2010 has been a good year for London-based breakthrough acts. Since Tinie Tempah, whose hugely anticipated album Disc-Overy is due to be released this October, kick started the trend with massive club hit Pass Out in February, the charts have been dominated by such acts as Example, one-time soul superstar Plan B, Chase & Status, Roll Deep and esteemed producer/singer Labrinth. As perfect formulas go, it seems grime, D&B and British hip-hop make for a combinative force not to be reckoned with.

 Not surprising then that Professor Green has jumped on the bandwagon with Alive Till I’m Dead, a debut overflowing with catchy hooks, samples and collaborations. Its major selling point, the irresistible second single Just Be Good to Green featuring Lily Allen, is an innovative tribute to the 1983 R&B classic Just Be Good to Me and establishes Green with a cheeky boys-will-be-boys persona. Meanwhile, other songs on the album are hit and miss: at the best of times they offer a rich glimpse into the artist’s private life as on album concluder Goodnight, while at the worst the listener is left with a wannabe Slim Shady for the UK, whose sharpest lines are occasionally drowned out by an unnecessary bassline.

 Tracks such as Monster and Oh My God are a prime example of collaborative overkill, and while some of the best tracks this year have been the result of unlikely cross-genre collaborations, Green begins to rely too heavily on others: frustrating when you realise his potential as a standalone artist.

 Rumours are already rife that Professor Green will be storming the music scene again early next year, let’s just hope a follow up album will be capable of matching his chart output.