With unrelentingly earnest rhymes, an aggressive delivery, and memorable hooks, East London's Tinchy Stryder has delivered a well-rounded mix of grime and more mainstream-leaning hip-hop for as long as he's rapped. He began recording music in 1998—when he was only 12—and early on, he worked with acts like Dizzee Rascal and Wiley before helping form the grime collective Ruff Sqwad. After generating a buzz with his debut album, 2007's Star in the Hood, he consummated his rise with "Number 1," a glittering pop-rap single featuring N-Dubz's Dappy. On subsequent releases like 360° / The Cloud 9 (2016) and Change (2019), he reaffirmed his status with more dynamic songwriting and sharp flows. In a career that began at the depths of the underground and peaked at the top of the charts, Stryder has crystallized his status as one of the most accomplished grime artists of his era.