Professor Green, Roundhouse - music review

While marriage to Made in Chelsea’s Millie Mackintosh has made him a part of celebrity culture, Professor Green has suffered an embarrassing sales slump with his third album, Growing Up in Public.

“I didn’t know if there would be anyone here when I came back after two years,” admitted the Hackney rapper at this comeback.

In fact, it was a sell-out and he revelled in his homecoming that featured guest stars Emeli Sandé and Rizzle Kicks. With the aid of a balcony spotlight the rapper also introduced his nan, who raised him as Stephen Manderson.

Although her grandson’s drugs references may have given her cause for concern, she could take pride in Manderson’s fast-paced performance — even if the tunes were hit and miss. They could be gimmicky (the INXS-sampling I Need You Tonight), whiny (the ballad Astronaut), or just plain awful (Growing Up in Public).

However, some new material was better than sales figures might suggest. The acoustic-driven Little Secrets was soulful pop with a hip hop edge, while Dead Man’s Shoes had a hint of gospel and wittily referenced his marriage across the class divide.

At times, though, Professor Green appeared to be a bystander at his own show as the band rocked up his rap tunes and backing vocalist Katie Holmes-Smith blew him off the stage.

His rapping wasn’t anything special, yet he did bring an excitable energy to Monster, which got Rizzle Kicks leaping around to the bouncing rhythms.

Manderson also held his own alongside Sandé for the rousing Read All About It, a reminder of his not-too-distant glory days at the top of the charts.