artist spotlite: tinie tempah

“Frisky” – Tinie Tempah (Feat. Labrinth)

Hip hop’s latest acquisition – club music – has taken on a life of its own. First came David Guetta (with Akon), then Tiesto (with Three Six Mafia) and Swedish House Mafia (with Pharrell), and now the barriers of both genres intersect uncomfortably close and end up sounding like house party scenes from Skins … Who can keep up? The thing is – I can’t really stand club music – so hip hop’s latest love affair with Euro-dom is only a ‘bubbling under’ type of phenomenon (at least for me). That is, until I heard Tinie Tempah: a 21-year-old Brit whose rhymes trump even his headiest of beats. His cockney accent compliments each novel phrase, his beats are best described as ‘headbanging club-hop’,  if there were such a thing. Tempah’s #1 U.K. hit, “Pass Out” (below) is  one of the hardest-hitting tracks of the year, resulting from its pulsating ‘call to the floor’ beat and directional lyrics (um.. Heidi and Audrina eat your hearts out?). “Written In The Stars” is an epic almost-”Umbrella” and “Frisky” is mindlessly infectious. Categorize Tempah’s work as garage, dupstep, club-hop or just plain hip hop, no matter what, his flow transcends them all. Say hello to Uncle Fester!

“Pass Out” – Tinie Tempah

“Written In The Stars” – Tinie Tempah