Professor Green has just finished the Blackberry Live and Lost tour and isn’t very well at the moment; he has been stuck down with the sore throat illness that seems to be getting everybody at this time of year. When asked how he is doing rather than moan the Hackney rapper – born Stephen Manderson - simply states: “Yeah it’s not ideal but life must go on.” Considering he nearly died last year after being stabbed in the neck, a sore throat must seem wholly insignificant.
How was the Live and Lost tour?
Strange, I have looked after myself since my mid teens and I have been responsible for myself for an awful long time. To have that taken away from me and to be dependant on others, on people I don’t know was quite odd, I don’t even like asking people I know for things. It was strange but before doing that tour I wasn’t in a good place, I was stressed and there was a lot going round my head. Weirdly, not that it would ever be the type of holiday I would pay to go on, but it almost was like a holiday. I didn’t have the time to think about work or any other stresses, it was just about what I was doing so it actually helped me quite a lot. I met some people that I still keep in touch with now.
It’s been a successful couple of years for you, with ups and downs, what’s been the best moment?
There have been loads; the two last shows I did with Lilly Allen. One where she was supporting Muse at Wembley Stadium and the other was when she came out during my last show at Coco. A lot of this started because of her, when she jumped on the ‘Just be good to green’ track and she took me on tour with her. If you look old footage and the progression in the performance from then till now and peoples awareness of me as well, they were definite high moments. The album going in at number 2 the first single going in at number 3. The festivals I did, all of them; it’s been a really cool time this year.
Were you expecting such great feedback from mainstream music press, was it surprising to you?
It was, you always hope but you never expect. I think it’s dangerous to expect anything, especially in such a fickle industry where so much of it is based on opinion. I seem to have really got on well with people as well which I think really helps.
What are your plans for next year?
It’s weird as normally I wouldn’t be that excited about everything being kind of laid out for me, I’m used to being quite spontaneous but the first half of the year is pretty much planned out in concrete. I’ve got January and February of next year to record the next album. In March I go to Australia for two and a half weeks to do the future music tour, then Texas, then Miami and then LA to do some recording. Austria for snowboarding then back to England to start the NDubz tour then, straight into the festivals. I will have to fit promo in there somewhere, as I will have the first single from the new album coming out in April.
Your life has radically changed in the last few years with music being a kind of a rescue for you, where do you think you would be if you hadn’t got into music?
I always find myself stuck in stuff I shouldn’t really be involved in and it was something I got into quite early on so would have been quite easy to go back to if everything else went to shit. I don’t know, I don’t really even want to think about that. Probably just doing what I always was and struggling to make a bit of money and trying to get somewhere with the music. With persistence and a bit of blind stupidity it worked out with the music and I am happy for that.
There were always people that believed in me but a lot of it was my persistence. My manager played a huge part in it, there was times when I had just had it up to my eyeballs and couldn’t be fucked with it to be honest, and he kept me focused, he is a lot more relaxed than I am. He let me doing the panicking, have my hissy fits and he would kick me back into shape.
What’s been your album of 2010?
I really like Kanye’s album. I’m terrible I’m still listening to stuff from last year, The XX, they have managed to make one of the most timeless records I have heard in a long time, I have been listening to it since it first came out. That’s someone who I would love to work with, Jamie from the XX.
Where do you stand on file sharing?
I’m still old school so I buy cds. If I’m on the road and I can’t get to a shop I will download it from itunes but I always end up buying the cd as well, I like having something to hold onto. I like to look at the inlay, a huge part of it is reading what’s inside and I still buy into the whole product. I don’t like that its damaged that, we have a whole generation of kids who couldn’t really care less about that part but illegal download is just going to happen its just working around it, being more inventive. It is hard, as cds don’t sell like they used to, you only have to look at the record labels to see how far that’s gone. It’s a positive as well as its spreads music. You can never pirate a live show so if people listen to the music and come see the live show it takes it back to its roots. The music is the most important part.
Do you prefer the recording or the live shows?
They are my two favourite bits; everything else is just what comes with it. The recording and the live shows are equal for different reasons. When you get a good vibe or you finish a song it’s a good feeling, it’s the same when you are on stage and you don’t have to wait for a response and you get a good reaction. They are the two best parts of what I do.
Published in the Metro
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