Tinie Tempah says nightlife crisis means ‘losing that physical connection'
The 36-year-old rapper, from south London, is backing the Night Time Industries Association's (NTIA) The Last Night Out campaign, which pushes for people to get away from their screens and onto the dance floor.
'As a dad, I've seen how different things are for this generation,' said Tempah, who has not released a studio album since 2017's Youth, as he appears to have focused towards his children and taken a break from music.
'We're losing that physical connection, the joy and energy that you get from dancing, meeting new people from all backgrounds and being free.
'I didn't want to just talk about it – I wanted to do something. Music brings people together – and nightlife is where that magic happens.'
The campaign calls on the Government to step up and provide urgent financial support for night-time venues as well as cultural protection for 'iconic clubs'.
The NTIA released data last year showing 37% of nightclubs had closed across the UK since March 2020.
Tempah has returned to the studio and is developing a collaboration with gaming platforms Roblox and Fortnite to integrate music and virtual life, according to the NTIA.
He is also creating a short film and a series of live events focused on 'driving energetic movement and nightlife', which will be unveiled at technology, creative and business conference SXSW London on Friday.
He will be joined at the event at London nightclub XOYO by NTIA chief executive Michael Kill, north London musician and DJ Majestic and BBC Radio 1 DJ Charlie Tee for a 'one-off evening of music, culture and conversation about the future of the UK's night-time economy'.
A post shared by SXSW London (@sxswlondon)
Mr Kill said: 'It's been amazing to see how Tinie Tempah has resonated with The Last Night Out's message.
'He really understands what's at stake – not just for club culture, but for society.
'Nightlife isn't just entertainment; it's a space for freedom, creativity, connection and movement. We're thrilled to have Tinie Tempah bring his voice, his energy and his music to the campaign.'
Introduced to the NTIA by the Mayor of London's office, Tempah believes the shared experience of nightlife is an important part of the UK's future society.
Tempah, known for hits including Written In The Stars and Pass Out, has presented the six-part art show Extraordinary Portraits as well as a property programme called Extraordinary Extensions.
His recent music has included the 2021 track Love Me Like This with Swedish singer Maia Wright, and 2023 song How You Samba, a collaboration with Dutch DJ Kris Kross Amsterdam and Mexican singer and songwriter Sofia Reyes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Multiple artists boycott SXSW London over Tony Blair and David Cameron talks
Musicial acts including LVRA and Heartworms have dropped out of the inaugural SXSW London festival due to the undisclosed involvement of former MPs Tony Blair and David Cameron Several music acts have withdrawn from the inaugural edition of SXSW London for allegedly hiding the involvement of controversial speakers from both the public and scheduled artists. LVRA, Sam Akpro and other artists are accusing the festival of 'art-washing' after news that former Prime Ministers David Cameron and Tony Blair were part of the programme. SXSW London 2025 marks the US event's debut in Europe, running from June 2 to June 7 in Shoreditch. The week-long event includes talks, panel discussions, workshops and music performances with major politicians, entrepreneurs and artists including Dr. Jane Goodall, American-entrepreneur Lucy Guo, Sadiq Khan, Letitia Wright, Idris Elba, and many more. Last week, journalist Matt Kennard shared screenshots of an alleged leaked programme via X, which revealed that former PMs David Cameron and Tony Blair would speak at the event - unbeknownst to artists. According to Kennard, organisers were 'keen' to have both talks go ahead, despite the leak. When news of Cameron and Blair's involvement in the festival broke, artists jasmine.4.t, Heartworms, Sam Akpro, Blood Of Aza, Saliah, and LVRA all revealed that they would no longer perform at the event. The latter posted a lengthy statement accusing the organisers of 'art-washing'. LVRA shared via Instagram: 'Having spent the last several weeks in talks with the music team at SXSWL, I will be boycotting. This is also in solidarity with other acts who have already boycotted the festival.' The artist added: 'Whilst the music team were pulling together a diverse, 'cool' line-up, the conference team were booking speakers from multiple organisations deeply complicit in the current genocide of Palestinian people. This included weapons tech IDF supplier Palantir, Barclays and politicians such as Tony Blair