My Day, My Way
Daily moments that matter with Tinie Tempah
When he’s not rapping or raising his family Tinie is designing the ‘Air Force One’ of prams for Silver Cross. We caught up with the busy dad of two to hear how he spends anyday
With two children under five, charity work, business ventures and a full-on music career, Tinie Tempah is a busy man. ‘It’s a whole new world, exciting and crazy,’ he says of becoming a dad. With a plan to be as hands on as possible, Tinie was surprised to find that most kids’ travel equipment is designed to appeal to women. ‘I wanted something that had a slightly more unisex, luxury aesthetic,’ says the 34-year-old father of two.
His vision became a reality after happenstance led him to tour the Skipton head office of Silver Cross. ‘I looked at their original designs and thought why is no one considering the male in all of this when it comes to design?’ he says. ‘There’s no masculine element or edge. I wanted to make the Air Force One of prams.’
And so began Tinie’s collaboration with the historic brand and the launch of Rise by Tinie, a range that includes a slick stroller, car seat and travel cot. As this exciting line comes to market, we asked Tinie how he manages to get so much done.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up?
I have a drink of water (because I don’t want to say check my phone first, like we all do!). I make sure I only check my emails, texts or the news, then, because one of my babies sings when she wakes up, I go and get her. She sings the I Love You, You Love Me song. I’ve never met another baby who goes to sleep and wakes up singing.
What does an average day at home look like for you?
After my morning has taken off I will try and do some exercise or fitness. It’s very important to me for lots of different reasons. Over the last few years I’ve become obsessed with Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Four times a week I train for either one or two hours, sometimes with a teacher at home.
What’s most likely to be on the menu for lunch?
We are a mixture of Nigerian, Mauritian, English and I guess all those influences go into the cuisine we eat. Pretty much all my adult life I’ve been travelling, so I make sure my family experiences as many different tastes and flavours as possible.
What’s the unhealthiest thing we’d find in your kitchen?
There’s a drawer that has all the naughty snacks in it – sweets like Drumstick lollies, Refreshers and other sweets from back in the day.
What kind of parent are you?
In terms of discipline I’d say I’m quite strict because the world is quite hard and people are not necessarily all nice, so it’s good to not always get your own way. Not everyone is going to dote on you. That’s not reality.
What is your favourite family ritual/tradition?
For me I need noise, music. I’ve grown up with it all my life, so I always try and make sure there’s all sorts of music playing during the day all the time. I try to make sure the kids are always dancing.
What about bedtime? Any tips for calming kids?
Usually when I’m on dad duty, we do bath time and you’re quite relaxed because the babies are relaxed. You have set the mood of the evening. To help myself get to sleep I use meditative techniques, so I imagine from the top of my head to the bottom of my toes, slowly relaxing myself. You forget how tense you are.
What’s the first thing you do when the kids are in bed?
Go back to whatever I was doing before that. There’s always something to do – whether it’s watching a box set or work. At the moment we’re watching Snowfall, an American programme with British actor Damson Idris.
What’s on your bedside table?
Weirdly lots of foreign coins, everyday jewellery, nothing valuable, and a book.
What time do you go to bed/sleep?
I’m trying to be good because I want to have a long, healthy life. So on a family day I’ll go to bed at midnight. If I’m working, it varies between 2-4am. 4am is probably the cap. As soon as you see the crack of dawn, that’s when you know your next day is entirely ruined. But in the summer, even if I stay out until the morning, I find the heat and the daylight rejuvenates me. The vitamin D gets me through the day.
