Devlin shot to fame this year, with his UK hit, Run Away featuring Yasmin. Since then, he's been in high demand - most notably featuring in Tinchy Stryder's Game Over.
Now, he teams up with Labrinth for Let Go. It was only going to be a matter of time before these guys collaborated, they're both rising stars in the same area of music, and compliment each other well. Devlin likes to have a catchy/emotional chorus in his tracks, and that is definitely something I feel Labrinth is best at.
This is a really strong track for those worrying that Devlin may be a one hit wonder. I see him as a British Eminem. I'm not saying this purely because he is a white artist in a predominantly black genre, but he possesses a similar style. I'm talking about the aggressive flow to his lyrics, and I also feel that the video is similar to an Eminem production.
I'm expecting big things from both these artists, and hope that they will do more tracks together.
You can buy Devlin's album, Bud Sweat & Beers on Amazon (link below) or iTunes.
This album has been out for a couple of weeks so I've been able to give it a good listen - and I'm impressed.
I had first heard of Tinie Tempah when he featured on Killa Kela's album Amplified. I had no idea that he was on the brink of something very special. He had made mixtapes before, but nothing that had earned plays on Radio One, or come close to the charts. Pass Out - Which features on the album - Launched Tinie Tempah to stardom. An iconic tune, it took electric hip-hop, and drum and bass influences with catchy lyrics that you will hear people repeating for a long time to come.
So fair enough. Anyone can have a one hit wonder right? This wasn't the case for Tinie Tempah. A strong follow up Frisky came out shortly after. A similar format, Frisky took the same influences and was equally as iconic as Pass Out. I actually prefer Frisky and it is one of my favourite tracks from the album. Would You Risk it for a Chocolate Biscuit?
So now with two strong singles under his belt, Tinie Tempah really caught my attention. I can honestly say that when I first heard Pass Out I thought Tinie had one hit wonder written all over him. I am so glad that he has proved me wrong; there is not a bad song on Disc-Overy.
This is currently my favourite track from the album, Miami 2 Ibiza. I am a massive fan of Swedish House Mafia, and I loved One (Your Name) which they collaborated with Pharrell Williams for. Miami 2 Ibiza is a jumped up, feel good house track that is massive in clubs. It's one of those tracks that makes you want to dance, and never fails to put a smile on your face.
Another single worth mentioning is Written in The Stars. Featuring Eric Turner, this track features guitar solos, clever lyrics, and a catchy hook. All the ingredients needed for a great hip-hop track. I think it's quite incredible just how successful each track has been, and the album itself is very strong.
Where Now for Tinie Tempah?
The PR and promotion for Disc-Overy is far from over. There are concerts, signings and appearances to take care of I imagine, and then work will start on new material.
I hope that Disc-Overy isn't a sign of peaking too early for Tinie Tempah, although the way he proved me wrong with follow ups to Pass Out, I feel he will prove me wrong again. The success of Disc-Overy is sure to attract attention from bigger stars, he managed to get Kelly Rowland to collaborate on the song Invincible, which is extremely impressive for a debut album. Who's next, Beyonce? Lady Gaga? Dare I say it... Cher Lloyd?
Jokes aside, I expect some high profile collaborations in the future, and I think Tinie Tempah is UK hip-hop's best chance of truly breaking America. I would love to see Tinie Tempah work with the likes of Jay-Z, Eminem, or Dr Dre. I could also see him taking the electric route and working with Chase & Status, Jack Beats, or even Magnetic Man.
