Tinie: My Inspiration
Many Black creatives influence my creativity, so picking one was hard. However, 1st October 2020 marked the 10th anniversary of ‘Disc-Overy’ the first studio album released by Tinie (formerly known as Tinie Tempah). A hugely successful album charting number-one on debut, featuring British number-one singles in ‘Pass Out’ and ‘Written in the Stars’, Tinie’s album was my soundtrack that year.
This album provided a gateway to electronic music, a genre of music that I had no intention of listening to at the time but enjoyed when listening to the album. Crossovers like 'Miami 2 Ibiza' with Swedish House Mafia helped to remove the mindset that I had of only listening to music from a specific set of genres. It allowed me to embrace and branch out from what I was listening to at the time. The success of this crossover is a brilliant example of what can be achieved when people from different backgrounds come together and collaborate, a component that Tinie has maintained throughout his career.
Although I am not a fan of Tinie's music in the same way I used to be ten years ago, there are elements of about him that continue to inspire me today. The first being his Nigerian heritage. I was born in Nigeria and lived there for the first few years of life. Although I've spent most of my life in the UK, I still have a strong connection to my home. There is a strong correlation between those who inspire me and being Nigerian or of Nigerian heritage. As a first-generation immigrant, born and raised in London, Tinie fully embraces his Nigerian culture, which makes me proud. I think my pride stems from what he has achieved, coming from a Nigerian background. Typically the Nigerian household in the UK, after having multiple conversations with my friends encourages their children to pursue a path that 'guarantees' a level of success, making the sacrifice to immigrate to the UK and other Western countries worthwhile. For me to see people like Tinie succeed following their passion provides me with the motivation of not abandoning my creativity. Examples like Tinie perhaps have contributed to the new level of understanding of the different way success can be achieved within African households.
In recent years, Tinie's ventures into the fashion industry have maintained my interest in him more so than the music. He has proved to be successful within this industry as well, becoming a prominent figure in British men's fashion. Receiving such accolades as GQ's best-dressed man in 2012, as well as releasing the 'Disturbing London X Nike Blazer Mid LR,' sneaker, a collaboration between his own entertainment company and Nike, has earned him respect within the industry. Since his collaboration, there are two examples (that come to mind) of black British creatives having a similar opportunity to collab with Nike, in Samuel Ross (designer and founder of A Cold Wall) and Skepta.
His value to British fashion was recognised in 2015. He was appointed as menswear ambassador for the British Fashion Council, in which he is responsible for discovering and promoting emerging young designers and brands for the next generation of British Fashion. For a Black creative to be honoured with such a role in an industry that traditionally has not created spaces for diversity to flourish is inspiring. His efforts in this space go beyond his ambassadorial role, as is evident by the launch of his own brand 'What We Wear’.
The most inspiring aspect of Tinie is him preparing and mentoring the next generation of Black British creatives. Through Disturbing London, he has introduced acts such as Not3s, Yxng Bane, Poundz and Yungen to the public. Tinie has provided a blueprint that many young people can follow. He has achieved his success without any scandal or criticism from media outlets, which is a testament to his character. Throughout his career, he has continued to stay true to himself, following personal interest and passions helping to change the perception of what a young Black British male should look like, act like or sound like. His actions are a constant reminder for me to do the same.
Written by SuNom Bawa
Hi, I'm SuNom. Born in Nigeria and raised in the UK. I studied Economics at undergrad and Political Economy at Masters level. My interests vary and I hope you like them as much as I do.