Tricky (rapper) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tricky
|
|
|---|---|
Tricky in 2009
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Adrian Nicholas Matthews Thaws |
| Also known as |
|
| Born | 27 January 1968 Bristol, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Labels | |
Adrian Nicholas Matthews Thaws (born 27 January 1968), known as Tricky, is an English musician and producer. He was born and grew up in Bristol, England. Tricky started his music journey as an early member of the band Massive Attack. This group was very important in the Bristol underground scene. This scene helped create a new music style called trip hop.
Tricky began his solo music career in 1995 with his first album, Maxinquaye. This album was very popular and started his long work with singer Martina Topley-Bird. He released many more albums, including Pre-Millennium Tension and Nearly God. Tricky has released many albums since 2000, with his most recent being Fall to Pieces in 2020. In 2016, he performed with Massive Attack again after 20 years.
Tricky is known as a leader in trip hop music. His songs often have a deep, layered sound. He mixes different music styles like hip hop, alternative rock, and ragga. He has worked with many famous artists like Björk, Alanis Morissette, and PJ Harvey.
Contents
Tricky's Early Life and Background
Adrian Nicholas Matthews Thaws was born on 27 January 1968 in Knowle West, Bristol. His mother passed away when he was four years old. Tricky spent his childhood living with his grandmother. She often let him watch old movies instead of going to school. When he was 15, he started writing song lyrics. At 17, he had a difficult experience that led to him spending some time in a youth facility. He later said this experience helped him.
Tricky's Music Career
Starting with The Wild Bunch and Massive Attack (1987–1994)
In the mid-1980s, Tricky joined a music group called The Wild Bunch. This group later became the famous band Massive Attack by 1987. Tricky was given the nickname "Tricky Kid." When he was 18, he became part of Fresh 4, a rap group from the Wild Bunch. He also rapped on Massive Attack's first album, Blue Lines (1991).
In 1991, Tricky met Martina Topley-Bird in Bristol. She was only 15 but had an amazing singing voice. They recorded a song called "Aftermath." Tricky showed this song to Massive Attack, but they were not interested. In 1993, he made a few hundred copies of the song on vinyl. This led to him getting a record deal with Island Records in 1995. He then started recording his first solo album, Maxinquaye.
Solo Success and New Sounds (1995–2001)
Tricky left Massive Attack to release his first solo album, Maxinquaye. He co-produced it with Mark Saunders. Martina Topley-Bird sang on many songs. The album was a big hit, and Tricky became famous around the world. He was not always comfortable with this sudden fame.
Rolling Stone magazine said that Tricky's album mixed many styles. These included American hip-hop, soul, reggae, and British rock. Authors David Hesmondhalgh and Caspar Melville wrote that Tricky used parts of different songs to create his unique sound. He mixed respected black music with pop songs. This helped him create a new and exciting dance music style.
Tricky found it hard to deal with the huge success of Maxinquaye. He then changed his music style. He moved away from the calm soul sound of his first album. He started making music that was more edgy and had a punk feel.
In 1996, famous singers Neneh Cherry and Björk were guests on his second album, Nearly God. The first song on the album was a cover of "Tattoo" by Siouxsie and the Banshees. This song had inspired Tricky's own music style. In 2001, Tricky's song "Excess" was on the Thirteen Ghosts movie soundtrack. Alanis Morissette sang briefly on this track.
Later Albums and Collaborations (2002–Present)
Tricky's album Knowle West Boy came out in 2008. The first song from this album was "Council Estate." Tricky was the only singer on this song. He said it was the first time he sang loudly on a single. He wanted to be a strong lead singer for that song.
In December 2009, Tricky's first album Maxinquaye was re-released. It included extra songs and mixes that had not been heard before. Around this time, there were talks about Tricky working with Massive Attack again. Tricky later said they recorded a few good songs together. However, he also mentioned that he could not spend too much time with the band.
