“To be fair, in all honesty I did envision it to be this big,” Tinie Tempah confidently exclaims when asked about the expectations he had when he started working on his breakout album, Disc-Overy. “My album basically represents the perspective of a 21-year-old black inner city kid just living in the 21st Century,” he continues. Tinie Tempah, whose real name Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu, Jr., had a ground breaking year in 2010 starting with the release of his first single “Pass Out.” To describe the song is incomparable to anyone’s notion of what UK Hip-Hop should sound like. It’s a party track fit for the clubs blending a unique and addicting cacophony of buzzing infectious rifts, dark basslines, and high speed palpitations of drum snares and kicks. Mix that with Tinie’s Grime influenced rhymes, and you have a recipe for a certified hit. Its as if the UK Underground finally decided to make a party anthem for the mainstream to properly introduce one of their brightest talents. Yes, there are also artists like Dizzie Rascal and Tinchy Stryder on the same radar, but Tinie is respectively on a different platform. Call it flawless timing, perfect chemistry, or proper alignment of the stars for the 22-year old rapper, but Tinie is in favorable position to not only capture the hearts and ears of the UK audience, but to also cause a bigger impact States side and beyond.
Tinie Tempah’s stock is also rising fast. He’s already collaborated with some of the most influential artists such as Snoop Dog, Kelly Rowland, Swedish House Mafia, Mr. Hudson, Diddy, Katy Perry, Eric Turner, and Jay Sean to name a few. Working with these notable names showcases the genre busting talent Tinie possesses and his ability to expand beyond a specific sound. His enthusiasm for putting on a good show is also unmatched, having already performed at different music festivals around the UK on the most demanding of stages like Summertime Ball at Wembley Stadium. In addition, Tinie kicked off his own UK tour in October of 2010, and in January of this year, he joined Usher on the European leg of the American artist’s OMG Tour.
With his success at a healthy momentum, other avenues are also starting to open up for the Plumstead artist. He was recently listed by GQ UK as one of Britain’s Most Stylish Men, having the knack for both streetwear and Savile Row garb. He’s also been nominated for 4 Brit Awards, making him the most nominated artist in the categories of Best Male Artist, Best Breakthrough Act, Best Single for “Pass Out,” and Best Album of the Year for “Disc-Overy.” And just a few days ago, Tinie Tempah made his U.S. television debut performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Swipelife met up with Tinie to touch base on a few subjects such as his early influences, the UK Grime scene, his new album, fashion, and Dolly Parton. He also reveals to us a few things in the works, and his expectations for a promising future.
