Tinchy Stryder (real name Kwasi Danquah) is a
British grime
music artist of Ghanian origin, Stryder hails from Bow in East London and attended St Bonaventure's Catholic Comprehensive School in Forest Gate. Tinchy Stryder had his first UK number one in the Singles Chart with the aptly named song "Number 1", (a collaboration with N-Dubz) that charted on 26
April 2009.
2006-2008:
Star in the Hood
In 2006, Stryder signed to independent label Takeover Entertainment. He also released two solo mixtapes, I’m Back U Know and Lost and Found, and joined Ruff Sqwad to make Guns & Roses 2. Stryder's debut album
Star In the Hood was released on 13 August 2007 on Takeover Entertainment. A single "Breakaway" was released from the album, as was "Something About Your Smile"featuring Mainstream Money as a bonus track. He also released an EP named Cloud 9 on the 21st
April 2008, from which the songs "Sorry, U Are?" featuring Chipmunk, "Sick in the Head", "16 Writers" and "Thump" have all received
heavy airplay and rotation on grime shows such as Logan Sama's Kiss 100 grime show. He then released two further singles which do not feature on the EP, titled "Breathe", and most recently, "Stryderman" (UK Singles Chart #73). One of the other tracks off his debut album called "Follow" was featured in the movie by Noel Clarke, Adulthood.
2008-2009: Catch 22
On September 11 2008, it was revealed that Stryder
will be featured on Craig David's new single "Where's Your Love" and released on
November 10, 2008. He also appears on the track "Princes" from the album Saint Dymphna by Gang
Gang Dance. His next single, called "Take Me Back", featuring Taio
Cruz, (released on January 19, 2009) was a
popular hit following numerous plays on Radio 1, Kiss FM and many other TV and radio stations. On January
18, the song entered the official UK Singles Charts at 39 on downloads alone,one day before its official release. The following week the single moved up 36 places to
peak at number 3.
On 26
April, 2009, Stryder's next single, a collaboration with N-Dubz (whom he had toured with on their recent Uncle B tour), titled "Number 1" topped the UK Singles Chart giving Stryder and N-Dubz their first number one single. In an interview with Tim Westwood, Tinchy stated that due to the success of "Number 1" not going away yet, he had to push the album and a few things back to August 2009. Tinchy's third single from Catch 22, titled "Never Leave You", featuring Amelle Berrabah of the Sugababes, is due to be released on August 3rd 2009 with the album following on August 17th.
