Tinie Tempah

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The undisputed breakout star of 2010, Tinie Tempah has had an incredible year. Few debut artists boast two hit singles, a Glastonbury performance on the Pyramid stage and an appearance on Jonathan Ross. Yet this 21 year-old South Londoner has captivated music fans, celebrities and critics alike in just a matter of months. Tinie began the year as a newly signed artist in the melee of other musicians hoping to make an impact on the UK music scene. By February, his major label debut single Pass Out had received over 4 million views on YouTube. Three weeks later it hit No.1, and has since had in excess of 11 million views. Its follow-up, Frisky shot straight to No.2 and has been viewed over 8 million times. Combined, both singles have sold upwards of 750,000 copies. Tinie looks set for yet another smash with the forthcoming third single, Written In The Stars. With Pass Out being the standout track of the summer, Tinie has been booked on every significant stage from Wireless and the Big Chill, to Glastonbury, Ibiza Rocks and Radio 1’s Big Weekend. In May, Damon Albarn invited Tinie to join him on Jonathan Ross to perform with Gorillaz, while in June Snoop Dogg, who did a remix of Pass Out, asked Tinie to join him on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury. He’s won celebrity fans in the form of Prince Harry and P. Diddy – who enlisted Tinie for the remix of his latest single Hello, Good Morning – while Paris Hilton booked the rapper for a private party in Ibiza. Amongst all the stars, celebrities, sales and accolades however, Tinie’s picks his 2010 highlight as something a little more lowkey. “I went back to my old school recently for the first time since getting my results. All the kids and teachers came out of the classes – it was pandemonium. Then they took me to a new part of the school and guess what was there? A brand new studio opened in my name. I was so humbled to see that.” Having toured with Jay-Z, Chase & Status, Rihanna and Mr. Hudson, Tinie recently announced his own headline tour, with guest Chiddy Bang and Bluey Robinson, which opens in October. The preceding week, Tinie will release his highly-anticipated debut album, Disc-Overy. Recorded over the last 11 months in North London, South London and Sweden, the album is an incredibly accomplished piece of work. As well as highlighting the finer things in life that success can offer, Tinie details the lows of fame and fortune, as well as offering a candid insight into his childhood growing up in south London. “On every single song you’ll get a line that reveals what life was, and is, like for me. I recorded a lot of it after Pass Out went to No.1, so that gave me a chance to reflect on life before and after achieving success. When I’m in the studio, it’s just me in my tracksuit, a bottle of water and my thoughts. Going to No.1 gave me a chance to consider how far I’ve come, but also how far I intend to go.” An incredibly confident debut, Disc-Overy certifies Tinie’s absolute ability to achieve worldwide success. With references to Pringles, Narnia and Henry Hoovers, the album is distinctly and proudly British, while mentions of Kelly Clarkson and The Hills open Tinie to an international audience. With Tinie already on the US radar thanks to remixes with Diddy and Snoop, Disc-Overy reasserts his global appeal by offering inventive production and a range of rhymes that are in turn frank and funny. The diverse and imaginative album features collaborations with Ellie Goulding and Kelly Rowland and production from Labrinth (Pass Out, Frisky), newcomer Ishi, Al Shux (Jay-Z’s Empire State Of Mind) and Naughty Boy (Chipmunk, Wiley), as well as renowned dance producers Swedish House Mafia. Already renowned for his daring musical choices, Pass Out is the single that not only put Tinie on the map, but also altered the path of UK urban music in 2010. Tinie, and Pass Out’s producer Labrinth, proved you could make pop that was both commercial yet credible, appealing to fans of all ages without watering down their sound. “People are interested in who we are and where we come from, so lets be proud of that and make music that represents us properly,” Tinie explains of the song that bought tempo-twisting, D&B-fusion to the masses.