Tink (musician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tink
Tink performing at NXNE in 2015
Background information
Birth name	Trinity Laure'Ale Home
Born	(1995-03-18) March 18, 1995 (age 30) Calumet City, Illinois, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop R&B
Occupation(s)	Rapper singer songwriter
Years active	2011–present
Labels	Epic Mosley Music Makasound Machine Sony RED Empire

Trinity Laure'Ale Home (born March 18, 1995), known by her stage name Tink, is an American rapper and R&B singer. She comes from Chicago, Illinois. She became famous after signing with music producer Timbaland's company, Mosley Music Group, which is part of Epic Records.

In 2014, she released her first single, "Treat Me Like Somebody." Her song "Million" in 2015 even made it onto a special music chart called the Bubbling Under Hot 100. Both songs were produced by Timbaland. Tink was also chosen as one of the top new artists in 2015 by XXL magazine.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Trinity Home was born on March 18, 1995, in Calumet City, Illinois. Her friends gave her the nickname Tink when she was in elementary school, and she has used it ever since. Tink started singing in church when she was just five years old. By age 11, she was already writing her own songs.

She went to high school at Chicago's Simeon Career Academy. There, she joined the school choir and performed in talent shows. She loved English class because it helped her become a better writer. When she was 15, she began rapping and recording music in her father's basement studio. At 16, she and her brother shared a video of her rapping freely over a song on Facebook. This video quickly got a lot of attention in her local area.

Tink's Music Journey

Starting Out: Mixtapes and Big Deals (2011–2014)

Tink's music career officially started in 2011 with her first mixtape, Winter's Diary. She released this while still in high school. A mixtape is like an album, but it's often released independently by artists to share their music with fans. She released two more mixtapes in 2012: Alter Ego and Blunts & Ballads.

In 2013, she released her fourth mixtape, Boss Up. She also worked with another music group called Future Brown on their song "Wanna Party." All this buzz led her to meet with big record company executives in Los Angeles. Even then, Tink said she was happy to stay an independent artist, meaning she didn't want to sign with a major label yet.

Her next mixtape, Winter's Diary 2: Forever Yours, was a big hit. Rolling Stone and Billboard magazines both named it one of the best R&B albums of 2014. In 2014, Tink performed at a big music festival called South by Southwest (SXSW). She also released a song with Sleigh Bells called "That Did It." Later that year, she signed a deal with Timbaland's Mosley Music Group, which is part of Epic Records.

Working with Timbaland and New Challenges (2014–2017)

Tink planned to release her first official studio album, Think Tink, in 2015. It was supposed to include her single "Ratchet Commandments." Timbaland, her producer, even said that a famous singer named Aaliyah had appeared to him and said Tink was "the one." Tink later performed a song that used a sample from Aaliyah's hit "One in a Million." This song, called "Million," was released in April 2015.

Think Tink was supposed to come out in July 2015, but Timbaland decided to delay it. Tink explained that the album was actually finished, but Timbaland wanted to make it even more perfect. However, Tink felt frustrated because she couldn't share new music with her fans. So, she went back to making mixtapes, which had made her popular in the first place. She released Winter's Diary 3, which included her famous song "I Like."

In 2016, Tink released more songs and her seventh mixtape, Winter's Diary 4. Rolling Stone magazine listed it as one of the "40 Best Rap Albums of 2016."

By 2017, Tink took a break from social media. She later explained that she hadn't spoken to Timbaland in months. She started looking for a way to leave her contract with Mosley Music Group. By the end of the year, she reached an agreement and got the rights to her unreleased music back. Tink became an independent artist again. She decided she didn't want to release any of the songs she made with Timbaland and wanted to start fresh.

Becoming Independent and New Albums (2018–Present)

In January 2018, all of Tink's mixtapes became available on streaming services. After leaving Mosley Music Group and Epic Records, Tink released her first EP (Extended Play, which is shorter than an album) called Pain & Pleasure in March 2018.

On April 28, 2019, Tink released the mixtape Voicemails with Empire Distribution. The main song from it was "Bad Side."

Tink then released the album Hopeless Romantic on February 14, 2020. On July 30, 2021, she released her second album, Heat of the Moment.

Tink's Musical Style

Tink's music style is a mix of R&B and rap. She has been compared to other famous artists like Lauryn Hill and Da Brat. Her first mixtape, Winter's Diary, mostly featured R&B songs. But her second mixtape, Alter Ego, showed off her rapping skills. Since then, her mixtapes have combined both her singing and rapping talents.

Some of her early songs had a style similar to "Drill" music, which is a type of hip hop from Chicago with strong beats. However, Tink has moved away from that style. She wants her music to be "a positive, realistic vision of female empowerment."

Many of her song lyrics talk about feelings and issues that teenagers often face, like love, heartbreak, and being true to yourself. She often uses her hometown of Chicago in her songs to help tell these stories. People have praised Tink for how well she tells stories through her music. Her songs also touch on important topics like female empowerment and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Tink's Music Releases

Tink has released many studio albums, mixtapes, and EPs throughout her career.

Studio Albums

• Hopeless Romantic (2020)
• Heat of the Moment (2021)
• Pillow Talk (2022)
• Thanks 4 Nothing (2023)
• Winter's Diary 5 (2024)

Mixtapes

• Winter's Diary (2012)
• Alter Ego (2012)
• Blunts & Ballads (2012)
• Boss Up (2013)
• Winter's Diary 2: Forever Yours (2014)
• Winter's Diary 3 (2015)
• Winter's Diary 4 (2016)
• Voicemails (2019)

Extended Plays (EPs)

• Pain & Pleasure (2018)
• A Gift and a Curse (2020)

Popular Songs (Singles)

Tink has released many singles, both as the main artist and by featuring on other artists' songs. Some of her well-known songs include:

• "Treat Me Like Somebody" (2014)
• "Million" (2015)
• "I Like" (2015)
• "Cut It Out" (2020)
• "Selfish" (featuring Yung Bleu) (2021)
• "Cater" (with 2 Chainz) (2022)