Those outside the UK might be a little baffled over Tinie Tempah’s number one debut there, but those who hear Disc-overy are certain to understand.
Disc-overy is essentially grime’s proper entry into the mainstream, getting a leg up from dancefloor electro and vocoder chart pop. Grime’s first star, Dizzee Rascal, launched himself further up the charts doing the same thing of late – discovering euro house music – and Tinie Tempah is unabashedly pop driven.
That’s not to say his debut isn’t suitably grime-y. The skittering drum n’ bass beats and overt LDN accent give the album enough gritty street cred to remain exciting, while the vocoder choruses (and particularly when he drafts in female vocalists Kelly Rowland, Ellie Goulding, and Emeli Sande to sing ‘em clean) are obviously grasping for the mainstream market.
The tumbling beats and soaring waves of electronica (he flirts with trance, jungle, indietronic, modern R&B, and a lot of house) give Disc-overy far more depth than most chart hip-hop, yet Tinie Tempah’s lyrical approach is a disappointing.
The man regularly whips up clever metaphors, has a nimble, choppy flow, and his intellectual base is broader than most rappers. So what does he do? Waste his skills by elevating tiresome rap cliches: brand names, bitches, hard times, and subsequently how much of a superstar millionaire he is.
It’s a bit pathetic. He hit top five with the first four singles from the album, two going straight to number one. Ergo, he was hugely successful after he boasted about his cars, cash and Commes De Garcon. Or maybe because he did.
Yes, there’s a reason Tinie Tempah is a star in the UK. It’s half because he’s good, and half because he’s shamelessly pandering to the mainstream.
