Tinchy Stryder

One of the more promising grime artists to arise from the Bow area of East London, Tinchy Stryder made his full-length album debut in 2007 and also performed as a member of the group <a href="spotify:artist:67POQUr9E4V8GpQxqQ5d8I">Ruff Sqwad</a>. Stryder initially established himself with a 2003 appearance on <a href="spotify:artist:7k9T7lZlHjRAM1bb0r9Rm3">Wiley</a>'s Ice Rink EP, followed in 2004 by appearances on "Next Level," a song from <a href="spotify:artist:7k9T7lZlHjRAM1bb0r9Rm3">Wiley</a>'s album Treddin' on Thin Ice, and the "MC Version" of <a href="spotify:artist:4GvOygVQquMaPm8oAc0vXi">the Streets</a>' "Fit But You Know It," the latter of which was a U.K. hit. In 2005, he appeared on the Brucker & Sinden remix of <a href="spotify:artist:36ikBJX6oQWWlgrXCock30">Lady Sovereign</a>'s "Hoodie," which also became a U.K. hit.

Having established his credentials as an up-and-coming grime star, in 2006 Stryder released a pair of mixtapes (I'm Back U Know, Lost and Found) and signed a recording contract with the independent label <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Takeover+Entertainment%22">Takeover Entertainment</a>. That same year, the song "Underground" (from the Lost and Found mixtape) become Stryder's first solo hit, and he was featured prominently on the <a href="spotify:artist:67POQUr9E4V8GpQxqQ5d8I">Ruff Sqwad</a> album Guns & Roses, Vol. 2, released on Ruff Sqwad Recordings. Stryder then released his debut solo album, 2007's Star in the Hood, via the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Takeover+Entertainment%22">Takeover Entertainment</a> label, along with two accompanying singles, "Breakaway" and "Something to Smile About." The nine-track EP Cloud 9 followed in 2008, and Stryder rose to the upper reaches of the U.K. charts with his inaugural 2009 single, "Take Me Back." The aptly titled chart-topper "Number 1" followed soon after, and then in August, "Never Leave You" debuted at the top spot. The album Catch 22 was released by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Island+Records%22">Island Records</a> that same month, debuting at the number two slot on the U.K. albums chart. A second <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Island%22">Island</a> set, Third Strike, was issued in 2010. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi