Tinie Tempah Quotes

When I got a little older I was obsessed Lil Wayne. But then it was just as many British rappers - Dizzee Rascal I would always listen to.

I definitely believe in God.

I was like 14 and decided I wanted to be a rapper, so I needed a hip rapper name. I was with one of my friends in class and literally went through a thesaurus. I saw "temper" and thought, "I like this, but it's too much." My friend was like, "What about Tinie for tiny," and that was that.

Playing someone drum 'n' bass for the first time in 'Pass Out' - they're like, 'Oh my God, what is this?' I'm having a lot of fun and a good time showcasing the music.

This is the kind of fashion I grew up on - a good pair of trainers, great denim - and I will always love high-end streetwear.

Maybe when it comes to my music, or my performances, I'm a little more aggressive because I want everything to be perfect. But not in normal, day-to-day life.

I've definitely done something that's made my mum and dad forever proud.

My mom used to sell fabric and lace when I was younger. She would bring back these elaborate fabrics from Nigeria. I always enjoyed being around it. However, it wasn't until I started making music that I started taking a vested interest.

Sometimes I would bring some of my music to the school and perform on the playground, and they'd think, "There goes Patrick, trying to entertain everyone as usual."

I find my dress sense tends to be a bit of a mixture between high fashion and unique vintage pieces with a little bit of street trends. For example, I might find a really nice, suede dinner jacket that I'd wear with a basic plain white shirt and some chinos and a pair of Nike trainers.

I'm actually going to the gym, working on getting not fatter, just a bit bulkier.

I'm starting to think about my life, thinking about where I'm going to be in three years time: who I'm going to be with, where I'm going to be situated myself.

Grime is a particular style of music. You've got electro, funk and garage; grime is its darker side. It's constantly evolving.

I watched a film called 'Elephant' recently. Its not stylish in the sense of expensive suits and Italian cars, but the styling on every single character is spot on.

Music has no race. It appeals to everybody.

I'm really big on family. I'll love catching up with my cousins. Everyone's in their twenties, so they're all on their grind at the moment, but when we get the time, I'll fly everybody to Amsterdam or Ibiza, and we can just hang for a week, chill, do nothing.

I didn't take it seriously myself at the time, but now all of my old teachers are supportive. Even my principal - I sold out the O2 Arena in London, and he came out to see me, which was really cool. I actually put a picture with him on my Instagram, and I think and he's wearing one of my snapbacks.

Artists take on an alias that's suitable for their style of music. Everyone had a nickname when they were younger.

At the end of the day, you sign a record deal and you understand where it could go if you had the right song.

I pray as much as possible.

I'm quite a fan of British designers.

Fashion Week is surprisingly very short. At least the actual runway shows are.

There's this other girl called Lykke Li from Sweden - I really want to collaborate with her, that'd be great. Obviously Kanye West as well, and Drake would be pretty amazing.

I first became interested in style when I was 16 and I had my first couple of gigs. I realised I couldn't look like the people I was performing to. Not in a condescending way, but just that it would be weird if I was wearing exactly what someone in the crowd was wearing.

If I go to an awards ceremony, I wear a suit, of course I do. I am proud to be there. If there are young kids looking at pictures of me, I want them to feel that they should long for the opportunity to go somewhere really smart and wear a beautiful suit, rather than to reject that.

I enjoyed my upbringing, my siblings did, we're polite, we're respectful, but at the end of the day we're young, we like to have fun. But now, more so than ever, the youth has been vilified to the point where it feels like you can't enjoy being young any more, you just have to sit it out and wait until you get old.

Nigeria is like everywhere, really: there are some beautiful places that have been invested in and others that haven't been.

When I feel like I'm renowned enough, I'd love to do a heritage-type line, but that takes time.

I grew up in an eclectic house where people were listening to all types of different music. I also think being educated, eloquent and knowing how to talk for yourself in the industry makes you go a long way.

I think when you come to Australia you immediately get the sense of fitness and taking care of yourself and being healthy, and it really shows.

My goal, my aim is to be a superstar, but not in a cheesy way. I want to go to America and do what they do. But better!

Every generation that comes from this family has to do better than the last.

People discover you at festivals. They come to see Coldplay or whoever, and then wander over and catch your act. Festivals make a lot of sense to me.

Gone are the days when you'd have to tune in to a mad illegal radio station late at night to be able to hear the rapper of your choice. That's all changed now. That's all gone out of the window. And I feel like I represent that change. I represent the era of iPods and Shuffle and things like that.

I'm into everything. My iPod is very eclectic - if you kept it on shuffle, you'd be amazed. For example, I was forced to grow up on Dolly Parton. My mum was obsessed by her. She bought all this memorabilia for the front room. It's ridiculous.

You have to do a show, an interview, you've got to go straight back on the road to another location, make a track and edit things like footage etc. It's non stop. I really respect the hustle and work rate of Chipmunk, as well as N-Dubz and Tinchy Stryder.

A lot of young people have all these aspirations but many of them don't believe they're possible.

I like to think I don't make music for ignorant people.

Coming from an African background, obviously the foundation of the family home is education, probably because my parents had to work a lot harder for everything that they've got in this country.

At the end of the day, I'm a human being and I just think that's what it is. Challenging stereotypes by just being who I am.

I don't want to achieve less than my mum and dad.

Being able to travel the world is pretty cool. There are places that I've always wanted to go to but being able to go there as somebody who's a musician and is recognised as one is cool.

People used to say poems were different to songs but I don't think they are.