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After two number one singles, four albums and seven top 10 hits, Tinchy Stryder has proven that he will not be boxed in by expectations.<\/p>\n
His new single \u2018Misunderstood,\u2019 the first in two years, is packed with the sort of stuff that all good grime and hip-hop is made of. He\u2019s been through a period of transition recently but he’s now back in harness and is preparing to follow-up 2010\u2019s Third Strike<\/em>\u2014in the same general fashion, like his previous efforts. And as a result, expectations are high for 360\u00b0<\/em>.<\/p>\n We caught up with Tinchy, who\u2014told us about his faith in God, working with Wiley and Dizzee Rascal, making \u2018Misunderstood,\u2019 and hanging out with Rihanna.<\/p>\n I thought it would be good to start with a few ice breaker questions…What\u2019s one thing no one in this room knows about you?<\/strong><\/p>\n I don\u2019t know what you know or don\u2019t know, I think you might have to ask me something that you want to know.<\/p>\n Are you religious?<\/strong><\/p>\n Yeah, I\u2019m a Christian. I believe in God \u2014 every time before I go to sleep and when I wake up I pray. Every time before I fly and when I land I pray. I really believe in God. One thing I learned growing up is you cannot say please without saying thank you. I\u2019m not in church every week but I don\u2019t think that proves whether or not someone is more religious than you.<\/p>\n If you could ask God a question, what would you ask?<\/strong><\/p>\n Sometimes I always ask myself, \u201cWhy me? Why am I here?\u201d As I\u2019ve grown I\u2019ve come to understand that everybody is special. I say that, but not everyone is chosen. I always wonder why this person was chosen to do this particular thing and why this other person wasn\u2019t. I\u2019m sure you know someone who can spit or write lyrics really, really well. For example, I know people who are sick at playing football but that doesn\u2019t guarantee that they will make it to where they are trying to get to. Because I\u2019m a believer I think having the opportunity to ask something like that would be difficult, you wouldn\u2019t do it because you don\u2019t want to be questioning God. I think God is a friend who you can speak to daily.<\/p>\n I think if I could ask God anything: I probably would want to know what he looks like.<\/strong><\/p>\n He\u2019d probably be like, \u201cLook at me.\u201d We\u2019ve been brought up to believe a certain image of what he looks like and whatever religion you follow you must have some sort of picture in your mind. But, I guess, we\u2019ve all got a voice in our heads of what he sounds like. I mean when you\u2019re speaking to God, you\u2019re not thinking of hearing some high-pitched guy talking back to you.<\/p>\n Well, I\u2019m convinced God\u2019s voice sounds something like Morgan Freeman\u2019s.<\/strong><\/p>\n [Laughs] We don\u2019t know but I really hope he\u2019s not some high-pitched guy shouting like, \u201cYo, yo!\u201d<\/p>\n Let\u2019s talk about your background for a second. Do you think that wanting to be a musician with such a strong academic backdrop like yours was a kind of rebellion for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n I was alright in school but I would never say that I was a bad guy or anything. I was more the cheeky one. I could control my temper. I was always chilled and out of my friends I was the one who would give the answers that the teacher never wanted to hear. I would sometimes get detention but I would always do my work. Music for me and my family was a hobby, we enjoyed doing it. My older brother is a DJ and I remember when me, Dizzee [Rascal] and Ruff Squad would get together in my little room that I shared with my brother and record music. Now when I look back my mom didn\u2019t have to allow that, she could\u2019ve said, \u201cYou\u2019re making too much noise. Go and read your books.\u201d But she didn\u2019t and she allowed us to do what we were doing and eventually it got to the stage when the music popped off. It became part of my life.<\/p>\n You\u2019ve been making music now for nearly 15 years. If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your 13-year-old self? <\/strong><\/p>\n