It’s been quite a year for 21 year-old London rapper, Tinie Tempah. Bursting onto the scene with number one single ‘Pass Out’ and the highly successful follow-up ‘Frisky’, Tempah showcased his ability to fuse grime, hip-hop and electro to create a genuinely distinctive sound. His third release, ‘Written in The Stars’, looks to continue the trend.
Greeted by the breathless vocals of Boston singer, Eric Turner, belting out the catchy chorus over a pulsing synth, closely followed by a rock infusion of drums and guitar solo, this track again demonstrates an effective balancing act of divergent styles.
Furthermore, Tempah’s instantly recognisable rapping about a rags-to-riches story (echoed in the repeated refrain, “I used to be the kid that no-one cared about/that’s why you have to keep screaming ‘til they hear you out.”), makes the record more accessible than his previous two efforts. And, even though it never quite achieves anthem status, it’s well worth a listen.
