[Iceman]

Plan B has revealed that his new album will see him return to his rap roots, likening it to his debut record Who Needs Actions When You Got Words.

The 27-year-old singer is currently working on the follow-up to The Defamation of Strickland Banks, titled The Ballad of Belmarsh, which is expected to be released later this year.

The Brit Award winner - real name Ben Drew - explained that his new material tells the story of his fictional character Strickland Banks's time in Belmarsh prison.

''My first record was the kind of record that, when your parents went past, they'd go, 'Turn that off, give it to me, it's going in the bin!'" he told The Mirror.

"But with the second, the same parents were like, 'What a talented guy'. [With the third album] those parents are going to go straight back to, 'Turn that s**t off'."

He added: "It's an underground hip-hop album about Strickland Banks being banged up in Belmarsh. I won't be him singing anymore, I'll be rapping about him, commenting on the story."

Plan B's second studio album The Defamation of Strickland Banks topped the UK album chart back in 2010.

The rapper recently refused to work with Jay-Z on a new track after his US label suggested it would help him crack the American music market.

[Iceman]

Didn't know about the Jay-Z thing, dont know if he made a smart or stupid move with that.

[Locke.]

Good. The second album was quite crap. The first is amazing

[Iceman]

Wouldnt say it was crap, it was pretty smart to get himself noticed comercially, now he's done that its back to his roots.

[bbfan1991]

Originally Posted by Iceman

Wouldnt say it was crap, it was pretty smart to get himself noticed comercially, now he's done that its back to his roots.

Indeed, branching out into new areas of music will win him more fans and respect overall but some of the die hard fans could be put off.