Tempa T

Not to be confused with Tinie Tempah.

Tempa T
Birth nameNicky Nyarko-Dei
Also known asTempz
Born (1984-10-09) 9 October 1984 (age 40)
Forest Gate, East London, England
GenresGrime
OccupationRapper
Years active2000–present

Nicky Nyarko-Dei (born 9 October 1984), known by his stage name Tempa T, is a British grime MC originating from East London. He is well known for his 2009 single "Next Hype", considered an anthem of the UK underground scene, from which he is known for his excitable nature, aggressive lyrics, love of word play and use of the phrases "hype" and "par". He is featured on "Hypest Hype" by Chase & Status and is a former member of east London-based grime crew Slew Dem.[1][2][3] In 2015, Tempa T released the single, "Shell", produced by So Real Sounds, which reached number one for eight weeks in the UK Grime Chart show with DJ Cameo on BBC Radio 1xtra.

Music career

His first public performance was in 2006 with Mike Crosby from Greater Manchester, SlewDem at The Chantelle Fiddy club night at 333 in Shoreditch. In 2007 he styled himself as an ‘angry Grime MC’ and ‘the hype man’, with his high energy and infectious stage presence.[4] Tempa T's musical career was documented by Neo-Publishing.Inc in 2010 in Tempa T: Reviewing the Hype So Far. In May 2014, Tempa T announced his debut album Pre the Baitness for release in July of the same year.[5]

Discography

Albums
Year Title References
2012 All-Star Pars -
2014 Pree the Baitness -
2018 It's Bait It's Bait -

Mixtapes

List of mixtapes, with selected chart positions
Title Mixtape details Peak chart positions
UK UK
DL
All-Star Pars
  • Release: December 21, 2012
  • Label: DEFENDERS ENTERTAINMENT
  • Formats: Digital download, CD
 99 99
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
EPs
Year Title References
2006 Spray Dem (Prod. DJJJ) -
2009 Next Hype (Remixes) -
2012 Say It Right Now (Remixes) -

Singles

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
UK IRE
"Next Hype" 2009 — — Non-album singles
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
UK IRE
"CD is Dead"
(with JME) 		2010 — — Blam!
"Hypest Hype"
(with Chase & Status) 		70 — No More Idols
"Rari WorkOut"
(Lethal Bizzle featuring JME and Tempa T) 		2014 11 — —

Film career

He appeared in the 2010 British film Shank as himself, performing "Next Hype" on Tim and Barry TV.

He appeared in the 2016 British film Gangsters, Gamblers and Geezers as a member of the gym.[7][8]

Personal life

He is a supporter of Manchester United.[9]

References

  1. ^ NEWS: Students protest to Tempa T Archived 2012-01-14 at the Wayback Machine. Urban Development (2010-12-11). Retrieved on 2011-04-20.
  2. ^ Grime / Dubstep: The Year in Grime / Dubstep Archived 2011-03-27 at the Wayback Machine. Pitchfork. Retrieved on 2011-04-20.
  3. ^ 2009: The year grime began to pay | Music Archived 2017-02-27 at the Wayback Machine. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2011-04-20.
  4. ^ Tempa T: "They never seen anything like that on the island." | Dummy » New Music Archived 2010-12-03 at the Wayback Machine. Dummymag.com. Retrieved on 2011-04-20.
  5. ^ "Tempa T Prepares Debut Album 'It's Bait, It's Bait' | News | Clash Magazine". 7 May 2014. Archived from the original on 7 January 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  6. ^ "British certifications – Tempa T – RariWorkOut". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  7. ^ "Gangsters, Gamblers And Geezers - Cast and Crew Credits". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  8. ^ Woodham, Karen (26 July 2016). "Gangsters, Gamblers and Geezers - First Look Trailer". Blazing Minds. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  9. ^ "Manchester United fan Tempa T trolls Arsenal with crazy frying pan rap". Daily Mirror. 2 March 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2021.