It was never easy for Professor Green. Born into a tough Hackney estate and raised by his grandmother, the rapper was always learning the hard way - whether at school, on the streets of east London or during impromptu freestyling shows at friends' house parties. Indeed life and music have always been intertwined for the young rapper, but it wasn't until he was 18 that the two were brought into focus by the suicide of his father - and his emotions, ever since, have been reflected in the raw and often passionate line of his inspirational lyrics. In this wonderful autobiography, Professor Green - a.k.a. Stephen Manderson - reflects on his life so far and how his tough upbringing shaped the person and musician he is today. Passionate, raw and totally open, Lucky is the story of a boy's journey, from life close to the streets, to a time briefly behind bars, followed by a life making it as a musician and becoming the man you want to become. Lucky is accompanied by a unique digital app, which takes you closer to Professor Green and his story: with exclusive digital content for readers to enjoy, this is a rare insight into one of the most exciting and controversial musicians working in music today.

'The Art Album' is an illustrated book celebrating the long-standing relationship between the visual arts and hip-hop music, and is the result of a collaboration between two giants of the American music scene. Dawud Knuckles is a veteran of the record industry in America. In the 1990s, his friends founded the hip-hop record label Ruff Ryders, with whom he worked for many years as a videographer. He has subsequently worked with many recording artists on interviews, special projects, tours, and documentaries for Ruff Ryders. Through his career in the music industry, Dawud has made many influential contacts, including Russell and Danny Simmons, who contributes to the book. The Simmons insightfully explores the themes of a selection of songs and how the subculture of hip-hop relates to, and has influenced contemporary art. Each chapter of the book will have a theme- for example, the theme of one chapter will be New York, and the title of the chapter will be 'Empire State of Mind'- Jay-Z's epic single which peaked within the top in 10 in 10 countries in 2009. Lyrics from the song will be presented beside contemporary art inspired by New York, an exclusive commentary from Russell and Danny Simmons (celebrated artist and philanthropist), and a contextualizing text from legendary writer and activist Nikki Giovanni, as well as other academics. This concept of presenting songs, art, and interviews alongside each other will offer an incomparable insight into the influence that hip-hop has on contemporary culture, and the unrivaled significance that this subculture has risen to. This collaboration between so many big names in music, art and academia is a unique project.