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.
They Don't know
Tinie Tempah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And we can roll up and roll out
Let them think what they think, it's funny how
They didn't get it then, so they won't now
Yeah 'cause they don't know us
They can't say what they say
Don't give a thought
Don't need them anyway
Everywhere I go, I gotta pose
Sittin' on the throne with a 'fro
Chillin' with a prince at the BAFTA's
Gold all over the globe
Anytime I stress, I can get it from a rasta
Headside, kill 'em when they know
Didn't wanna, now they wanna know
Baby said, "Shh, you can hit it on the low"
You can hit it on the low, you can hit it on the low
Come in on your own, leave your knickers at the door
Yeah, I'm the AP, got the wonder tug-a-war
I don't holla anymore, tryna make a nigga poor
Tryna hit me with the drink, no no
They might think, they don't know
Let 'em talk ish, promo
'Cause we don't really care 'bout nothin'
When the cameras show up, we show out
And we can roll up and roll out
Let them think what they think, it's funny how
They didn't get it then, so they won't now
Yeah 'cause they don't know us
They can't say what they say
Don't give a thought
Don't need them anyway
It's Kid Ink, uh, canine
That kitty got me feelin' like a canine
I'm just tryna live, baby, can I?
We at the KWest, startin' KI's
Woo, I just bought the whole LA out
Uh, live is a beach, bitch lay out
Uh, hit the blunt, baby what you gotta say now?
Woo, I know you want it, ow
Ha, get you higher than the Eiffel
Pour up, baby, put a lil' ice too
Yeah, I remember back in high school
I used to have a girl that looked just like you
Yeah and with all of these flashbacks
Say ain't no tellin' what I might do
When the cameras show up, we show out
And we can roll up and roll out
Let them think what they think, it's funny how
They didn't get it then, so they won't now
Yeah 'cause they don't know us
They can't say what they say
Don't give a thought
Don't need them anyway
Young man comin' up from the corner
Nobody tryna say mi never wan ya
Never have to worry 'bout if he give me the banana
Me haffi tell them na na na na na
Oh no no, slide in my DMs and my wrists just froze
I'm too cold, don't wanna play 'cause I'm gettin' too old
What's new? Bitch, I'm in the stu'
Cookin' up a hurricane, mix with the flu
And they love my wrists, and my moschino pon mi coupe
The track ain't a track, don't let the Don ah come through
My rule number 1 is don't play number 2
Fucking with my nigga, you will end up on the news
Messin' with the paper that you rapped up in views
Real, real ting, all I do is tell the truth
When the cameras show up, we show out
And we can roll up and roll out
Let them think what they think, it's funny how
They didn't get it then, so they won't now
Yeah 'cause they don't know us
They can't say what they say
Don't give a thought
Don't need them anyway
I know a girl from the ends
She likes to take it down low
She said she wanna let me inside
But her daddy said no
I know a girl with a woo
I call her Paris in my phone
I know a girl from the southside
Don't wanna take you all home
In Tinie Tempah's song "They Don't Know," the artist expresses how misunderstood he and other celebrities are by the public. The song focuses on the idea of living in the public eye and dealing with criticism from people who don't know the true nature of him and his celebrity friends. Tinie Tempah emphasizes the idea that those who criticize him don't know him, and therefore their opinions are invalid. The song centers around the concept of living life on one's own terms and focusing on personal happiness rather than external validation.
The lyrics express the idea of living life on one's own terms and dealing with the pressures of fame. They reflect Tinie Tempah's frustration towards people who may judge him for things they don't understand. He finds comfort in the fact that he and his friends know who they are, and they don't need validation from outside sources.
The song features a variety of artists who bring their unique styles to the track. Kid Ink's verse adds a playful touch to the song, while Stefflon Don's verse highlights the struggles she has faced on her come-up, and AoD's verse talks about his experiences with women. The different perspectives help to reinforce the idea that everyone has their own story and that judgment is not always warranted.
