To Green'.[27] In October 2010, Green released the video for his next single "Jungle", which featuresMaverick Sabre. It was released on 3 January 2011 and reached #31 in the UK Singles Chart.[28]
In 2011 Green was the first social ambassador for the clothing and footwear manufacturer brandPuma, focusing on the fashion and lifestyle side of the brand.[29] In October 2012,Puma launched an exclusive apparel collection designed by Green.[30]
Green's second album,At Your Inconvenience, was released in October 2011.[31] The title track "At Your Inconvenience" was premiered byZane Lowe onBBC Radio 1 on 13 July 2011.[32] That track was released as a promotional single only, as an instant download upon preorder of the album on iTunes. The first official single, "Read All About It" (with guest vocals fromEmeli Sandé), was released on 23 October 2011. On 30 October 2011, it reached #1 in the UK Singles Chart.[33]
The second single released from the album was "Never Be a Right Time", with guest vocals fromEd Drewett. The EP featured remixes from Document One and Drums of London, and a remix of "How Many Moons" featuring fellow UK rappers Dream McLean and Rinse. The "How Many Moons" remix premiered on Mistajam's show on 1Xtra in January 2012. The third single released was "Remedy", featuringRuth-Anne Cunningham. A remix contest was hosted where producers could download the stems for the track and use them to create a remix.[34]
The fourth single was "Avalon" featuringSierra Kusterbeck, which appeared on an advert for the energy drinkRelentless.[35] Pro Green is a brand ambassador forRelentless, and performed for them at a secret gig in his home town of Hackney, London.[36]
A promotional non-album single, titled "Are You Getting Enough?", featuringMiles Kane and was released in July 2013.[37] After the single failed to chart even in the UK top 100, Green announced that the first "proper" single from the album would be released in January 2014 and the album would follow shortly.
Green performed new tracks titled "I Need Church" and "Little Secrets" in his 2013 live sets.[38] Tweets and Instagram posts also revealed a collaboration withWretch 32 and iSHi titled "Gross" and another track titled "The Middle". Green also posted a short clip of a collaboration with iSHI andElla Eyre which didn't make the album.[39][self-published source?]
Green appeared onCBBC show12 Again, talking about his life at age 12. In April 2013, he released a 54-second teaser of the album's first promotional single "Not Your Man", which features vocals from Thabo.
In 2014, he appeared on a remix of "German Whip" byMeridian Dan, also featuringSkepta, Bossman Birdie andJordan Stephens. "Not Your Man" premiered in July 2014, and was released as an "instant grat" download on iTunes when you pre-ordered the album. The album's second "instant grat" promotional single, "I Need Church", was released on 16 July. The lead single from the album, "Lullaby" featuringTori Kelly, was released in September 2014.Growing Up in Public was released in September 2014. The album featured guest appearances from James Craise, Tori Kelly,Mr Probz, Rizzle Kicks,Whinnie Williams, Thabo, Cas and Dream Mclean.[40]
In November 2016, Professor Green released "One Eye on the Door" with an accompanying music video.[41]
In June 2019, Green announced that he would be releasing the title track of his second EP,Matters of the Heart in July, with the 6-track EP set to be released in September. He will be touring the album.[42] In 2020, the track "Bad Decisions" was released featuringNAHLI.[43]
In August 2021, Green was signed to a worldwide artist services deal with British independent record labelCooking Vinyl.[44]
In June 2017, Green endorsedLabour Party leaderJeremy Corbyn in the2017 UK general election. He told fans to stop "listening to the slander and attempted media blanket" of Corbyn, adding: "He is for peace and not war, that doesn't make him weak, nor does it mean he's spineless or without a backbone – quite the opposite."[45][46][47] In November 2019, along with 34 other musicians, he signed a letter endorsing Corbyn in the2019 UK general election with a call to end austerity.[48][49]
In July 2017, while visitingRochdale to film a documentary, he confronted the leaders offar right political groupBritain First, as reported in the British media, filming an anti-Muslim march he witnessed taking place in the Northern town, interviewing co-leaderJayda Fransen.[50]
Green is the patron of the anti-suicide charityCALM.[42]
In 2020, Green was one of the 100 celebrity contributors to the book,Dear NHS: 100 Stories to Say Thank You, of which all proceeds went toNHS Charities Together andThe Lullaby Trust.[51]
In 2023, Green gave his support to the British Gas Post Office Pop-Ups campaign, where pop-up advice centres, funded by theBritish Gas Energy Trust, opened inpost offices across the UK to offer free money and energy advice, and mental health support.[52]
In May 2009, Green was attacked with the neck of a broken bottle in the Cargo nightclub inShoreditch,London. His assailant was later convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison.[53] In May 2013, Green was crushed between two cars when travelling to perform a live show atHartpury College inGloucester. He was taken to hospital with a suspected broken leg, but returned to appear atHarper Adams University inShropshire after just three weeks, followed by a long set atGlastonbury during the last weekend in June, which included him running along the front row of the audience.[54] In 2019 Green fractured his neck during a seizure, just before leaving for a UK tour.[55]
Green marriedMillie Mackintosh atBabington House inSomerset in 2013.[56] They divorced in 2016.[57]
Green's autobiography,Lucky, was published in September 2015.[58] It was aTimes bestseller.[42] Green presentedSuicide and Me on BBC Three on 27 October 2015.[59] Green also contributed to the book,Dear NHS: 100 Stories to Say Thank You.[51]
Green is a supporter ofArsenal F.C.[60]
In 2021, his son with his partner, actressKarima McAdams, was born.[61] The family lives in London.[62]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Professor Green: Suicide and Me | Himself | Autobiography |
| 2016–2018 | Lip Sync Battle UK | Co-Host | TV show |
| 2016 | Professor Green: Hidden and Homeless | Himself | Documentary |
| Drive | Himself | TV show | |
| Professor Green: Dangerous Dogs | Himself | Documentary | |
| 2017 | Professor Green: Living In Poverty | Himself | Documentary |
| Professor Green: Is It Time to Legalise Weed? | Himself | Documentary | |
| Tipping Point: Lucky Stars | Himself | TV Game Show | |
| Murder in Successville | Himself | TV show | |
| 2018 | Professor Green: Working Class White Men | Himself | Documentary |
| John Bishop: In Conversation With... | Himself | Series 4 Episode 1 | |
| Celebs in Solitary: Meltdown | Himself | TV show/Social Experiment | |
| 2019 | Top Gear | Guest | TV show |
| My Famous Babysitter | Himself | ||
| Freeze the Fear with Wim Hoff | Himself | TV show |
Albums
The multi-platinum recording artist – who also happens to be a mental health activist and a pretty mean cook – is currently holed up in northern Morocco.
Musician and mental health activist Professor Green said: "Music has always been cathartic for me... But what initially gave me such release by way of expression would later, by way of schedule and sleep deprivation, lead to a place of unhappiness and isolation."
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