Tinchy Stryder battles conscience

Tinchy Stryder releases album Catch 22 on 22 August

Kwasi Danquah, aka Tinchy Stryder, is trying to manage the most precarious of balances: commercial success and personal integrity.

"I feel like for people like me it's not for no-one to tell me what's grime and what's not," he says defiantly when the subject is broached.

Let us explain, it's been quite a 12 months for the Bow, east London rapper.

To the wider public's eye and ear he's a relatively new artist but he's been immersed in the east London grime scene since the age of 13 - now, at 22, he's already a veteran.

Successful year

Yet 2009 has seen the diminutive lyricist scale new heights, including a Number 1 single with N-Dubz.

With all the glory and riches that brings, he's been careful to not forget the supportive community which gave birth to his talent.

"It doesn't matter if someone ain't doing the darkest tune right now, you just have to remember what scene they came from so everyone else can do it as well.

Tinchy performing live at the Underage Festival

"I ain't going to call myself no Jay-Z or P-Diddy but lets say Wiley, for example, can do whatever music he wants and no-one who is a grime fan can tell him this or that because we were at the start of it - we're opening doors."

Indeed, Tinchy's path to stardom is a reminiscent of an accelerated version of another local rapper, Dizzee Rascal.

New single

Indeed, the swirling debate surrounding 'selling out' is an issue he tackles on new single Never Leave You.

"It's more about where I come from and my roots, my area and my people," he says. "You've been around the world, you do whatever but where you come from is the most important thing, if you ain't got that where you're going is not clear."

Sugababe Amelle Berrabah features with guest vocals.

"As soon as Amelle's name came in I was like 'That's the one, that's the Sugababe that I'm needing - she's a cool girl'."

Early indications suggest the song will join Tinchy's previous singles Number 1 and Take Me Back, in hitting the top ten on Sunday [Aug 9]. He can't quite believe it.

"It's like a dream which I'm not trying to wake up from," he laughs. "I feel like I've put a lot of hard work in and the hard work is paying off."

Primary focus of his sweat and blood is new album Catch 22 - which features Ruff Sqwad, Chipmunk and N-Dubz - the follow up to 2007's Star In The Hood.

"I've got to a certain stage with my music where things are popping up where you have to make a decision, this or that and there's always a catch to it," explains Stryder of the title.

"Even like when I was at uni when I got a number 1 and its like do you stop now or do you go through? What is more important?

"Obviously I come from the grime scene so its got a few more darker grimier beats. But at the same time when I go into the studio I've been trying to develop and expand so I don't feel like I'm trapped in a box.

"I'll always describe the album as the second thing to air that you breathe," he concludes. "That's how important it is in your life."