Tinie Tempah - Youth

The Guardian 80

Parlophone/Disturbing London

Tinie Tempah is a product of the late noughties, when British rap was less concerned with credibility and more with chasing chart success – an era when Skepta released the electro-nightmare that was Rolex Sweep, and Wiley was heading down a road that would eventually see him collaborate with Ed Sheeran. So can Tinie thrive at a time when rap seems to be getting grittier, artier and more inward-looking again? There are moments on Youth – his first album in four years – when the south Londoner mimics the new age of rap convincingly: Something Special is back-to-basics grime; If You Know embraces the groggy R&B-trap of Drake. But it’s when he moves more brazenly into pop proper that Tempah really shines. Girls Like (featuring Zara Larsson) is already deservedly ubiquitous, while Text from Your Ex, a collaboration with trendy American R&B singer Tinashe, is good enough to proceed immediately into the infidelity-themed pop canon.

Thu Apr 13 21:00:14 GMT 2017

The Guardian 60

(PARLOPHONE)

It’s easy to forget that the only British male soloist with more number one singles than Tinie is Cliff Richard, and Cliff had 50 years’ head start. Youth won’t extend Tinie’s run, although it’s more poppy than 2013’s excellent Demonstration. Only the title track really delivers that charming mix of self-lacerating honesty and boastful sass which made him a star. Elsewhere, it’s a generic, efficient album engineered for Spotify. Too many songs begin with the hook, to get you through the revenue-generating 30-second mark without any of that scary rapping. When the hook is strong, that’s just about acceptable. Too often, it makes Tinie sound like his own guest rapper.

Sun Apr 16 07:00:24 GMT 2017