Tinie Tempah silently came on the scene as the British rapper with all the beats.
After sneaking up on the American market, his single “Written in the Stars,” dominated and sold nearly two million singles in the U.S. and helped him team up with some of the hottest acts in the industry, including the Roc Nation artist Rita Ora on her breakout hit “R.I.P.”
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Fans of his music are familiar with the name, and the music associated with it, but very few are actually familiar with his dope personal style.
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That was until Tinie teamed up with Mr. Porter to showcase his style in a shoppable photo shoot. The end result was an impressive lineup of photos that look like they came straight from a lookbook, and an informative accompanying article.
On realizing his fame:
“Every couple of days I have a pinch-myself moment,” he says, “but I’ve decided to just embrace it. This is one of those once in a lifetime chances and you can’t be walking around overwhelmed all the time. You’re never going to get anything done if you’re always flustered. And I’m quite good at adapting to situations.”
On how his ethnicity influences his drive:
“It was about discipline in everything you do,” he says. “I was always told that because I am of Nigerian heritage I’d have to work 10 times harder. You take a bit of what you want from [what you’re told as a child], and you get rid of the rest, but I really believed that, and you’ve got nothing to lose if you believe that. If you work 10 times as hard as anyone else, you’re going to do well.”
On how being Nigerian affects his personal style:
“Being Nigerian we like opulence,” he says. “If you go to any Nigerian home you’ll see red carpets, leather sofas, china plates. And the influence of the British, because Nigeria was a colony: speaking properly, behaving a certain way, making sure your tie is straight, your cuffs and your collars are clean.”
Tinie Tempah the model? We could definitely see it happening! Check out the photos from the shoot in the gallery above, and head over to Mr. Porter to read the accompanying article.
