He was signed to The Beats, a record label run by Mike Skinner and Ted Mayhem from 2006 until 12 February 2008, when the label terminated. He rose to success upon winning the inaugural JumpOff MySpace £50,000 battle rap tournament in July 2008. Following this in 2009, Manderson worked with Lily Allen on her 2009 concert tour.
Growing up on the Northwold estate in Upper Clapton, Green's familial situation saw him being raised by his grandmother while he traded up school attendance for just hanging on the estate, like kids do. The Read All About It Songfacts reports that he had a turbulent relationship with his father, who was rarely around during Manderson's childhood and committed suicide in 2008. In his hit single, Read All About It, Green responds to accusations made by his stepmother that his debut album, Alive Till I'm Dead, was "cashing-in" on his death.
While the usual nefarious stories of low budget living played a part in his life, Green's formative years were also characterised by fun: skating was big on the estate, etc. He also had an early inkling that the art of verbal sparring would somehow play a part in his life, confessing how, he always wanted to be a barrister or a lawyer. "I like debates and I've always been argumentative, I think that's helped me in battles a lot."
However, while becoming obsessed with hip-hop at the age of nine "Biggie [[artist]The Notorious B.I.G.] is my greatest hip-hop influence", Green only switched up from passive fan to active participant at a relatively late stage. After turning 18 years old, he coined his first rhyme completely off-the-cuff when put on the spot at an impromptu freestyle jam session round a friends house. Passing the test with aplomb and impressing his music making peers, the underground rap battle scene suddenly opened up before him.
After seeing a poster advertising a rap battle at the Lyric Pad night in London, Green turned up and won. From that he graduated to competing at the prestigious Jump Off events, performing at venues like The Scala and Sound in Leicester Square, and becoming the first ever contestant to win six straight weekly finals in a row. While his seventh showdown ended in defeat, he returned undeterred, put together a second run of consecutive victories and became the first string seven wins together. Throw in a further series of seven straight wins and a dalliance with pay battles, and Green became a man to fear on the battle circuit.
Cue a change of scene and a flight to the exotic climes of the Bahamas to spar for $50,000.
Entering the Power Summit battle against America's finest freestyle icons (think 8 Mile but with no holds barred), the crowd may have first viewed Green as this white English kid who's not going to do anything, but his gift of gab and ability to coin scathing punchlines saw him through to the final where he faced Jin, a member of DMXs much amped Ruff Ryders camp. The judges decided in Jin's favour, although with the Ruff Ryder man having been given a bye to the final and Green having already been through seven prior knockout bouts (including taking out representatives from Eminem's Shady Records camp), by his own admission it was "more a case of me losing it as opposed to Jin winning it."
Still, with a crowd featuring US big rap guns like Busta Rhymes and Saigon, Green made a name for himself and in September went off to Hawaii to compete in the battle again.
A performance at the B-Boy Championships last summer ultimately paid greater dividends and opened him up to a new audience in Mike Skinner of The Streets fame.
"Mike approached me after the B-Boy Championships and wanted to bring me on tour with The Streets" he recalls. I ended up doing an opening battle on the tour and we formed a great relationship from that. At first it wasn't about me looking for a record deal though it was more a case of us deciding to lay down some tracks and seeing where it went.
At the end of April 2006 he signed on the dotted line to release his debut album on Skinner's The Beats label. And while UK hip-hop's profile is certainly in the ascendancy thanks to acts like Skinnyman, Sway and Kano, Green has his eyes on breaking out beyond the usual urban tag affixed to British rappers.
Name-checking Portishead, Radiohead, Tracy Chapman and Suzanne Vega as song-writing influences, Green is well aware of the importance of adapting his lyrics from the immediacy of the live battle circuit to cater to the depth of the album format.
"The thing with hip-hop is if you take a lot of rap songs outside of rap then they aren't great songs, whereas with something like country if you take them outside of the genre then the song-writing skills are still incredible, he rationalises. And I'd like to take those skills into rap."
So while never completely leaving behind the entertaining punchlines that have characterised his battle persona, the album will take in everything from songs about his estranged parents to wish lists of things to do before he passes away and the plight of the average stereotypical man in the eyes of the average stereotypical female (see Stereotypical Man, complete with the catchphrase "'Til my breathings done I'll be reading page three of The Sun").
As Green concludes of his new goals "I wouldn't be happy to sell just 30,000 copies of my album. I don't think that there's anything wrong with aiming above that, giving people an album they can relate to, and wanting to be successful."
Name In Lights
Professor Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
People always ask me how I write songs
I tell them it's not complicated
I quite simply take everything one line at a time
Listen
[Verse 1, Professor Green]
Everybody knows what my name is
Cara Delevingne
Have you got any cocaine, please?
Night out, cause it's my night off
I need a day off cause when I crash I'll be a write-off
What a fucking sight, fuck it, what a fucking night
Who the fuck are you to tell me how to live my fucking life?
Loving life, me I'm dandy
How quick can you get rid of a bottle of brandy?
In a rave listening to Trinidad James
Though we don't pop mollies, we drop bombs, I'm Andy
I go in if I'm out, but I'm in a pickle now
I think Sha put something in my drink
And before I got back from the pissery pizzled out
Damned it, didn't I? And now I'm dizzled up
Fuck, what if I get pictured out?
[Chorus, Professor Green]
Cause I'm shameless, young and I'm famous
I'm shameless, young and I'm dangerous
I'm shameless, young and outrageous
They never should have put my name in lights
[Verse 2, Rizzle Kicks]
Aww, you get famous and then you seem naughty
Look at Stephen and he's like 40
Yo, got a little buzz, now it's funny
Cause the honeys make a B-line for me
Turn the lens with a bright light
But I'm alive and every tunnel I find's got a white line
Keep on until the news magazines chatter
Ain't substance abuse, I got a weak bladder
Call it the Bieber effect young too silly
Pro's pissed and in a year I'll have a few millis
..., now they're calling me an influence
They might as well say that Eddie Murphy is impotent
I told my label I'm not a pisshead, I'm vibrant
And I only drink to make celebs more exciting
You should try this cause no one's really saying much
Until they roll the Queen's face into a cylinder
Another one sniffs the dust
[Chorus:]
[Post-Chorus, Rizzle Kicks]
Put my name in lights
Creatures of the night
Yeah, my mind is rolling
My eyes wide open
[Bridge, Rizzle Kicks]
Fall down on the table
I'm crazy and I'm feeling quite unstable
My head spins, feeling reckless
I should probably slow right down but I'm too tempted
[Verse 3, Professor Green]
I'm a bastard, yep
My mother had me before she and my father had married, I'm a bastard
And I'm plastered, my god, honestly what have I started?
Why is my face on pages of papers that I wouldn't even wipe my arse with?
Why are they so nasty to me?
I think I preferred it when they arse kissed
Oh and Cara, I'm sorry Cara
But I can't promise I won't take this any farther
[Chorus:]
[Post-Chorus:]
The song "Name In Lights" by Professor Green featuring Rizzle Kicks explores the idea of fame and its consequences. The lyrics suggest that becoming famous can be both exciting and dangerous, as it can lead to a wide range of life experiences, including drugs, parties, and reckless behavior. The chorus repeats the phrase "they never should have put my name in lights," which indicates a sense of regret or ambivalence toward the fame that they have achieved.
The verses are filled with references to specific individuals in the music and entertainment industry, such as Cara Delevingne, Trinidad James, and Justin Bieber. The lyrics suggest that fame can lead to a lack of privacy and a sense of being constantly watched and judged by the public. The song also acknowledges the role that the media plays in perpetuating certain narratives about celebrities, as well as the impact that substance abuse can have on someone's life and career.
Overall, "Name In Lights" is a thoughtful exploration of the highs and lows of fame, and the ways in which it can impact a person's life and identity.
Line by Line Meaning
People always ask me how I write songs
I get asked all the time about my songwriting process
I tell them it's not complicated
I explain that I take it one line at a time
Everybody knows what my name is
I'm popular and well-known
But I'm still out pulling faces
I still make silly expressions and haven't changed despite my fame
Cara Delevingne
A name drop of a famous model
Have you got any cocaine, please?
