Tinny The Hit Maker

Tinny While most hiplife artistes are working towards landing major leads, one hiplife artiste that continues to come out with hit songs one after the other is Tinny Nii Addokwei Quaynor. He takes everything he does to the next level.

For Tinny also known as Aletse Kankpe, Fire Starter, Buffalo soldier and Dreadlock Kankpe, it is hiplife and his family that laid the foundation for his success. Many young guys and girls in Ghana and abroad have adopted and embraced the kind of style he raps.

Born to Ricky Tetteh Quaynor and Naa Badu Quaynor at Osu (no wonder he keeps mentioning his parents name in his songs - 'Ricky Naa Badu Nakutso bi)', young Tinny had his elementary education at Osu Salem JSS and then proceeded to Okuapeman Secondary School.

When he was at Osu Salem JSS, he formed a group by name Nature and Agony where he was doing English and Twi songs. Agony did not like the idea of Tinny's father managing them thus he left the group.

Tinny who has performed at Kiddafest, Fun World and other shows then went solo to perform at ?Ecstasy Promotions? where he chalked the 1st position. When he got to Okuapeman Secondary School, his dad booked sessions for him with Hammer of the Last 2 which landed him into being part of the Last 2 family as a 'foot soldier'.

It wasn?t easy for Tinny to come out because a lot of producers thought Ga rap would not go far and as such did not want to produce him. However, his dream of making it to the top of the hiplife ladder came true when Hammer of the Last 2 secured a deal for him with Abraham Ohene Djan (CEO of OM Studios).

Since Abraham was carried away by his impressive lyrical flow after listening to his album, he agreed to produce him.

With beat maker like Hammer at the helm of things, the young gem decided to use the name Tinny because it was his real name and blasted onto the Ghanaian music scene in 2003 with ?Makola Kwakwe?. He quickly became a sensation, gracing events and dominating radio and TV in his category.

Bombing with charisma, confidence and raw lyrical talent, Tinny?s fame increased when he featured on the remix of ?Oye Ohene?.

His remarkable accomplishments include songs with Dogo, Obrafour, K.K. Fosu, Etuoaboba, Bandana, FBS and Okra. He goes on to bless Obrafour?s Execution Diary with his voice on a track called I Believe I Can Fly (Heko Ejorko).

Tinny again manifests himself in the rap community as he teams up with FBS for their smash hit ?Old Man Boogie?. Tinny?s sultry Ga flow is always hot and will always shine as long as he does Ga raps.

Tinny, perhaps the most consistent hiplife rapper to emerge from the Nature and Agony group, is currently in the lab recording his second album titled ?Tinny? which will be out very soon and will likewise be topping the local charts.

The upcoming album which comprises raglife, highlife and hiplife songs is packed with some of the finest artistes in the music industry such as Adane Best, Batman, Okyeame Quame, Quata, Okra, and Reggie Rockstone.

He dedicates the album to God, everyone who was born on Tuesday and his fans especially the ladies. To show appreciation to the ladies for supporting him, he has a track called ?Negbe Yei Yoo? for them.

In an interview with Tinny, he said ?my first album was a hit because I came out with a new style that people loved and due to that it was a success?.

The prolific hiplife artiste has managed to win awards like the New Artiste of the year at both Ghana Music Awards 2004 and Ghana Music Awards UK 2004 and a Youth Excellence award for being the ?Youth Musician of the year 2003?. He was also awarded for being the Best Guest Entertainment Musical Artiste by Great Lamptey Mills.

?I felt happy and good that people recognized me in that year and also in the music industry? he added.

Tinny?s life has changed gears. He?s now the No.1 sought after hiplife artiste and everything about Tinny is crystal clear that he is a crowd puller.

After his sterling performances at ?A Nite with the Stars?, ?U ?Touch Jam?, ?Face of Legon?, ?Obour?s tour?, the ?Launching of ?Old Man Boogie? and ?A Nite With the Stars UK?, the focus still remains on his every move.

The Prince of Ga rap who hopes to build his own studio is coming out with a record label called Kankpe Records which will help up and coming artistes.

When it comes to annihilating hiplife rappers, no man is safe from Ghana?s Tinny. He would rather die in a hall of lyrical gunfire than face defeat as he has blessed Dr Duncan?s ?Kasahari? (rap) programme a number off times.

Tinny has managed to dive into an ocean full of sharks, swim contentedly and emerged unscathed and thinks hiplife has a future, and has really achieved the success most people can only dream of.

The last born of the Quaynor family, he wants to use this means to promise his fans that he is not going off the game until the bones are rotten, advice the youth to abstain from sex and hard drugs.

2003 and 2004 was his year. He rode it like he owned it, putting his unique stamp on every song he touched. Tinny?s career is the result of great recipes: writing good songs and knowing the right of people to deal with.