Tinie Tempah used to be "very nervous" of fame.
The 28-year-old musician has admitted he never used to be able to handle his celebrity status and the recognition he would receive from the public if he took public transport, although now he has embraced it and believes people are "more intimidated" by him.
Speaking about how he handles his fame to Eurostar Metropolitan magazine, the ‘Written In The Stars’ hitmaker said: "I took the tube to the airport the other day. I used to be very nervous of fame: shy, head down. Now I’ve realised people are more intimidated by me than I am by them.
"I’m like a spider on the Underground."
And the vocalist has revealed he has studied up and coming artists every moment of the day so he can "absorb everything" about them, including the jokes they make, to help him develop his own music and stand out as an individual artist.
Tinie – who has been working on his latest album ‘Youth’ – explained: "Even when I go to bed, I’m still thinking about this. I watch every single type of musician, everything about them: what they wear, how they talk, what their videos like, what jokes they make. I watch and absorb everything.
"I’m not trying to be like an American rapper, I’m doing it my own way."
And Tinie – whose full name is Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu – has hinted he doesn’t want to be a celebrity known for "scandals", and has likened himself to a tortoise because he would rather progress slowly with his future than do something to tarnish his title for the sake of being known.
He said: "There’s a level of scandal that makes you more famous.
"Those are the people who are talked about, who break the internet. Bur form I guess it’s a tortoise and hare race."
Tinie Tempah used to be ‘very nervous’ of fame