A reference to drug use
Night out, cause it's my night off
I'm taking a break from work and going out
I need a day off cause when I crash I'll be a write-off
I need to take a day off to recover from partying
What a fucking sight, fuck it, what a fucking night
I had a crazy and wild night
Who the fuck are you to tell me how to live my fucking life?
I don't want others telling me how to live my life
Loving life, me I'm dandy
I'm enjoying life and doing well
How quick can you get rid of a bottle of brandy?
I can drink a lot of alcohol quickly
In a rave listening to Trinidad James
I'm at a party listening to music
Though we don't pop mollies, we drop bombs, I'm Andy
We don't do drugs but we still have a good time
I go in if I'm out, but I'm in a pickle now
I'm in a difficult situation
I think Sha put something in my drink
I suspect someone spiked my drink
And before I got back from the pissery pizzled out
I got drunk quickly and passed out
Damned it, didn't I? And now I'm dizzled up
I made a mistake and now I'm dizzy from drinking
Fuck, what if I get pictured out?
I'm worried about being seen in this state by the media
Cause I'm shameless, young and I'm famous
I'm unapologetic, young and popular
I'm shameless, young and I'm dangerous
I'm reckless and unpredictable
I'm shameless, young and outrageous
I'm bold and daring
They never should have put my name in lights
I regret becoming famous
Aww, you get famous and then you seem naughty
People view me as misbehaving now that I'm famous
Look at Stephen and he's like 40
A reference to Stephen Fry being older and still famous
Yo, got a little buzz, now it's funny
I find it amusing how quickly I became famous
Cause the honeys make a B-line for me
People are attracted to me because of my fame
Turn the lens with a bright light
Paparazzi are always taking photos of me
But I'm alive and every tunnel I find's got a white line
I'm still living despite the risks of partying
Keep on until the news magazines chatter
I'll keep partying until the media starts talking about me
Ain't substance abuse, I got a weak bladder
I'm not addicted to drugs, I just pee a lot
Call it the Bieber effect young too silly
People criticize me like they did Justin Bieber when he was younger
Pro's pissed and in a year I'll have a few millis
Professionals in the industry are angry at me but I'll still make money
..., now they're calling me an influence
I'm now seen as someone who has an impact on others
They might as well say that Eddie Murphy is impotent
Comparing the absurdity of being called an influence to Eddie Murphy's virility
I told my label I'm not a pisshead, I'm vibrant
I deny being an alcoholic and say I'm full of life
And I only drink to make celebs more exciting
I drink to have more fun with other famous people
You should try this cause no one's really saying much
You should party with me because it's more interesting than just talking
Until they roll the Queen's face into a cylinder
A reference to rolling banknotes to sniff drugs
Another one sniffs the dust
Another person is sniffing drugs
Creatures of the night
Referring to people who enjoy partying and staying up late
Yeah, my mind is rolling
My mind is busy and active
My eyes wide open
I'm alert and paying attention
Fall down on the table
I'm losing control and falling over
I'm crazy and I'm feeling quite unstable
I'm mentally unstable while partying
My head spins, feeling reckless
I'm dizzy and not thinking clearly
I should probably slow right down but I'm too tempted
I know I should stop partying but can't resist
I'm a bastard, yep
Admitting that he was born out of wedlock
My mother had me before she and my father had married, I'm a bastard
Explaining the previous line further
And I'm plastered, my god, honestly what have I started?
I'm drunk and regretting my decisions
Why is my face on pages of papers that I wouldn't even wipe my arse with?
He doesn't understand why the media is obsessed with him
Why are they so nasty to me?
He doesn't understand why the media is so critical of him
I think I preferred it when they arse kissed
He preferred when the media was more positive towards him
Oh and Cara, I'm sorry Cara
Apologizing to Cara Delevingne for previous antics
But I can't promise I won't take this any farther
Admitting that he might continue to make mistakes despite apologizing
Contributed by Emily O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@kittycatxcx
Reminds me of hard night out
@flamingriotz3321
why cant i find the real song anywhere??????
@NiffsZ
Are you all deaf?