Catch 22 (Tinchy Stryder album)
Encyclopedia
Catch 22 is the second full-length solo studio album
by Ghanaian British recording artist Tinchy Stryder
, and his major label debut, since allying with Universal Island Records
. After three successful singles leading up to the album, the album, was released on August 17, 2009. The album is produced and co-written by award winning producer and songwriter Fraser T. Smith
, whose previous credits include James Morrison
, Craig David
and Kano
.
The album was preceded by a colloborative
album with grime
producer Maniac and a two-part free downloadable extended play
s (EP), Star in the Hood EP Vol. 1
& Star in the Hood EP Vol. 2
. Tinchy Stryder toured his album, Catch 22, in October 2009 with support from Chipmunk
and Mz Bratt
and again in February/March 2010.
gave the album 3/5 stars and said: "American rappers have their guns. Tinchy Stryder has his mum. The witty domesticity of Stryder’s raps are part of the charm of this decidedly British hip hop album. Coming from the grime world, but not in the least grimy, the hook laden, techno-pop tracks are so relentlessly catchy, his unpretentious, snotty-nosed lyricism is like aural icing on a sugary pop cake."The Times
gave the album 3/5 stars and said: "With a second No 1 single under his belt, Kwasi Danquah III, 22, is being hailed by wishful thinkers as the second coming of grime. Catch 22 is an uneasy balancing act between these two Stryder sides; but it makes for compelling spectacle."The Independent
however was much less favourable of the album giving it 2/5 stars: "Tinchy Stryder may be the second-biggest name in grime, but Catch 22 suggests he's more in the mould of Akon
than Dizzee Rascal
: there's little of Dizzee's bonkers charm about these tracks, and plenty of Akon's reliance on auto-tuned hooks and romantic themes. Indeed, when not reflecting on his success, Tinchy's time seems mostly taken up with oiling his way into girls' affections, trying to extricate himself from their clinging attentions, or apologising for mistreating them."
's Ready for the Weekend for the top spot with only 1,000 copies between them. By the last mid-week update there was only a few copies between them. Catch 22 reached #2 by the end of the week, with Harris outselling Stryder by 8000 copies. Tinchy Stryder used his official Twitter to convey his gratitude to his fans for the high charting of the album. In its second week the album fell to #5 and was certified Gold for shipments of 100,000 copies.
In Ireland the album debuted and has so far peaked at #9.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by Ghanaian British recording artist Tinchy Stryder
Tinchy Stryder
Kwasi Danquah III , better known by his pseudonyms Tinchy Stryder and Star In The Hood, is a Ghanaian British recording artist, music executive, A&R executive, and businessman...
, and his major label debut, since allying with Universal Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
. After three successful singles leading up to the album, the album, was released on August 17, 2009. The album is produced and co-written by award winning producer and songwriter Fraser T. Smith
Fraser T. Smith
Fraser T. Smith is an English record producer, songwriter, mix engineer and guitarist....
, whose previous credits include James Morrison
James Morrison (singer)
James Morrison is a BRIT Award-winning English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Rugby, Warwickshire. In 2006, his debut single "You Give Me Something" became a hit in Europe, Australia, and Japan, peaking in the top five in the UK and New Zealand. His debut album, Undiscovered, debuted at the...
, Craig David
Craig David
Craig Ashley David is an English singer and songwriter. He has released five studio albums: Born to Do It, Slicker Than Your Average, The Story Goes..., Trust Me, Signed Sealed Delivered and a Greatest Hits album...
and Kano
Kano (rapper)
Kane Brett Robinson , better known as Kano and also known as Kane O, is an English rapper and actor. His grandparents came to England as immigrants from Jamaica. He was formerly a key member of east London’s N.A.S.T.Y...
.
The album was preceded by a colloborative
Collaboration
Collaboration is working together to achieve a goal. It is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together to realize shared goals, — for example, an intriguing endeavor that is creative in nature—by sharing...
album with grime
Grime (music)
Grime is a style of music that emerged from Bow, East London, England in the early 2000s, primarily as a development of UK garage, dancehall, and hip hop...
producer Maniac and a two-part free downloadable extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
s (EP), Star in the Hood EP Vol. 1
Star in the Hood EP Vol. 1
-External links:* . Grimepedia....
& Star in the Hood EP Vol. 2
Star in the Hood EP Vol. 2
-External links:* . Grimepedia....
. Tinchy Stryder toured his album, Catch 22, in October 2009 with support from Chipmunk
Chipmunk (rapper)
Jahmaal Noel Fyffe known by his stage name Chipmunk, is a British hip hop rapper and songwriter from Tottenham, London....
and Mz Bratt
Mz Bratt
Cleopatra Humphrey , better known by her stage name Mz. Bratt, is an English electro-grime recording artist.-History:...
and again in February/March 2010.
