The Steeze Spot - Tinie Tempah: Disc-Overy

Ladies and Gentlemen:
It is time for another installment of The Steez Spot.
This project is about recognizing what the hip-hop/rap game has to offer, weeding out the
bullshit and finding the best music out there.

The Spot: Tinie Tempah’s Disc-Overy

Today’s topic is none other than Tinie Tempah debut album Disc-Overy. Since it’s
October release the album has gone double platinum in the U.K.

Read more after the jump.



The 22 year old EnglishMC has packed his album with productions that are catchy and simply enjoyable to listen to. In comparison with most of the U.S. Top 40 rap pop crossover hits they are faster
paced packing more beats and notes into less track space. Most of the productions are
fast, synth and other electric effect heavy, with more some sort of accenting effect like
a trill or bleep. Many tracks don’t rely on the drum heavy beats were used to hearing
in today’s hip-hop but rather like European techno or house. This is truly a DJ friendly
album providing plenty of material ready for the dance floor. The lyrics are simple,
occasionally stupid and sometimes hard to decipher under the British drawl attached
to the artist. The content on many songs resembles unoriginal American artists talking
about the fame fortune and stuntin’ lifestyle of a rapper. On the contrary some tracks such
as “Illusion” and “Wonderman” are creative and impressive.

The intro is a fast rap giving a full rundown of Tinie's current life from his club activities
to his relationship with his mother, she is oddly mentioned in at least three other
tracks. “Simply Unstoppable” is a declaration of his future popularity through his music,
acknowledging and validating his fast-paced radio-ready sound as pop. “Pass Out” is a
club hit that describes the exhausting life of a socialite determined to party till they can't
physically maintain consciousness. The production, which sounds like the creation of a
coked out ADHD teen with constant tempo and tone changes, and the insane drum line
that guides the song to a close over the last 45 seconds perfectly matches the lyrical
content. “Til' I’m Gone” featuring Wiz Khalifa is just another song about being a
rapper. “Illusion”, one of the best tracks on the album, if I have it correct talks about how
the day dreaming of a socially adapted youngster torn between conformity and rebellion
helps create his music and how the facade that stubborn but powerful people in the music
industry uphold his hard to penetrate. The verses are punctuated with the words "I can
make you believe in anything" and the catchy refrain is so auto-tuned it is
indiscernible. “So Addicted” sounds like something Sean Kingston would release with a
silly repeating "way-oh". Snap reminisces on the youth and collegiate years of the British
rapper which is all documented on his micro-SD. “Written In The Stars” has a great and
simple refrain sung by Eric Turner. The front man of Street Fighting Man has also graced
tracks by Lupe Fiasco and another popular UK rapper Tinchy Stryder. The song has been
remixed by The Arcade Southside adding Taio Cruz and is the last track on the
album. “Frisky” a sure to be a club hit is about just that, gettin frisky with a hot random.
Swedish House Mafia and Tinie collaborated on “Miami 2 Ibiza” is another club song
about clubbing. “Love Suicide” featuring successful Interscope female producer, writer,
and singer Ester Dean is a simple break up song. “Wonderman” is an awesome song
featuring hot British singer Ellie Goulding about the attempt to be bigger than life the

desire to be famous and remembered, a grown up version of a superhero. Let Go, like the
previous two songs, is written by and features another up and coming female artist Emeli
Sande. This album is pretty good consisting of either future club hits or chart toppers
with a few mediocre fillers. There are some differences from the double platinum UK
release which sports a version of “Pass Out” featuring Snoop Dogg, a piano clad track
called “Invincible” featuring Kelly Rowland (cop 'em), “Just A Little” featuring Range
an Usher knockoff and a live version of “Written In The Stars” (skip 'em). All in all I am
excited to have a Brit gracing the stage of possible American Top 40 hits and can’t wait
to see if were in for more UK treats in the future.

Noteworthy Tracks: “Wonderman”, “Written In The Stars”, & “Pass Out”

Runner-up: Danger Mouse & Danielle Lupi-Rome

Questions, Comments, Recommendations (Agree or Disagree? let me know):

TheSteeze99@gmail.com

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