Tricky's ninth album, Mixed Race, was released in 2010. This album featured many guest artists. In 2011, Tricky helped produce a song called "It Beats Like This" for the band My Black Heart Machine. He also produced rapper Omni's album IamOmni in 2011.
On 26 June 2011, Tricky performed with American singer Beyoncé at the Glastonbury Festival. He later said he was very embarrassed by his performance. He felt his body froze on stage.
In April 2012, Tricky performed Maxinquaye live with Martina Topley-Bird in the UK. These concerts sometimes had unexpected moments. Tricky would invite his younger brother and other local rappers to perform. He also encouraged audience members to come on stage. Some reviews described these shows as messy, with Tricky sometimes leaving the stage or forgetting his lyrics.
In February 2013, Tricky announced a new album called False Idols. He said he was very proud of every song on this album. He explained that he was making the music he wanted to make, just like he did with his first record.
Tricky released another album called Adrian Thaws in 2014. In 2016, he released Skilled Mechanics. He also worked on a song with 3D from Massive Attack for their EP Ritual Spirit. His thirteenth album, ununiform, came out in 2017. It included songs with Asia Argento and Martina Topley-Bird. Polish singer Marta Złakowska joined Tricky's band as a guest singer for his 2017 tour.
Tricky's autobiography was released in October 2019. His EP 20,20 came out in March 2020, featuring the song Lonely Dancer with singer Anika. His next album, Fall to Pieces, was released in September 2020. This album featured singers Marta and Oh Land. In October 2021, Tricky released a new album under the name 'Lonely Guest'. This album included collaborations with Lee "Scratch" Perry and Joe Talbot.
In March 2023, the album When It's Going Wrong was released. This was a collaboration between Tricky and Marta. In April 2023, the German electro pop duo Berlin Banter released the single I'll Wait featuring Tricky.
Other Projects and Acting Roles
Tricky has appeared as a guest on several other artists' albums. For example, he was on Live's album V. He also sang on Live's song "Evolution Revolution Love" for his own album Blowback.
Tricky has also acted in movies. He had an important role in the 1997 film The Fifth Element. He played "Right Arm," who worked for the character Mr. Zorg. He also appeared briefly in the 2004 film Clean, playing himself. Tricky was also in the music video for "Parabol/Parabola" by Tool. His song "Christiansands" was featured in the movie Face/Off. Tricky also played a musician named Finn in the TV show Girlfriends.
In 2007, Tricky and former Island Records executive Chris Blackwell started a record label called Brown Punk. Tricky said that Brown Punk was about mixing different people and music styles.
Tricky's Unique Style and Media Views
By 1996, Tricky was becoming frustrated with how the British media wrote about him. Some articles suggested that his music was more of a duo with Martina Topley-Bird, rather than his solo work.
Tricky has also spoken about how the media sometimes used stereotypes about his race. In a documentary, he said that photographers often wanted him to look angry in pictures. He pointed to a magazine cover where he looked calmer, saying it showed how he really felt. In his song "Tricky Kid," he sang about staying humble.
Tricky's music often mixes different types of sounds, making it hard to put into one category. His lyrics also explore ideas about gender and identity in a way that is not always clear, which is different from typical hip-hop.
Tricky's Personal Life
Tricky has shared that he had a challenging childhood. He moved between different family members and did not stay in one home for long. He has many siblings from his father's side.
In the 1990s, Tricky had a brief relationship with Icelandic singer-songwriter Björk. He later said that he felt she was very good to him and showed him a lot of love. He was also briefly married to Carmen Ejogo in 1998.
Tricky had a daughter named Mina Mazy, born in 1995, with Martina Topley-Bird. Sadly, Mina passed away on 8 May 2019. Tricky shared that he felt a deep emptiness after her passing.
In 2015, Tricky moved to live in Berlin, Germany. He later moved to Toulouse, France.
Images for kids
-
Tricky performing in 2008
-
Tricky at the 2009 INmusic festival in Zagreb, Croatia
-
Tricky performing in Barcelona, 2008