Line by Line Meaning
Uh, when the cameras show up, we show out
We always put on a show for the cameras
And we can roll up and roll out
We can easily come and go as we please
Let them think what they think, it's funny how
We find it amusing that people don't understand us
They didn't get it then, so they won't now
If someone didn't understand us before, they still won't now
Yeah 'cause they don't know us
People don't really know us or understand what we're about
They can't say what they say
People can't accurately judge us or make assumptions about us
Don't give a thought
We don't really care about what people think of us
Don't need them anyway
We don't necessarily need people in our lives
Everywhere I go, I gotta pose
I always have to present myself in a certain way
Sittin' on the throne with a 'fro
I'm at the top of my game with a distinct hairstyle
Chillin' with a prince at the BAFTA's
I hang out with important people at fancy events
Gold all over the globe
I have success all over the world
Anytime I stress, I can get it from a rasta
I can get weed to help me relax
Headside, kill 'em when they know
People envy me and try to bring me down when they realize my success
Didn't wanna, now they wanna know
People who ignored me before now want to be associated with me
Baby said, "Shh, you can hit it on the low"
My partner wants to keep our relationship secret
Come in on your own, leave your knickers at the door
Women who come over for a casual hookup are expected to leave their underwear behind
Yeah, I'm the AP, got the wonder tug-a-war
I have power and influence
I don't holla anymore, tryna make a nigga poor
I don't waste my time pursuing people who don't matter
Tryna hit me with the drink, no no
People try to get me drunk in order to take advantage of me
They might think, they don't know
People misunderstand me
Let 'em talk ish, promo
We use negative comments and criticism as promotion for ourselves
'Cause we don't really care 'bout nothin'
We don't care about anyone else's opinions or feelings
It's Kid Ink, uh, canine
Kid Ink is on this track and he feels like a dog, always trying to get sexual attention
That kitty got me feelin' like a canine
A woman's attention makes Kid Ink feel like he's a dog
I'm just tryna live, baby, can I?
Kid Ink just wants to enjoy life without judgment
We at the KWest, startin' KI's
Kid Ink is partying and starting something new at the KWest
I just bought the whole LA out
Kid Ink has enough money to buy out all of LA
Live is a beach, bitch lay out
Life is good and Kid Ink is enjoying himself
Hit the blunt, baby what you gotta say now?
Kid Ink is high and not worried about what anyone has to say
I know you want it, ow
Kid Ink knows someone is interested in him
Get you higher than the Eiffel
Kid Ink can make someone feel incredibly good
Pour up, baby, put a lil' ice too
Kid Ink is getting his drink on and enjoying himself
Yeah, I remember back in high school
Kid Ink remembers his past
I used to have a girl that looked just like you
Kid Ink used to date someone who looked similar to the current person he's interested in
And with all of these flashbacks
Kid Ink is reminiscing about his past
Say ain't no tellin' what I might do
Kid Ink is unpredictable and might do anything
Young man comin' up from the corner
A young man is making his way up in the world
Nobody tryna say mi never wan ya
No one is telling the young man who he can or cannot love
Never have to worry 'bout if he give me the banana
This man will never have to worry about giving someone a banana (a slang term for oral sex)
Me haffi tell them na na na na na
The young man has to tell people no
Oh no no, slide in my DMs and my wrists just froze
The young man is surprised when people slide into his DMs
I'm too cold, don't wanna play 'cause I'm gettin' too old
The young man is feeling too old to play games and mess around
What's new? Bitch, I'm in the stu'
There's nothing new to report, the young man is in the studio
Cookin' up a hurricane, mix with the flu
He's working on something big and impressive
And they love my wrists, and my moschino pon mi coupe
People appreciate his jewelry and the brand of car he drives
The track ain't a track, don't let the Don ah come through
This isn't just a song, it's a statement from the Don (boss)
My rule number 1 is don't play number 2
His first rule is to never be second best
Fucking with my nigga, you will end up on the news
Messing with his friend will not end well
Messin' with the paper that you rapped up in views
Interfering with his money and fame will have negative consequences
Real, real ting, all I do is tell the truth
He prides himself on always being honest
I know a girl from the ends
He knows a girl from the rough part of town
She likes to take it down low
She enjoys being sexual with guys
She said she wanna let me inside
She wants to have sex with him
But her daddy said no
Her father won't let them be together
I know a girl with a woo
He knows a girl with a wild, fun personality
I call her Paris in my phone
He identifies this girl as 'Paris' in his phone
I know a girl from the southside
He knows a girl from the less desirable part of town
Don't wanna take you all home
He doesn't want to be with her in a romantic way
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BRYCE P. WILSON, KENNETH B. EDMONDS, TONI BRAXTON, PATRICK OKOGWU, YOGESH NARAINDAS TULSIANI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind