Summer Homework - Plan B

Plan B is a unique artist has he has made radical transition in a short amount of time, with regards to the genre he makes. With his first album, Who Needs Actions When You Got Words, his image was a working-class, UK underground rapper, and this was reflective in his image. In videos and photoshoots he wears casual clothes such as t-shirts, jumpers and hoodies. For his earliest work, the video for his song “No More Eatin’” clearly defines his image and his genre. Firstly, the video is shot in black and white, which gives the video a dark tone, both literally and metaphorically. This fits with the dark, explicit lyrics and angry performance Plan B gives.

The majority of his performance is set in a featureless, dilapidated room. However, Plan B also breaks conventions of the hip hop genre by playing a guitar while rapping. This sets him apart from his peers and may make him seem more “accessible” to those unfamiliar with hip hop.

Plan B’s image and sound have completely changed with his second album, The Defamation Of Strickland Banks. Instead of a pure hip hop album, this is a soul/indie album with hip hop elements, with Plan B primarily singing instead of rapping. The video for “She Said” is a complete contrast to the dark, gritty video for “No More Eatin’”. It tells the story of how soul singer Strickland Banks (played by Plan B – it is a concept album) is falsely accused of a crime by an obsessive fan that he had a one-night stand with. The video, set mostly in a lavish courtroom, is in full, if slightly dull, colour.

Plan B’s fashion has also radically changed, from casual wear to a suit in the courtroom, and a slightly less formal shirt and waistcoat in interrogation by the police. The style of filming has also changed. Whereas in “No More Eatin’” the direction was in pure music video style, “She Said” is shot much more professionally, playing out more like a short film than a music video. This is probably because this video tells a story, rather than just a straight performance like other artists.

 The setting and costume of this video is also different due to the different social class each album deals with. Plan B’s first album was dealing with lower social class issues, Strickland Banks is much more sophisticated both musically and thematically, and this is reflected in the video.