Reception
Critical
The Mirror gave the album a positive review: "...keen learner with an eye on the crossover market, Stryder shows infectious energy and determination to cover his core market on this second album. Check the auto-tuned pop thrills of Take Me Back and Shake Me. Stryder cuts an impressive sway as the hardworking pupil of the Grime Crossover Contingent." The TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
gave the album 3/5 stars and said: "American rappers have their guns. Tinchy Stryder has his mum. The witty domesticity of Stryder’s raps are part of the charm of this decidedly British hip hop album. Coming from the grime world, but not in the least grimy, the hook laden, techno-pop tracks are so relentlessly catchy, his unpretentious, snotty-nosed lyricism is like aural icing on a sugary pop cake."The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
gave the album 3/5 stars and said: "With a second No 1 single under his belt, Kwasi Danquah III, 22, is being hailed by wishful thinkers as the second coming of grime. Catch 22 is an uneasy balancing act between these two Stryder sides; but it makes for compelling spectacle."The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
however was much less favourable of the album giving it 2/5 stars: "Tinchy Stryder may be the second-biggest name in grime, but Catch 22 suggests he's more in the mould of Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
than Dizzee Rascal
Dizzee Rascal
Dylan Kwabena Mills , better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a Ghanaian British rapper, songwriter and record producer. His music is a blend of garage, hip hop, grime, ragga, pop and electronic music, with eclectic samples and more exotic styles...
: there's little of Dizzee's bonkers charm about these tracks, and plenty of Akon's reliance on auto-tuned hooks and romantic themes. Indeed, when not reflecting on his success, Tinchy's time seems mostly taken up with oiling his way into girls' affections, trying to extricate himself from their clinging attentions, or apologising for mistreating them."
Commercial
At the beginning of the week commencing Monday August 17, 2009 Catch 22 was duelling with Calvin HarrisCalvin Harris
Calvin Harris is a Scottish singer-songwriter, record producer and DJ. His gold-selling debut album, I Created Disco, was released in 2007 and contained the top ten singles "Acceptable in the 80s" and "The Girls"...
's Ready for the Weekend for the top spot with only 1,000 copies between them. By the last mid-week update there was only a few copies between them. Catch 22 reached #2 by the end of the week, with Harris outselling Stryder by 8000 copies. Tinchy Stryder used his official Twitter to convey his gratitude to his fans for the high charting of the album. In its second week the album fell to #5 and was certified Gold for shipments of 100,000 copies.
In Ireland the album debuted and has so far peaked at #9.
Singles
- The first single "StrydermanStryderman-Release history:-Charts:...
", was released as a digital downloadMusic downloadA music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
on 20 July 2008 with the CD singleCD singleA CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
released on 8 August 2008. The song was added to BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's C Playlist in July 2008 and debuted on the UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at number 73; Stryder's first single to chart in the UK.
- The second single "Take Me Back", which also featured fellow Universal Island RecordsIsland RecordsIsland Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
-signed act Taio CruzTaio CruzTaio Cruz is a British singer-songwriter, record producer, occasional rapper, and entrepreneur. In 2008, he released his debut album Departure, which Cruz wrote, arranged and produced himself. It achieved initial success in the UK and earned him a MOBO Award nomination...
was released on 19 January 2009. The single received high amount of praise and received placement on Radio 1's A Playlist. The single eventually peaked at number 3; marking Stryder's first Top 10 single.
- The third single "Number 1" which featured UK trio N-DubzN-DubzN-Dubz are a British hip hop group from Camden Town, London. The group consists of members Dappy, Tulisa Contostavlos and Fazer.N-Dubz were previously signed to Polydor Records before joining All Around the World Records...
became Stryder's second Top 10 single and first number-one single when it debuted at the top spot on 27 April 2009.
- The fourth single "Never Leave YouNever Leave You-Charts:The song immediately rushed to the top of the charts, charting at #1 in the UK and #2 in Ireland, the song knocked The Black Eyed Peas's song "I Gotta Feeling" of the top spot on 2 August 2010, but failed to knock I Gotta Feeling of the Irish top spot, and charted behind it.-End-of-year...
" featured vocals from Amelle BerrabahAmelle BerrabahAmelle Berrabah is a British singer, songwriter and member of pop girl group the Sugababes. Since replacing founding member Mutya Buena in the group in December 2005, Berrabah has attained two UK number one singles, "About You Now" and "Walk This Way", as well as a number one album, Change...
of the SugababesSugababesThe Sugababes are an English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 with founding members Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. Their debut album, One Touch, was released in 2000 under London...
and was released on 9 August 2009; where it peaked at number-one, Stryder's third consecutive Top 10 single.
- The fifth and final single "You're Not AloneYou're Not Alone (Tinchy Stryder song)"You're Not Alone" is a song composed by Ghanaian British electro hop vocalist, Tinchy Stryder. The song was released as the fifth and final single from Stryder's second studio album, Catch 22 on November 2, 2009...
" was released on 26 October 2009, where it reached number 14 in the UK; marking the fourth Top 15 hit from Stryder.
Track listing
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| European Top 100 Albums European Top 100 Albums The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100... |
11 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
9 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
2 |
| Country | Provider | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Gold |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | August 17, 2009 | CD, Digital Download | Takeover Entertainment Ltd Takeover Entertainment Takeover Entertainment is an independent record label, talent agency, musician management company, producer, and publisher of music, currently based in the United Kingdom. The company was founded in 2006 and is run by Kwasi Danquah III , Archie Lamb IV and Jack Foster... & Universal Island Records Island Records Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group... |
External links
- Star in the Hood EP, Volume 1 (free download)
- Star in the Hood EP, Volume 2 (free download)