and David Cameron. This surmounts to art-washing.' They then cited numerous other criticisms of the event, including 'inaccessible pricing' that excludes marginalised groups and an 'exploitative business model'. After raising concerns to the event, LVRA confirmed some 'productive conversations' that led to the removal of the CTO of Palantir and Head of Sponsorship at Barclays but announced their withdrawal after learning of Cameron and Blair's planned involvement. Sam Akpro also issued a statement announcing his withdrawal due to the involvement of the PMs and Kate O'Brien, who is involved in the NATO Innovation Fund. In his statement, Akpro also accused the festival of art-washing, saying: 'SXSW is using us smaller and minority artists to push information and ideologies that I do not align myself with.' Heartworms, who was due to headline Hoxton Hall on June 7, cancelled her appearance, telling fans: 'I won't be performing at SXSW London this weekend for what I hope are fairly obvious reasons – I stand with those who have already done the same, and thank you to my team and label for their understanding.' In a statement to NME, a SXSW London spokesperson said: 'As one of the world 's largest festivals across tech, music and the creative industries, SXSW London respects everyone's views and positions and aims to create an open, diverse space for debate and discussion." Blair spoke at the conference's opening day about how AI can make government's better alongside Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle. Blair said it was an 'enormous honour and pleasure' to share the stage with Kyle, saying he is 'one of the people I admire most in politics'. 'I hope that doesn't damage you political career too much, Pete,' Blair joked about his endorsement of Kyle. On the second day of the conference, David Cameron took the stage for a discussion titled 'A Healthcare Revolution'.
Telegraph
10 hours ago
- Telegraph
Want to hear our cultural elites blather on about ‘inclusivity'? That'll be £1,300
Ever get the feeling that somewhere, other people are having a high old time at some juicy jamboree – an occasion that poor old off-trend you don't even know is happening? I bring news. There is such an exclusive junket happening – right now! But don't panic, you'll soon be glad you're not there. The SXSW (South By Southwest) Festival, a spin-off from an annual bash that's been running in Austin, Texas since 1987, is taking place this very week. There's a packed programme of film, music, talks and panel discussions, about all manner of supposedly exciting things. Now it's arrived for the first time in London – well, in Shoreditch, which for the benefit of provincials I should explain is the part of London that even Londoners roll their eyes at, and mutter something like 'pretentious twits', only much ruder. The SXSW line-up gives us a fascinating glimpse into the rarified world of the cultural elite. And it is a very exclusive affair; a pass ticket for the whole week will set you back £1,300. I can hear you asking, yes, but what is it actually for? Well, I've had a good look through the acres of bumf, and to be honest I'm still not sure I can give you a good answer. The MD of the shebang, Randel Bryan, tells us: 'SXSW London will build on Austin's incredible legacy, presenting an event that underpins why SXSW is the go-to destination for professionals and creatives seeking meaningful connections, unexpected experiences, and ideas that can help shape the world.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by SXSW London (@sxswlondon) This sentence seems to fold back on itself like a Möbius strip. It's an event that presents itself, which underpins why it's an event…? No, I'm lost. SXSW is like the universe, then, and equally as mysterious – it's here because it's here because it's here. Here's my theory. I think it revolves around nebulous, boondoggling, add-on activities, a work conference for make-workers. There's a lot of talk about marketing, branding, mentoring: the parasitic babble that surrounds actual work, which I'm sure we couldn't possibly live without. You may remember the B-Ark of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, the gigantic spaceship full of absolutely useless people with silly jobs. SXSW is the B-Ark before it blasted off. The schedule is chock-full of the familiar buzzwords of that slice of the upper middle class who have got themselves into these baffling, but enviably remunerated, positions; sustainability, inclusivity, citizens assemblies, patronising the 'queer' community... All the fads, indeed, of 2018. Incomprehensible chat about AI, and tech of all kinds, abounds. There are talks from people with job titles like 'solutions architect' and 'serial entrepreneur', and plentiful satellite