Tinie Tempah, not content material to be one of many top-selling British rappers of all time after bursting onto the scene in 2010 with two primary singles adopted by a Platinum-selling album, is including one more string to his bow in 2022.
Having already branched out into trend, TV presenting and property amongst different issues, later this month he makes his performing debut in new UK Amazon Unique collection Jungle, a rap and drill-based musical set in a neon-soaked, near-future London.
The 34-year-old, who knew the present’s creators, Junior Okoli and Chas Appeti – aka Nothing Misplaced – says it was the right option to flex his inventive muscle in a special path, becoming a member of different breakout successes like Massive Narstie and Dizzee Rascal in supporting a solid of younger and upcoming artists and actors.
The crime drama follows two younger males attempting to raised themselves in an unforgiving metropolis, the place they're pressured to face the implications of their actions, and the solid contains RA, Ok Koke, Poundz, M24, IAMDDB and Ezra Elliott.
Talking solely to , Tinie revealed: ‘Quite a bit was going into it, loads of expertise was part of it, and I’d by no means performed any performing earlier than but it surely felt like an important alternative to sort of dip my toe within the water, and so I went for it and I had a good time doing it.
‘It was such a simple pitch to say sure to. I resonated [with it] once they approached me, I appreciated the entire thing. You realize whenever you go into an amusement park, I went into Thorpe Park the opposite day they usually’ve obtained this new journey and it’s a thriller. I can’t keep in mind the identify of the journey, however you go in and it’s a whole thriller after which you must stroll round with your mates, and also you get to at least one wall and it’s blocked, and you must comply with the clues to seek out your method again out. That is what Jungle was like.’
Increasing on his theme park analogy, he then shared how a lot secrecy the mission was shrouded in – to the extent that he needed to write his lyrics with the barest of hints and work solo within the studio, with none thought of the place the general story was heading (he’s nonetheless solely been in a position to see episode one, wherein he seems).
‘They approached me they usually had been like, “We wish you to be part of it, however we will’t inform you the entire story.” So instantly once they stated that I used to be like, “Hold on, that is fascinating.” After which they had been like, “Okay, we have to make music round this, however we will’t inform you what the scene is, all we will do is describe to you.”
‘I’d by no means actually labored on something like that earlier than, so the intrigue and the thriller round it earlier than truly attending to the times of filming, it was simply so thrilling and engaging.’
Describing that course of as ‘troublesome however enjoyable’, Tinie didn’t even know who he can be sharing his scene or rap with till filming began.
‘They weren't within the studio, in order that was the factor – even the people who find themselves within the scene. My scene was mainly described to me, we made music off the again of that however even the collaborators weren't round, so I didn’t know who can be in my scene. All I knew is what I might be doing after which I suppose individually the administrators went to these guys after which obtained their bits from them.’
Describing it as ‘very bit half’, he added: ‘Nevertheless it labored as a result of it stored all the pieces very fascinating, and typically I’d be in a room of all of those totally different artists and it could be bizarre as a result of nobody would know what scene they had been in and who they had been going to be collaborating with and it’s thrilling. It’s not each day that it’s like that in order that was fairly cool.
‘It introduced the perfect out of everybody as a result of everybody was slightly bit nervous. Everybody was much more up for listening to the administrators and taking a little bit of path, and I feel it made for an important manufacturing.’
The Cross Out chart-topper was additionally greatly surprised by the manufacturing design and visuals of Jungle, calling them ‘mind-blowing’.
‘I’m an artist however I've fairly an eye fixed so [I was] simply actually appreciative of all the further added element as a result of from what I do know of the story, it may have been captured in so many various methods. However once I noticed the extent of effort that went into the scenes. From how I noticed it on set to even simply watching again the episode and seeing how all the pieces simply seems to be like we’re in 2050 or 2055 or one thing like that, it was simply mind-blowing to me.’
It’s been over 5 years because the rapper’s final album, Youth, which reached quantity 9 on the charts, and two and a half since his final monitor, Prime Winners. He’s teased a return to his musical roots earlier than however this time it sounds prefer it could be extra of a strong prospect.
Responding to the suggestion that his look spitting bars in Jungle is certain to get his followers looking forward to extra music after a protracted wait, he laughed: ‘Possibly. I imply, I like the truth that you picked up on that. For me it was an important alternative to sort of the dip my toe into the world of performing but in addition be like, “Hey guys, keep in mind I'm a rapper and it’s sort of primarily what I do…”
‘So yeah, I do assume after this I'll most likely be dropping some extra music.’
When speak turns to what some would possibly see because the surprising melding of rap and drill right into a musical drama for a significant streaming platform with Prime Video, Tinie roundly rejects the interpretation.
‘Why shouldn’t individuals count on it? As a result of for the final 30 years, if not 40 years, grime and rap has been a mainstream music in British tradition – like, when did [So Solid Crew’s] 21 Seconds go [to] primary within the charts? That’s over 20 years in the past, and there was rap that went into the charts and was primary or within the prime 10 method earlier than that.
‘So, technically, for the final 25 to 30 years, there’s no less than three generations which have grown up – from individuals of their 30s all the way in which right down to 10, 5 years outdated – there’s those that have grown up on rap music.
‘That’s why Asda will do an advert on their college garments and the music was drill [written by producer KZ for the supermarket’s back-to-school campaign last year].’
The musician additionally factors to how theatre has led the way in which right here with rap in musicals – and never simply with Hamilton.
‘Even method earlier than Jungle, wasn’t there a play that got here out, that was a hip-hop play? Even earlier than Hamilton, which was a musical, so why is Jungle so stunning? And Hamilton is likely one of the most profitable musicals ever, and even earlier than then there was one other one, I neglect what it was known as – Into the Wild, or Into the Hood or one thing like that [Into the Hoods, Katie Prince’s show for ZooNation which made it to the West End in 2008] – and I went to look at it within the theatre. It was wonderful and had all these dancers, but it surely was a hip-hop musical and I keep in mind it was mind-blowing – and that was no less than 15 years in the past.
‘So there’s nothing stunning about it. Actually, that is sort of overdue actually, if you concentrate on it. If Hamilton is likely one of the greatest musicals of all time, then that is overdue certainly?’
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