Despite being around for years, grime artist Tinie Tempah has only recently started to break onto the major music scene with his new single ‘Pass Out’. Hailing from South London, Tinie was in Sheffield supporting Chipmunk on his I AM Chipmunk tour and gave up some of his time to answer a few questions for us.
Despite being around for years, grime artist Tinie Tempah has only recently started to break onto the major music scene with his new single ‘Pass Out’. Hailing from South London, Tinie was in Sheffield supporting Chipmunk on his I AM Chipmunk tour and gave up some of his time to answer a few questions for us.
What is it about your music or yourself that makes you different from other musicians?
To be quite honest I think everyone is individualistic. Sometimes the music industry gets very incestuous to the point where there’s a lot of manufactured artists that have their songs written for them and are told how to act, how to dress and how to speak. A lot of rap or grime artists are not like that. They’ve been grinding and doing it themselves for many, many years and understand who they are as artists and as people. The words they speak in the music are very true to themselves and what they believe in. I think that is what makes me different as well as other artists from my genre. Obviously the lyrics are real; they’re true, they haven’t been written by anybody else, I have written them. Whatever you hear me say; it’s something I’ve been through or something I’m looking forward to going through. Also, I’m just being myself. I’m not the same as you so obviously I’m different to you. Do you know what I mean?
Yeah, I understand that. You find that several artists can all end up talking about the same things whereas you’re saying that your music is more personal as it’s about what YOU’VE been through…
Exactly, or some singers for example, “Singer A” and “Singer B”, would have the same songwriter and the song would be pretty much the same song but with a couple of lyrics changed. I’m different to them because I write my songs – I’ve actually got something to say.
How do you write your songs? If you experience something one day, do you write about it then, or does your inspiration come to you randomly?
I’ve got a good long-term memory so I manage to keep it all in until I get the opportunity to write and let it all out on my Macintosh. I just write whenever I can, whenever I feel inspired. I’ve got a ton of things to talk about.
You talked on your Myspace about the concept of ‘hood economics’, which you defined as “inspiring and motivating others in your community to do the same”. How have you done this, or how do you plan to do this in the future?
I feel like I am doing it by leading by example. I think a lot of young people don’t really believe that they can do things because nobody’s giving them an example. If someone doesn’t show you how to build a brick wall then you’re never really going to try because you don’t believe it’s possible. Hopefully by my actions, by trying to be successful and the best that I can be, by getting good chart positions and selling lots of albums, then other people from my community can think, “If he can do it then why can’t I?” I think that a perfect example of that is what’s going on with rappers that have been signed. In the past year and a half my theory of hood economics has been coming to pass as Ironik has got signed and got a top five, which has made record labels sit up and think, “Hmm, maybe this actually works”. Then they sign Tinchy, who got a number one, now Chipmunk’s got signed and got a number one. As long as people keep on setting examples it’s going to continue opening doors and inspiring others.
Your music on Myspace is listed as Grime/Rap/Experimental…What is the most experimental thing you’ve done, be it in music or otherwise?
I tried to go on holiday for a day once…
A day??
Yeah, like Hol-i-DAY… literally.
Where did you go?
Amsterdam – for one full day. It worked perfectly because Amsterdam is 45 minutes from London so we left early in the morning, flew out, went out in Amsterdam, had a whirl of fun, did a lot of experimenting there and then flew back the same night. I think that’s probably the most experimental thing I’ve done.
If you could collaborate with an artist, alive or dead, who would it be?
It would definitely be Michael Jackson. I’d have him on a hook and a bridge maybe. That’d be nice.
On your Twitter you talked about your mum feeding you up when you got home from tour because she thought you’d lost weight… If you were to cook for a dinner party what would you cook and who would you invite?
Oh gosh! Who would be invited? I would like to invite everybody on my Twitter but it’s too crazy, there are just too many people! I think I’d definitely wish all my family dead and alive to come back. I’d cook whatever everybody wanted and we’d be there for an unlimited amount of time until all the food was prepared and eaten. I’d probably invite the Obamas round as well – they’d fit in.
So you’ve come to the final night of the tour… what was the best night?
Honestly I’d say here, Nottingham, Liverpool and Birmingham are definitely the top four out of the 13 dates that I did.
You’d include Sheffield, really?
Yeah, definitely… definitely – without a doubt.
You said on stage you’ve known Chipmunk for years. Is it a completely different experience coming on tour with your mates instead of on your own? Do you prefer it?
That’s a brilliant question; I’ve never been asked that. Yes it is. I think amongst us all there’s a lot of unspoken competition. It’s like everything. If you’re at school and your friend is a brain box, you’re always trying to outdo him; it’s just a natural thing. I don’t think you get that when you’re supporting someone you don’t know on tour. You just do your set and you don’t really talk to them. After I see Chipmunk headline every single show, I leave entirely inspired. The fact that the queue goes round the corner two blocks; that inspires me. That’s my friend. I’ve grown up with him and I know his headspace, I know what he was thinking when he started, and I’ve had the opportunity to talk to him now and know what he’s thinking now. It’s the most brilliant experience and I wouldn’t ever change it for the world.
I couldn’t resist doing the interview without including a rubbish pun so… When did you last lose your “tempah”?
Hahaha… Yesterday, when I was doing a showcase. When you do things with a live band you’ve got a sequencer that triggers off sounds that can’t be replicated by live instruments. It crashed half way through a song. Not many people noticed but inside I felt a vein just go, “pop”, like it erupted. But I’m really cool at losing my temper, you wouldn’t really notice…
Hence, “Tinie Tempah”
Exactly, exactly.