“They say they ain’t heard nothing like this in a while/that’s why they play my song on so many different dials” boasts Tinie Tempah on his recent rags-to-riches hit ‘Written in the Stars’.  While the South London rapper’s claim to innovation may be debatable, there is no disputing that his reputation has preceded him over the past six months. Since his first two collaborations with Labrinth on tracks ‘Pass Out’ and ‘Frisky’ hit the airwaves, Tinie Tempah has been shooting his way to stardom, quickly becoming the most talked about act of 2010. So what does make his music so popular?

 The answer is simple, it does exactly what it says on the tin: pop-hooks, club synths and a signature interval of overproduced drum and bass to milk its fashionable return to the mainstream. The problem with this unstoppable formula of instant gratification is always going to be its durability, especially when applied to the concept of a fully furnished album over 45 minutes in length.

 The fact that Mr. Tempah’s label has systematically churned out half the album before its release date this October, does not bode well for the tracks left in between. In fact, for all the hype surrounding this debut, Tinie Tempah seems to rely on a treasure trove of outside talent to spur his record on: Labrinth, Ellie Goulding, Kelly Rowland, Eric Turner and Emile Sandé all provide the irresistible refrains that, together, form the backbone of Disc-Overy. Even when Tinie is given sole vocals on summer floorfiller ‘Miami 2 Ibiza’, producers Swedish House Mafia still manage to smother his contribution with their hugely impressive house anthem, dominating center stage for the second time this year.

 Tinie Tempah would be the first to admit he’s a rapper-turned-pop-sensation, but even popstars have to make an effort when it comes to showing their solo capabilities. Overall, Disc-Overy comes across as an ambitious, but hollow record that will inevitably win many awards for its star-studded cast of musicians and producers. In the meantime Mr. Tempah should enjoy all those groupies at his front door, for the novelty may well be over by 2011.

Tom Goulding