Since his stunning breakthrough single 'Pass Out' UK Rap star Tinie Tempah has been dominating the headlines and airwaves. Over the past few weeks I have been listening to his debut album 'Disc-Overy' in an attempt to find out more about the man behind the music, what he stands for, the messages he conveys and what are the best Tinie Tempah lyrics.
So let's start with 'Pass Out' obvious to say the track isn't really about much, "20 light bulbs around my table and my dresser ClC Kompressor, just in case that don't impress her" it's fairly light hearted and meaningless, but the track is a straight up dancefloor 'banger' and more about the vibe, delivery and production. The same can be said for his follow up single 'Frisky' which largely followed the same formula with a drum 'n' bass section at the end.
Tinie's 3rd single "Written In The Stars" (feat Erc Turner) revealed a different side to the rapper, he speaks from the heart about his personal struggles and strife whilst chasing a dream. "I needed a break for a sec I even gave up believing and praying I even done illegal stuff and was leaded astray they say money is the root to the evilest ways but have you ever been so hungry that it keeps you awake" His usual tight and rhythmic flow shines through but the fact that this track actually has some meaning and is delivered with real conviction made it stand out for me
Another track with a great concept is 'Snap' - it begins with "the ones we love, the ones we've lost, there's some we frame and there's some we crop" Tinie talks about memories of his father reminisces about his experiences at school. The concept is great and the track could have been one of the strongest on the album, but it feels as though he held back from really drawing the listener in and telling people about his past. You get the feeling that if the Eminem's or Ghostface Killah's of this world would have made this track, the content and thought behind it would have been a lot stronger.
All in all, although there are many great tracks on 'Disc-Overy' I do not feel that the album really reveals anything about Tinie Tempah that we don't already know. The album is more of a collection of singles and less about the content, which makes sense as it is his debut album and the aim was obviously to have a handful of radio ready tracks to assault the charts with, which he did of course succeeded in doing. The guy is technically a great rapper with a very unique delivery, I just hope with his follow up album there is more depth and personality in there and lyrics that people relate to. Balancing between appealing to the mainstream and incorporating real substance into tracks is a tall order for any artist, and few manage to achieve it fully.
So let's start with 'Pass Out' obvious to say the track isn't really about much, "20 light bulbs around my table and my dresser ClC Kompressor, just in case that don't impress her" it's fairly light hearted and meaningless, but the track is a straight up dancefloor 'banger' and more about the vibe, delivery and production. The same can be said for his follow up single 'Frisky' which largely followed the same formula with a drum 'n' bass section at the end.
Tinie's 3rd single "Written In The Stars" (feat Erc Turner) revealed a different side to the rapper, he speaks from the heart about his personal struggles and strife whilst chasing a dream. "I needed a break for a sec I even gave up believing and praying I even done illegal stuff and was leaded astray they say money is the root to the evilest ways but have you ever been so hungry that it keeps you awake" His usual tight and rhythmic flow shines through but the fact that this track actually has some meaning and is delivered with real conviction made it stand out for me
Another track with a great concept is 'Snap' - it begins with "the ones we love, the ones we've lost, there's some we frame and there's some we crop" Tinie talks about memories of his father reminisces about his experiences at school. The concept is great and the track could have been one of the strongest on the album, but it feels as though he held back from really drawing the listener in and telling people about his past. You get the feeling that if the Eminem's or Ghostface Killah's of this world would have made this track, the content and thought behind it would have been a lot stronger.
All in all, although there are many great tracks on 'Disc-Overy' I do not feel that the album really reveals anything about Tinie Tempah that we don't already know. The album is more of a collection of singles and less about the content, which makes sense as it is his debut album and the aim was obviously to have a handful of radio ready tracks to assault the charts with, which he did of course succeeded in doing. The guy is technically a great rapper with a very unique delivery, I just hope with his follow up album there is more depth and personality in there and lyrics that people relate to. Balancing between appealing to the mainstream and incorporating real substance into tracks is a tall order for any artist, and few manage to achieve it fully.
