Tinie Tempah

The PlayStation-bleepy crossbreed of hip-hop and house known as grime has become England’s new chart-pop. On his debut, 22-year-old MC-producer Tinie Tempah dreams of even wider glory: “Disturbing London, baby, we about to branch out,” he rhymes like a psyched-up robot over neon-lit synths on the irresistible ”˜Pass Out.’ Tinie is a smart and sly hook maestro, mixing the flashy and the mundane with lyrics like “I’ve got so many clothes I keep some in my aunt’s house.” He skirts cheesiness on tracks like the trance headbanger ”˜Miami 2 Ibiza.’ But the closer to hip-hop he gets, the better: On the slow-rollin’ ”˜Snap,’ stripped-down beats are perfect for his simple, brash enthusiasm.

Key Tracks: ”˜Pass Out,’ ”˜Miami 2 Ibiza,’ ”˜Snap’