activities, from artisanal ice cream tasting to consciousness-raising yoga. After scrolling through acres of this guff, I got a mental image of a taxi screeching up in EC1 and disgorging Edina Monsoon, babbling into her mobile – 'Get off the line Saffy darling, I'm late for Bentley Robles' DJ set, and I've already missed the bloody buggery symposiums on 'Embedding Consciousness Into Business For Global Impact' and 'Next Gen Mycelium Biomaterials', sweetie.' Like you, I don't know what any of that means, but I do know that I want it to stop. It makes one long for Ken Dodd to storm the stage, tickling stick erect, shouting 'How's your belly off for spots, missus!?' Amusingly, Tony Blair and David Cameron turned up on stage unannounced on the first and second days, blithering on about AI nurses and genome sequencing, as if they were in Blake's 7. (This may be the first time Wyclef Jean and David Cameron have shared billing.) Inevitably, these surprise bookings lead to flounce-outs from several of the more tediously politically committed' music acts. Scottish singer Lvra pulled out, having a right pop at SXSW on the way: 'Whilst the music team were pulling together a diverse, 'cool' lineup, the conference team were booking speakers from multiple organisations deeply complicit in the current genocide [sic] of Palestinian people'. Blimey. You just don't get this sort of angst at Butlins. The very idea that this junket is in any way anti-establishment took a body blow when the King turned up on Thursday for a quick saunter around an 'immersive art' show about sustainability. As always, anything that goes out of its way to tell you how vibrant and dynamic it is will actually be clapped-out and moribund, and the louder and more frequently repeated the claim the more it holds true. There are some faces you'd be pleased to see – Björn from Abba or Tina Brown, for example, who have made their packets by bringing genuine joy to the world. But these are lost in the acres of nonsense, puffed up by breathless toot, across the schedule. I stuck a pin in it and found an event dedicated to 'Circular Design Practice.' 'With the growing awareness of waste in the fashion industry,' begins the blurb, 'more designers are adopting circular design principles, integrating sustainable practices into their creative processes. This event brings together key professionals across fashion and textiles to explore the significance of circular design, its challenges and its future role in shaping the industry. Facilitated by Laetitia Forst, circular design specialist.' I think this means that they've reinvented dressmaking from odds and ends. My mum was doing this in 1972, integrating sustainable practices into her creative processes like nobody's business. If only they'd known, they could've booked her. All this makes The Hay Festival, with its Garden Pizza Workshops and a chance to drop in on Alice Roberts and Led By Donkeys, seem positively trad. SXSW is very high-end, the upper upper middle class. More the Camerons than the Goves, you might say. There has been some grousing and grumping online from attendees about the goody bag, which apparently includes a somewhat tacky little Bluetooth speaker – which hardly aligns with the message of 'make do and mend' environmental doom. There are several other similar such events. There was the Avalanche Summit London, which actually took place in that famous London borough Hatfield, 23 miles away in Hertfordshire, but I suppose that wouldn't sound as exciting. This was 'the premier gathering for visionaries shaping the future of blockchain and Web3', and featured events such as 'Deploy, Monitor, and Scale with Zeeve Cogitus'. Coming up soon – in East London again, naturally – is the AI Summit, and an introduction to something called Plan B, which is – apparently – 'an EVM-compatible BTCfi Layer 1 using Bitcoin as gas tokens and built as an Avalanche L1'. Well, I'm glad we got that cleared up. Further afield there was the Soho Summit, hosted by fancy London members club Soho House at their big mansion in the Cotswolds. Soho House is the place where the people who sweat cobs to bring you top TV shows like The Masked Dancer, Genius Game and Mamma Mia I Have A Dream kick back. Again, sorry, you've missed this one. Luckily there's an online précis of highlights. We hear that 'Throughout Thursday and Friday, the Farmyard Bar served a specially curated Seedlip non-alcoholic cocktail menu, and in the Mill Room the Simply Kalmado, created by Melwyn Dela Cruz from Electric House in partnership with Porsche, was available to members.' Mine's a light ale, thanks all the same. Also on the Soho Summit menu? 'Gillian Anderson sat down with Dawn Airey to discuss her multifaceted career as an actor, author and now entrepreneur, which Anderson describes as 'absolutely bonkers'. The conversation explored the passion she brings to every one of her projects, from functional drinks brand G. Spot and characters like The Fall's Stella Gibson, to upcoming film project The Salt Path, set for release this month.' That's nice. Gillian Anderson is forever popping up at these events, for some reason, but they are peppered with celebs − Idris Elba, Ralph Fiennes, Rebel Wilson, James Corden, etc. I suppose it's like a version of ITV's An Audience With … but for people with more money than sense. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rebel Wilson (@rebelwilson) My favourite morsel from the Soho Summit is the following; 'For bedroom guests, the day came to a close with a relaxed dinner held in the Hay Barn. As members dined, singer Self Esteem performed tracks from her new album, A Complicated Woman.' I'm just not sure how relaxed a dinner could be with someone in the corner breathily intoning, over banging EDM, the lyrics 'Doggy style feels all right'. Enough to put you quite off your pearl barley risotto. I wonder, who in their right mind is actually paying for these events – and what on earth are they actually learning from them? We keep hearing how innovators and big corporates are being overtaxed. Now I'm a confirmed old-school conservative and capitalism fan. But I have to say, if these dafties still have enough cash sloshing about to stage or stump up for these mega-beanos, I for one say let Angela Rayner loose the slavering devil dogs of HMRC on them. I have my own dream – a curated experience of the culture and knowledge that we're actually in danger of losing. Smoking permitted, nay, encouraged – nay, compulsory – throughout. Darts, boxing and snooker. There'll be talks on backache, home brewing and how to run the perfect car boot – hosted by Gloria Hunniford and Roy Chubby Brown. Music will come from Cliff Richard and Bell & Spurling, and good hearty fare will be provided from the trolley service, first come first served. Who's in?
South Wales Guardian
11 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Tinie Tempah says nightlife crisis means ‘losing that physical connection'
The 36-year-old rapper, from south London, is backing the Night Time Industries Association's (NTIA) The Last Night Out campaign, which pushes for people to get away from their screens and onto the dance floor. 'As a dad, I've seen how different things are for this generation,' said Tempah, who has not released a studio album since 2017's Youth, as he appears to have focused towards his children and taken a break from music. 'We're losing that physical connection, the joy and energy that you get from dancing, meeting new people from all backgrounds and being free. 'I didn't want to just talk about it – I wanted to do something. Music brings people together – and nightlife is where that magic happens.' The campaign calls on the Government to step up and provide urgent financial support for night-time venues as well as cultural protection for 'iconic clubs'. The NTIA released data last year showing 37% of nightclubs had closed across the UK since March 2020. Tempah has returned to the studio and is developing a collaboration with gaming platforms Roblox and Fortnite to integrate music and virtual life, according to the NTIA. He is also creating a short film and a series of live events focused on 'driving energetic movement and nightlife', which will be unveiled at technology, creative and business conference SXSW London on Friday. He will be joined at the event at London nightclub XOYO by NTIA chief executive Michael Kill, north London musician and DJ Majestic and BBC Radio 1 DJ Charlie Tee for a 'one-off evening of music, culture and conversation about the future of the UK's night-time economy'. A post shared by SXSW London (@sxswlondon) Mr Kill said: 'It's been amazing to see how Tinie Tempah has resonated with The Last Night Out's message. 'He really understands what's at stake – not just for club culture, but for society. 'Nightlife isn't just entertainment; it's a space for freedom, creativity, connection and movement. We're thrilled to have Tinie Tempah bring his voice, his energy and his music to the campaign.' Introduced to the NTIA by the Mayor of London's office, Tempah believes the shared experience of nightlife is an important part of the UK's future society. Tempah, known for hits including Written In The Stars and Pass Out, has presented the six-part art show Extraordinary Portraits as well as a property programme called Extraordinary Extensions. His recent music has included the 2021 track Love Me Like This with Swedish singer Maia Wright, and 2023 song How You Samba, a collaboration with Dutch DJ Kris Kross Amsterdam and Mexican singer and songwriter Sofia Reyes.
