Professor Green

Professor Green is the stage name of Stephen Manderson, a rapper from Hackney, East London. Born in 1983, he grows up on the Northwold estate in Upper Clapton and is associated with UK hip hop and grime.

Early life and background

Manderson is raised by his grandmother and spends much of his early life on the estate rather than at school. He describes himself as having a strong interest in argument and debate from an early age, and initially says he wants to become a barrister or lawyer. He also becomes an early fan of hip hop at the age of nine, citing The Notorious B.I.G. as his biggest influence. His songwriting influences include Portishead, Radiohead, Tracy Chapman and Suzanne Vega.

Battle rap and early career

He begins performing after turning 18, when he comes up with his first rhyme at an informal freestyle session. He then enters the London battle rap circuit, winning a rap battle at the Lyric Pad night and progressing to Jump Off events. He becomes the first contestant to win six weekly finals in a row, later stringing together seven consecutive wins, and then another run of seven straight victories. He also competes in pay battles and appears at major venues including The Scala and Sound in Leicester Square.

Green rises further after winning the inaugural JumpOff MySpace £50,000 battle rap tournament in July 2008. He also travels to the Bahamas for the Power Summit battle, where he reaches the final against Jin of Ruff Ryders, and later competes again in Hawaii. A performance at the B-Boy Championships brings him to the attention of Mike Skinner of The Streets.

Record deals and releases

After meeting Skinner, he tours with The Streets and begins recording with him. He signs to The Beats label in 2006, with the label run by Mike Skinner and Ted Mayhem, and remains there until the label closes in February 2008. He later signs to Virgin Records. He is also known for his debut album, Alive Till I’m Dead.

Collaborations and radio

In 2009, Manderson works with Lily Allen on her concert tour. He also ends a run of his own shows on BBC Radio 1. His single “Read All About It” addresses accusations from his stepmother that Alive Till I’m Dead is cashing in on the death of his father, who is rarely present during Green’s childhood and dies by suicide in 2008.

Style and themes

Green’s work combines battle rap sharpness with more personal material. He says he aims to move beyond the immediate style of live battles and write songs that work as albums, covering family, estrangement, and everyday life. His career develops from underground battle success into mainstream recording, while keeping the punchline-led style that first defines him.