One of the biggest UK rap stars is playing an Oxfordshire cricket club fundraiser. Tim Hughes finds out why...

HE is one of Britain’s biggest rap stars, a chart-topping giant of urban music whose hard hitting lyrics have won him fans around the world.

Now Tinchy Stryder is preparing to knock his fans for six - by headlining a fundraising festival for a village cricket club.

The artist dubbed The Prince of Grime is top of the batting order for Aston Rowant Cricket Club, where his punchy rhymes and demon delivery will help raise cash for a new pavilion.

It’s all a far cry from the Ghanaian-born artist’s gritty home turf of Bow, in London’s East End, but organisers insist the rapper’s innings at the event, dubbed ‘Astonbury’, will bowl over music-fans - even those who’ve never heard of him.

The performer, whose real name is Kwasi Danquah III, made his solo debut seven years ago with the album Star in the Hood. He has since scored a string of hits and has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the industry - among them Dizzee Rascal, Tinie Tempah, Example and Professor Green. He is also head of his own fashion company and has gone into business with rapper Jay-Z with entertainment company Takeover Roc Nation.

His slot at the festival - held in the neighbouring picture postcard village of Crowell, near Chinnor - is sparking interest among fans more used to seeing him rapping with messrs Rascal and Tempah, or holding forth at Glastonbury or London’s O2 Arena.

“It’s fantastic to have Tinchy Stryder coming to Astonbury,” said wicket keeper Thad Cooper, from Postcombe, near Lewknor, who organises the event with festival manager Gemma Walker.

“To see someone here who has played the Pyramid stage at Glasonbury and V Festival is amazing. He has been a big star for years and is perfect for us.”

He said the rapper was the biggest name to appear yet at the event, which has been going for seven years and was last year headlined by singer-songwriter and runner up on TV’s The Voice, Tyler Hudson.

Tinchy is not the only star batting for the ambitious Home Counties Premier League club. The side have also lined up DJs from London’s Ministry of Sound and host of smaller and local acts, among them singer-songwriter Emma McGann, covers band The Muttz Knuttz, De'Vide and Chemical Pulse.

There will also be an acoustic stage featuring Cowley singer-songwriter Chris Ryder, Tim Matthews, Laura Williams and Barney Holmes.

And how did they land the chart star? “By being persistent,” he says. “We’ve been trying to get Tinchy for a couple of years - and I must have made 500 phone calls. I’m not surprised we have got him after the amount of work we’ve put in.”

They have also benefited by from inside knowledge of the music industry by club member Gordon Harris - son of former Motown records boss, and Stevie Wonder's manager, Keith Harris.

Mr Cooper said: “We have been trying to make it bigger and are expanding year on year. Big artists don’t want to play festivals unless they are well established, but once you have had one big name you are able to attract others. People know this is a good event and that we also support local acts. People are loyal to us and we end up with a healthy profit, which means we can book acts like this. But anyone can do it.”

Mr Cooper admitted villagers had been bemused by the booking, adding: “This is Aston Rowant - people haven’t heard of him, but everyone supports it.”

Money raised will also fund the club’s work in youth cricket and sport for the disabled. And there’s no danger of rain stopping play, with the festival taking place undercover in a barn.

And has the UK garage artist requested anything elaborate for his ‘rider’? “Nothing unusual, smiled Mr Cooper. “He’ll just receive the usual cricket club tea - a few sandwiches, a couple of crates of beer and perhaps some nice cake.”

Club chairman Paul Humphreys, from Wolvercote, said: “I shall try and have a gin and tonic with Mr Stryder on the evening. I am fairly familiar with his work, but that’s more to do with having a 16 year-old son and a 22 year-old daughter. At least I know who he is, unlike some of the other members who said ‘Tinchy who?’ and had visions of the Chilterns tweed brigade descending on the village and wondering what was going on.”

He added: “There were a few raised eyebrows, but people are used to it. Everyone understands how important Astonbury is. We’ve got big plans for the club and Astonbury is pivotal to its ongoing success.”

Tinchy said: “It’s actually my first performance at a festival this year, so I am really looking forward to it. I love performing and everything about it, so it should be a great festival. In terms of what people can expect from the show? Oh wow! Well, all I’ll say is, it can only be described in one word - Greatness.”

  • Astonbury takes place on July 12. Tickets are £20 from astonbury.net
  • Camping is available for £5.

The Prince of Grime

  • Born Kwasi Danquah III in Accra, West Africa, and raised in Bow, East London, Tinchy Stryder began making music in the late 90s, finding recognition on the capital’s ‘grime’ scene in 2000 as a pirate radio DJ alongside fellow rappers Dizzee Rascal and Wiley, whom he later joined in chart-topping grime group Roll Deep.
  • A member of production crew Ruff Sqwad, Tinchy’s debut album Star in the Hood was released in 2007, spawning singles Breakaway and Something About Your Smile.
  • His follow-up, Catch 22 went gold, reaching number two in the charts - only narrowly beaten to the top spot by Calvin Harris. It featured singles Stryderman, Take Me Back - which reached number three in the charts - and the appropriately titled chart-topping collaboration with N-Dubz called Number 1.
  • His third album Third Strike, was released in 2010 and saw Tinchy further embracing electronic dance music. It includes collaborations with singers Taio Cruz and Amelle. It also produced underground hit Game Over, featuring Tinie Tempah, Chipmunk, Example, Professor Green and Devlin.
  • In 2011, Tinchy made music history by performing his number five single Spaceship at the UEFA Champions League Final - the first rapper or contemporary artist do so. The record features the talents of N-Dubz singers Dappy and Tulisa Contostavlos.
  • His record Spinnin’ for 2012, with Dionne Broomfield, became the official Olympics Torch relay song.
  • He takes his name from his diminutive stature.

Listen to Astonbury support act Chris Ryder here:

listen to ‘Oxford Mail talk about Chris Ryder - Back West’ on Audioboom