Stryder started at the age of 14 on pirate radio sets in East London with other well known grime MCs such as Wiley and Dizzee Rascal. His stage name derives from the video game Strider which he played when he was young and from the nickname "Tinchy" given to him due to his short stature: his height at 5'1" (1.55m) making him the shortest male artist ever to top the UK Top 40. Tinchy made a number of appearances on Sky's Channel U and especially their 1Xtanra radio show taking part in freestyles, sometimes joined by his crew Ruff Sqwad. Tinchy Stryder was part of a spectacular line up at The O2 arena 3D ELEKTRO RAVE alongside Caspa and Rusko, Frankmusik, High Contrast and Dancing Robot Music.[7] Tinchy Stryder was part of well-known grime crew Roll Deep for a while, featuring on some songs including 'U Were Always', which was released years later on Roll Deep's compilations album, Street Anthems.
Many before him have tried and failed; in April 2009 Tinchy Stryder became the first artist ever to reach number 1 in the official national singles charts with a song title featuring the phrase ‘number one’. A self-fulfilling prophecy personified? Well, he’s certainly living up to his music moniker ‘Star in the Hood’.
Over the past six months, 23 year-old Tinchy has signed a recording deal with Island Records and has racked up three consecutive top 3 hits, ‘Take Me Back’ feat. Taio Cruz, released in January debuted at no 39 on downloads alone, the following week on it’s official release the single climbed 36 places to number 3, and maintained a Top 5 position for four weeks. In April, ‘Number 1’ feat. N-Dubz debuted at Number 1 and topped the UK charts for a whopping three weeks, this was followed in August by Tinchy’s second 1 single ‘Never Leave You’ featuring Amelle from the Sugababes.
Tinchy Stryder, is undoubtedly one of the UK’s most exciting artists, The Independent recently said, “If Grime was the football world, Tinchy Stryder would be like your Michael Owens and Wayne Rooney’s of today.” He just completed a sold out arena tour in September 2009, which caused such a demand with fans that he has had to put a larger arena tour straight on for February 2010.
Tinchy, real name Kwasi Danquah, was born in Ghana in 1986 and moved to East London at a young age. He was brought up and still lives in one of the capital’s most dangerous boroughs – Tower Hamlets; yet despite his tough upbringing he has a distinctly positive outlook on life and is determined to provide a positive role model for kids across the country. Having started making music, along with his group ‘Ruff Sqwad’, aged just 13 Tinchy has seen through the years the negative press that the music he loves has received and is on a mission to change this. He recently completed a degree in Digital Arts and Moving Imagery at University of East London.
“It’s important to me to show that black males aren’t all about looking threatening and robbing your granny” Tinchy quips. “It’s not always easy growing up in an inner city area, wherever it is, but in my music I want to show people that you can take that experience and turn it into something positive.”
“I guess my writing is pretty much from my life experience right now” says Tinchy. “That’s why I’ve focused a lot on the whole star in the hood thing – cos I’m still here – where I always have been, but now people know me, so I can’t always go the same places I used to be able to. I’m not in a rush to get out cos I know my area and I love it, but hopefully one day through my music I can.”
By the age of 21, Tinchy was a seasoned MC on the grime and London pirate radio scene. One of the industry’s main players, Wiley of ‘Wearin’ my Rolex’ fame, crowned Tinchy the ‘Prince of Grime’. In 2006 he was booked by two forward thinking teenagers, Archie Lamb and Jack Foster to play one of their club nights they ran while at school; this meeting changed the course of his career. The three of them struck an immediate bond and Tinchy signed to their company Takeover – for management, live, recording, merchandise and publishing. Together they designed the ‘Star in The Hood’ T-shirts which they sold on myspace and ebay and the profits financed the promotion/marketing of Tinchy’s debut album Star In The Hood. It’s now a flourishing clothing line, which has just expanded into retail, with the kind of profit margins that would impress Phillip Green. The buzz surrounding ‘Stryderman’, one of the singles released from the album caught the attention of execs at Island records. Tinchy Stryder, Jack and Archie signed a joint venture with the major at the end of 2008.
