Tinie Tempah

Multi award-winning rapper, entrepreneur and presenter Tinie Tempah joins Vernon Kay to choose ten songs that have soundtracked his life, including tracks from Calvin Harris, Shanks & Bigfoot, Craig David and Basement Jaxx.

Tinie tells Vernon about arranging for his mum to meet one of her heroes Dolly Parton and the work ethic he learned from both his parents. They discuss the recording and writing of his huge debut hit Pass Out in 2010, TInie's pastime of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and how he got into it thanks to actor Tom Hardy, plus the lessons he has learned from his time in the industry and how he's trying to pass that on to the next generation.

Born in 1988 in London, Tinie Tempah began his music career in the mid-00s as part of the collective Aftershock Hooligans before going solo and founding his own independent label. In 2010 he released his huge breakthrough single, Pass Out, which spent two weeks at #1 in the UK singles chart, followed by a second chart-topper and massive international hit Written In The Stars, then his debut album Disc-Overy. The album topped the UK chart, went top 30 in the US and has been certified 3 x platinum, leading to two Brit Awards for British Breakthrough Act and Best British Single. He's also won four MOBO Awards, as well as an Ivor Novello and has released two more records. Over the years he's collaborated with Zara Larsson, Calvin Harris, Labrinth, Swedish House Mafia, Kelly Rowland and many more. In the last few years he's presented TV documentaries and shows including Extraordinary Extensions on Channel 4 and appearing as a guest investor on Dragons' Den. He's also a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and has recently returned to music, with the latest single Living Life released earlier this year.

The BBC are currently celebrating 125 of Black Music in the UK with season of programming called The Music Is Black. It includes a concert presented by Trevor Nelson and DJ Spoony for Radio 2, recorded at the Hackney Empire and starring the Chineke! Orchestra as well as guest artists including Alison Limerick and Elisabeth Troy. It is available on BBC Sounds from 22 June, and broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on 28 June

Find more programmes and content from the season at www.bbc.co.uk/themusicisblack

Listen to Tracks Of My Years on BBC Sounds, and watch Vernon's conversations on BBC iPlayer and Radio 2's YouTube channel, just search for 'Tracks Of My Years'.

A BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 2.