Rapper Tinie Tempah has urged emerging artists not to neglect grassroots venues, which he praised for being the "heart of the live music circuit." The 37-year-old, best known for the songs "Pass Out" and "Written In The Stars," credited grassroots venues with providing him the 10,000 hours of dedicated practice that shaped him as an artist.
Grassroots Venues in Decline
Speaking to the Press Association, Tinie Tempah, whose real name is Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu, expressed concern over the decline of grassroots music venues. "It's a great way to promote grassroots music venues, which are on the decline at this moment in time. I think we've lost 30 this year, and they're close to my heart," he said.
He emphasized the importance of these venues for emerging artists, stating, "If it wasn't for those venues I would not have done my 10,000 hours. The core fan base that I've been able to build slowly over time, I probably wouldn't have some of those guys still riding with me till this day."
A Rite of Passage for Artists
Tempah described performing at grassroots venues as a "baptism of fire" and a "rite of passage." He recalled, "Everything happens. You get cheered, you get booed, especially coming from grime, which was very competitive. You really have to build thick skin and earn your stripes, so to speak, and know how to use the mic correctly in a way that's going to hold people's attention and activate the crowd."
The rapper believes changing behavioral habits among fans pose a challenge to small venues, as many now prefer seeing top artists at arenas or festivals rather than discovering emerging talent in intimate settings. "I come from a time where we had scenes and people would be excited to discover new artists and see new talent, so the accessibility to go to a grassroots venue is there. I just feel like the appetite might be waning a little bit," he said.
Everywhere At Once Festival
Tempah's comments come ahead of his sets at the Everywhere At Once festival, where more than 2,000 artists from various musical genres will perform at over 400 grassroots venues nationwide. The rapper will perform in Newcastle, Norwich, and Southampton over the three-day festival, offering fans a mix of classics and exclusive first-listen to some of his new music, which he described as an "ode to these kind of spaces."
Everywhere At Once runs from Friday to Sunday and features a star-studded line-up including DJ Fatboy Slim, Rizzle Kicks, and Becky Hill. The festival, backed by the Music Venue Trust and the National Lottery, aims to help venues and independent promoters champion new artists. Tickets are on sale now.
Tinie Tempah concluded, "When I think of all of the incredible talent that has come out of the UK, you know, they all started somewhere and nine times out of 10, it was in one of these small grassroots venues. We have to just do what we can to just keep that economy growing."
