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.
Spotlight
Tinchy Stryder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Check- Check, Check-One,
Can't hold me down, can't hold me back,
Me have fi burn every track,
On your marks, get set, I'm here, Let's go,
I got my eyes all set on the roads,
Before we go, yo, I make sure my style's got swagger,
My mum keeps tellin' me it's alarming,
Roll then we rock the show like Mick Jagger,
The further I go, the further I am to the end of the Roads,
But I'll get through the freezing cold, rainy days,
Plus nights and snow, I can't hear "no's",
I feel like superman, I'm ready for the world, make sure they know that,
And this is the route I chose, watch me I let the truth unfold,
I got a super plan, I'll fly through it all I will not hold back,
I am set so I aim for my goals,
That's why I bring it to life at shows,
I've been through the best and the worst times,
Still I'm striding on 'cause you know I'm rollin',
Gimme the beat and I'm rollin',
Just one stage, a mic and a mic lead,
Light comes down the spotlight is on me,
Rollin gimme the beat and I'm rolling,
(yeah)
Can't hold me down, can't hold me back,
Me have fi burn every track,
Can't step down all I know it attack,
Step to the mic now I'm bringing it back,
Yo, on your marks, get set, I'm here let's leave,
I can see them crawling creeps,
Before I leave, chill, breath,
Make sure my rhymes have got ammo,
I'm ready for war I'm like rambo,
I'm just like you I'm around,
Me I can walk to the shops I'm about,
Just know that the car that I drive is no Lambo',
Try to proceed, end of the road I can all but see,
I'll go deep into the blazing heat,
I'm down I ride for my peeps,
You know why
I feel like superman, I'm ready for the world, make sure they know that,
And this is the route I chose; watch me I let the truth unfold,
I got a super plan, I'll fly through it all I will not hold back,
I am set so I aim for my goals,
That's why I bring it to life at shows,
I've been through the best and the worst times,
Still I'm striding on 'cause you know I'm rollin,
Gimme the beat and I'm rollin,
Just one stage, a mic and a mic lead,
Light comes down the spotlight is on me,
Rollin gimme the beat and I'm rolling,
(yeah)
Can't hold me down, can't hold me back,
Me have fi burn every track,
Can't step down all I know it attack,
Step to the mic now I'm bringing it back,
I'm really prepared you can check my stance,
My eyes are so focused, no quick glance,
Before I bounce, yo, Strydes,
I make sure my flows are still lightning,
That's why the rest are not liking,
They keep trying to pull me in to the drama,
They all wanna see me burn in the lava,
But I keep blazing back I'm still firing,
I get low, take it all in then I hit that road,
Smell it in the air man, it's all in the nose,
Raging bull I see red light rose,
You know why,
I feel like superman, I'm ready for the world, make sure they know that,
And this is the route I chose; watch me I let the truth unfold,
I got a super plan; I'll fly through it all I will not hold back,
I am set so I aim for my goals,
That's why I bring it to life at shows,
I've been through the best and the worst times,
Still I'm striding on 'cause you know I'm rollin',
Gimme the beat and I'm rollin',
Just one stage, a mic and a mic lead,
Light comes down the spotlight is on me,
Rollin gimme the beat and I'm rolling,
(yeah)
Can't hold me down, can't hold me back,
Me have fi burn every track,
Can't step down all I know it attack,
Step to the mic now I'm bringing it back,
Can't step down all I know it attacks,
Step to the mic now I'm bringing it back,
Step to the mic now I'm bringing it back
In "Spotlight" by Tinchy Stryder feat. Tanya Lacey, the artists share their determination to overcome any obstacles thrown their way in pursuit of their dreams. The opening lines assert that nothing can hold them back, and they are ready to burn every track. The song portrays a sense of confidence as Tinchy declares he is ready to take on the world and overcome any challenges that come his way. He further emphasizes his unwavering commitment to success by saying that he will not hold back and instead, fly through it all.
Tinchy Stryder continues to express his resilience in the face of negativity and criticism, saying that he is prepared for anything that comes his way. He emphasizes the importance of staying focused and standing his ground in the midst of drama. The song concludes with Tinchy affirming his determination to bring his music to life on stage and perform to the best of his abilities. Overall, "Spotlight" inspires listeners to pursue their passions with determination and confidence, even in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Check-Check, Check- Check, Check-One,
I'm making sure everything is in order before I start.
Can't hold me down, can't hold me back,
Nothing can stop me from reaching my goals.
Me have fi burn every track,
I will give my all to every song I create.
On your marks, get set, I'm here, Let's go,
I am ready to start and take on any challenge.
I got my eyes all set on the roads,
I am focused on the path ahead.
Before we go, yo, I make sure my style's got swagger,
I ensure my style is confident and impressive.
I stay sobered up with no lager, and I've still got skulls on the garments,
I don't drink and still maintain my unique style.
My mum keeps tellin' me it's alarming,
My mother is concerned about my choices.
Roll then we rock the show like Mick Jagger,
I will give my best performance just like Mick Jagger.
The further I go, the further I am to the end of the Roads,
The closer I get to my goals, the farther away the obstacles become.
But I'll get through the freezing cold, rainy days, Plus nights and snow, I can't hear 'no's',
I won't let hardships and rejections discourage me.
I feel like superman, I'm ready for the world, make sure they know that,
I am confident in my abilities and want the world to know it.
And this is the route I chose, watch me I let the truth unfold,
I made my own path and my actions will speak for themselves.
I got a super plan, I'll fly through it all I will not hold back,
My plan is to succeed and I won't let anything hold me back.
That's why I bring it to life at shows,
I put my all into my performances.
I've been through the best and the worst times,
I've experienced both success and failure.
Still I'm striding on 'cause you know I'm rollin',
I keep going because I am determined.
Gimme the beat and I'm rollin',
I can create great music if given the opportunity.
Just one stage, a mic and a mic lead, Light comes down the spotlight is on me,
All I need is a stage, a microphone, and some lights to give my best performance.
Can't step down all I know it attack,
I won't back down when challenged.
Step to the mic now I'm bringing it back,
I will take control and bring the focus back to my music.
I'm really prepared you can check my stance,
I am always ready for whatever comes my way.
My eyes are so focused, no quick glance,
I am focused and won't be easily distracted.
Before I bounce, yo, Strydes,
Before I leave, I make sure everything is in order.
I make sure my flows are still lightning, That's why the rest are not liking,
My unique style and flow make other artists jealous.
They keep trying to pull me in to the drama, They all wanna see me burn in the lava,
Other artists want to bring me down.
But I keep blazing back I'm still firing,
I won't let anyone bring me down and I will keep creating great music.
I get low, take it all in then I hit that road,
I take a moment for myself before diving back into my music career.
Smell it in the air man, it's all in the nose,
I can sense the energy and excitement of the music industry.
Raging bull I see red light rose,
I am ready to charge forward even when faced with obstacles.
Can't step down all I know it attack,
I won't back down when challenged.
Step to the mic now I'm bringing it back,
I will take control and bring the focus back to my music.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDY BOLLESHON, MARTIN BUTTRICH, AZZIDO DA BASS, KWASI DANQUAH, TANYA LACEY, TIMO MAAS, FRASER SMITH, STEVO WILCKEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind