According to the Pass Out Songfacts, Okogwu came up with his stage name at the age of 13. He looked up 'anger' in the thesaurus and found himself staring at 'temper.' Concerned it might be overly aggresive he added 'Tinie.'
Tinie Tempah first gained recognition in the underground music scene with the track Wifey, taken from his first official mixtape Hood Econ%mics Room 147: The 80 Minute Course. Upon it's release, the track became an instant smash, holding the Channel U urban chart top spot for 10 consecutive weeks. Established artists within the Grime scene including Bashy and Chipmunk featured on the mixtape. In 2009 Tinie Tempah released his second official mixtape Sexy Beast: Volume 1.
In October 2009 Tinie Tempah announced a record deal with EMI/Parlophone. He released his debut album on the label, disc-overy, on October 4th 2010. The album spawned six consecutive top 20 singles in the UK including number ones pass out and written in the stars, and swedish house mafia collaborative single miami 2 ibiza.
disc-overy is due for release in the US on May 17th 2011. The tracklist for the album features new collaborations with wiz khalifa, bei maejor and ester dean. It was preceded by written in the stars as it's lead single, which has thus far peaked at 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Snap
Tinie Tempah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The ones we love
The ones we've lost
There's some we frame
And there's the ones we crop
When all my favorite ones were trimmed by my ugly dog
But mum and daddy's wedding days are most lovely shot
Talking to this chick that used to love me, ah
She used to send me naughty pictures of her lovely
Now they are even bigger and they're bustier
Ha wow, I used to wonder at the stars a lot
Sitting in my dad's old barber shop
I used to pull faces when he passed the mop
Then he gave me his plate and his glass to wash
He made me wanna be the man in charge, the boss
That's how he got his first gray, but he laughed it off
The moments and memories we keep
will be forever stored in my micro SD
Back in the day when I was young
Those were the days
Wish that I could go back
I wanna take you back
To the very moment when you take a snap
Back in the day to little me
Reminiscing all, all the memories that
Make me happy and they make me sad
All the very moments when you take a snap
Second year of college on the fourth day
That's when I see you standing in the hallway
ah, Leonardo Da Vinci portrait
She had a face I could be looking at all day
Do your shades, small ways
God put a lot of body in a tall frame
I got all fazed, she was pure
I took up literature just to get to know her more
She said she lacked mature when she was immature
Shy girl, she could of worked on her image more
ah, she made me laugh till my ribs were sore
We were for better for worse, we were for rich for poor
I was tidying my room when my sister saw
And said T why've you still got her pictures for
These moments and memories we keep
Will be forever stored in my micro SD
Woo
Back in the day when I was young
Those were the days
Wish that I could go back
I wanna take you back
To the very moment when you take a snap
Back in the day to little me
Reminiscing all, all the memories that
Make me happy and they make me sad
All the very moments when you take a snap
Tinie Tempah's "Snap" is a song that explores the power of memories and how they can be triggered by a simple photograph. With the catchy hook "back in the day when I was young, those were the days, wish that I could go back, I wanna take you back to the very moment when you take a snap", the song takes the listener through a journey of different memories that were captured in pictures at various points in Tinie's life.
The first verse talks about the concept of framing and cropping pictures. Some pictures we keep as is, while others we edit to fit a certain aesthetic. Tinie then talks about his childhood dog who messed up some of his favorite pictures, but the ones of his parents' wedding day remain untouched. He also reminisces about a past relationship, and how their sexting pictures have now become bigger and bustier over time.
In the second verse, Tinie shares a specific memory of meeting a girl in college whom he found incredibly beautiful. He pursued her through literature classes and they ended up in a long-term relationship. However, even after they broke up, Tinie still held onto her pictures.
Overall, the song is about how photographs can trigger memories that we hold dear, often making us wish we could go back to those moments in time. It's a bittersweet reflection on how much we cherish the past and the memories we hold onto as we move forward in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Let's go, ah
Starting the song and getting the listener's attention
The ones we love
Referring to the people we care about
The ones we've lost
Acknowledging those who are no longer with us
There's some we frame
Talking about the photos we choose to display and cherish
And there's the ones we crop
Differentiating between the photos we keep and the ones we discard
When all my favorite ones were trimmed by my ugly dog
Jokingly blaming his dog for ruining his favorite photos
But mum and daddy's wedding days are most lovely shot
Highlighting the significance of his parents' wedding photos
I had a 1000 free minutes till they cut me off
Referring to phone plan limitations and how communication has changed over time
Talking to this chick that used to love me, ah
Reflecting on past relationships and memories
She used to send me naughty pictures of her lovely
Recalling intimate moments with his ex-girlfriend
Now they are even bigger and they're bustier
Humorously commenting on his ex-girlfriend's physical changes
Ha wow, I used to wonder at the stars a lot
Reflecting on his childhood and how he used to spend his time
Sitting in my dad's old barber shop
Describing a nostalgic place from his past
I used to pull faces when he passed the mop
Recalling playful moments with his father
Then he gave me his plate and his glass to wash
Describing a moment where his father passed on his responsibilities to him
He made me wanna be the man in charge, the boss
Feeling inspired by his father's leadership and hard work
That's how he got his first gray, but he laughed it off
Jokingly mentioning how his father dealt with stress
The moments and memories we keep
Emphasizing the importance of preserving memories
will be forever stored in my micro SD
Mentioning a modern way of storing memories
Back in the day when I was young
Going back to his past and how he felt at that time
Those were the days
Reiterating how much he misses his past
Wish that I could go back
Expressing a desire to relive his past memories
I wanna take you back
Inviting the listener to join him in his reminiscing
To the very moment when you take a snap
Referring to how photos capture and preserve memories
Back in the day to little me
Talking about how he was in his younger years
Reminiscing all, all the memories that
Reflecting on all the moments that have impacted him
Make me happy and they make me sad
Acknowledging that memories can evoke both positive and negative emotions
All the very moments when you take a snap
Reiterating the importance of capturing and preserving memories
Second year of college on the fourth day
Referring to a specific period in his life
That's when I see you standing in the hallway
Recalling a moment when he met a significant person
ah, Leonardo Da Vinci portrait
Describing the beauty of the person he met
She had a face I could be looking at all day
Admiring the physical beauty of the person he met
Do your shades, small ways
Using slang to describe how the person carried herself
God put a lot of body in a tall frame
Complimenting the person's physical attributes
I got all fazed, she was pure
Feeling infatuated and attracted to the person he met
I took up literature just to get to know her more
Showing that he was so interested in this person that he pursued something new to impress her
She said she lacked mature when she was immature
Referencing a past conversation with the person he met
Shy girl, she could of worked on her image more
Reflecting on the person's past insecurities
ah, she made me laugh till my ribs were sore
Recalling a joyful experience with the person he met
We were for better for worse, we were for rich for poor
Reiterating his commitment to the person he met
I was tidying my room when my sister saw
Recalling a moment when he was confronted about his past relationship
And said T why've you still got her pictures for
Questioning why he still had photos of his ex-girlfriend
Woo
Ending the song in a celebratory manner
Lyrics Ā© Global Talent Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: M ASARI, ABDEL-KARIM LASFIRARE, ESHRAQUE MUGHAL, PATRICK OKOGWU, T RILEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MacZaro144
This takes me back to a very very very special place in euphoric nostalgia...that I can only feel deep in my heart, but cannot express in wordsā¤ļø
@LittleMissDeathPunch
This was my favourite song as a kid. I wasn't allowed to actually listen to music like this, so that's probably why I loved it so much. This came out when I was 11... At 18, I still remember every single word and it brings back so many memories... It seems timeless after even 7 years...
@a.mcorner9177
ughh.bitxh I can relate, the whole album is the music of my childhood. It came out when I was 7 but I listened to it because of it, still love it 8 years later.
@diligentboy7269
Same man back on 2012
@isaac_4255
Same, i was 5 when it came out
@MrFameDX
this song will be forever stored in my iphone <33
@1974cfjl
Better than nearly all the singles he released.
@vega_SD
No.
@joshuamartinpryce8424
Snaps are everything great for memory. They tend to bring us back to old times of fun and greatness. Families remember influential moments through pictures, we also remember relationships and feelings in those moments looking at pictures. Spirituality is the opposite, its not easy remember the first love at first sight, when becoming more spiritually focused on the task at hand. Stay safe and spiritually well until death. This is why spirituality has no snaps. Because it keeps expanding.
@smeckerosss
not fair......iĀ“m 20 years old and i am still studying and this guy already got on the top of fame... bravo tinie....