Having just released his major label debut, Catch 22, which went Gold within 2 weeks of release and just signing a joint venture deal with EMI Publishing alongside Takeover for a joint music publishing company allowing Tinchy Jack and Archie the opportunity to develop and invest in new talent, the future is looking extremely bright for Stryder.
As 2010 draws near he embarks on pushing the boundaries of Star In The Hood clothing and entering into partnerships with some of the UK’s largest retailers, planning his all new fully live show and summer full of festivals whilst also beginning the recording process for his second major label album with a host of exciting collaborators including re-uniting with Fraser T Smith and working with some of the top US record producers and writers, Tinchy is feeling great about the new year, “I’m out to takeover the world this time round, for 2010 and beyond” he smiles.
Remember
Tinchy Stryder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never gettin' washed out, permanent stain on it
Love when I see my other brothers gettin' paid from it
Right from the Tinie Tempahs to the Ironiks
History in the making, brought a new wave in
Nothing's looking old here, I ain't bringing Dre's in
I set 'em up, snap snap, put a frame on it
On Cloud 9 so it's only right I rain on it
Braveheart, made my own sound with our Fraser
Tame who? Never us, we're out of your radar
So cold living like I was born with a fever
Leader, flee gang originator
With Dirt Dange and I'm a Ruff Sqwad member
Meanwhile, one or two are tryina bite us
Turn an Atheist to a believer
And I hope they remember
Thank me later
Kick down doors
And I let the rest enter
I hope they remember
Jan to December
Round of applause
For the man in the centre
Yeah they better clap for me
Tell them clap for me
Everybody clap for me
Tell them clap for me
And I hope they remember
Thank me later
Kick down doors
And I let the rest enter
I hope they remember
Jan to December
Round of applause
For the man in the centre
Yeah they better clap for me
Tell them clap for me
Everybody clap for me
Tell them clap for me
Yeah
An entrepreneur's what I'm branded
And they're tellin' me I made a top 10 standard
Now there's a handful, I'm no longer stranded
Bleeding out hits, now I think I need a bandage
Before I landed, fully had my eyes on the landscape
I went straight from afar to the first place
Never ever really knew what I was in for
I never asked Cilla Black for the Blind Date
They ain't gotta stress cos I already done the hard bit
I can see 'em all in, welcome to the market
Rampage to charging and it's everlasting
The pie, they can have some but I ain't tryina half it
And they got the whole path, take off, full blast
I ain't wanna stay lights on, you better rock start
No time for the stop-start, accelerate, never break harsh
And I hope they remember
Thank me later
Kick down doors
And I let the rest enter
I hope they remember
Jan to December
Round of applause
For the man in the centre
Yeah they better clap for me
Tell them clap for me
Everybody clap for me
Tell them clap for me
And I hope they remember
Thank me later
Kick down doors
And I let the rest enter
I hope they remember
Jan to December
Round of applause
For the man in the centre
Yeah they better clap for me
Tell them clap for me
Everybody clap for me
Tell them clap for me
The lyrics to Tinchy Stryder's song "Remember" are an ode to his success in the music industry. He asserts that he brought his unique sound to the mainstream and that he is proud of the success his fellow artists have also achieved. He's confident in his abilities and doesn't seem worried about any competition, as he believes that he has already made a permanent mark in the industry. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "I hope they remember," which suggests that he wants to be recognized and remembered for his contributions to the music world. The second verse speaks to his entrepreneurial spirit, as he describes himself as an "entrepreneur" who has created a "top 10 standard." The song ends with a call to action for people to celebrate and clap for him.
The use of the phrase "kick down doors" suggests that Tinchy Stryder is not afraid to take risks and pursue opportunities. He is a bold artist who has no problems taking the lead and breaking new ground. The line "never gettin' washed out, permanent stain on it" is also interesting because it suggests that Tinchy Stryder has created something that is timeless and enduring. It is not something that will fade away or disappear over time, but rather something that will continue to make an impact.
Line by Line Meaning
I brought my own sound to the mainstream, they couldn't put a name on it
I introduced a unique sound to the popular music scene that was difficult to categorize or label.
Never gettin' washed out, permanent stain on it
My contribution to the music industry is substantial and can never be overshadowed or forgotten.
Love when I see my other brothers gettin' paid from it
I feel happy and proud when I see other artists, especially those who are part of a similar music genre, succeed and make a living off this work.
Right from the Tinie Tempahs to the Ironiks
From Tinie Tempah to Ironiks, it's clear that my impact on the music industry has influenced many other artists and helped shape their sound.
History in the making, brought a new wave in
The sound and music I've created is so unique and impactful it will be remembered as a part of history and has rejuvenated the entire industry, ushering in a new era.
Nothing's looking old here, I ain't bringing Dre's in
My music has a distinct and fresh sound, I'm not bringing in Dr. Dre or any other mainstream artist's style or influence.
I set 'em up, snap snap, put a frame on it
I've paved the way and established a path for upcoming artists to follow and build on.
On Cloud 9 so it's only right I rain on it
I'm feeling great about my success and accomplishments so it's natural for me to continue working and striving for even more success in the future.
Put the signs up, tell 'em this is danger
I've created an innovative sound so powerful it signals change and disruption to the status quo.
Braveheart, made my own sound with our Fraser
Like a Braveheart, I'm proud of my original sound and how my team and I have created something new and exciting. We've done it together like a team led by Fraser.
Tame who? Never us, we're out of your radar
There's no one who can tame or slow us down. We're on our own path and not worried about what others are doing.
So cold living like I was born with a fever
I'm constantly pushing myself, always striving towards my goals and success. It's a natural and intrinsic drive that I've always had.
Leader, flee gang originator
I'm a true leader and innovator, leading a group or gang of artists to create something new and exciting.
With Dirt Dange and I'm a Ruff Sqwad member
I collaborate with artists and was once part of Ruff Sqwad, a musical group that I'm still closely associated with.
Meanwhile, one or two are tryina bite us
While others try to copy our sound or imitate our style, they can't replicate our unique and original approach to music.
Turn an Atheist to a believer
Through my music, I can have a transformative effect, turning skeptics into believers.
Jan to December, round of applause for the man in the center
From the beginning of the year to the end, my contributions and hard work deserve recognition and applause.
An entrepreneur's what I'm branded, and they're telling me I made a top 10 standard
I'm seen as an entrepreneur because I've brought something new and innovative to the music industry, and my sound has reached a top 10 standard of success and recognition.
Now there's a handful, I'm no longer stranded
My success has brought me a team of collaborators and supporters, I'm no longer alone in my work.
Bleeding out hits, now I think I need a bandage
I've had a lot of success and popularity, I'm now focused on solidifying that success and taking care to maintain it.
Before I landed, fully had my eyes on the landscape
Even before I made it big, I was always focused and determined, keeping my eyes on the prize and working towards my goals.
I went straight from afar to the first place
My success came quickly and with great impact, I didn't work my way up gradually but made immediate waves with my unique sound.
Never ever really knew what I was in for
I wasn't sure what the future held or how big my success would become when I started working on my distinctive sound.
They ain't gotta stress cos I already done the hard bit
Others don't need to worry about creating something new or innovative, as I've already done it and paved the way for others to follow.
I can see 'em all in, welcome to the market
I've created a market and a whole new way of doing things, and now others are welcome to join in and participate.
Rampage to charging and it's everlasting
I'm charging forward and my impact is long-lasting, I'm constantly innovating and pushing the boundaries of what's possible in music.
The pie, they can have some but I ain't tryina half it
Others are welcome to share in the success and accomplishment, but I'm not giving up any of my hard-earned gains or success.
No time for the stop-start, accelerate, never break harsh
I'm always moving forward and never slowing down, and I take care to avoid abrupt changes or setbacks that would harm my success.
And I hope they remember, thank me later
I want my impact on the music industry to be recognized and appreciated, and I'm confident that it will stand the test of time.
Kick down doors and I let the rest enter
I'm breaking down barriers and creating opportunities for myself and others in the music industry.
Yeah, they better clap for me, tell them clap for me, everybody clap for me
My success deserves recognition and applause, and I'm not afraid to ask for it.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KWASI DANQUAH, ESHRAQUE MUGHAL, ERIC TURNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind