TRICKY

'Adrian Thaws' (born January 27, 1968), better known as 'Tricky', is an English rapper and musician important in the trip hop and British music scene (despite loathing the "trip hop" tag). He is noted for a whispering lyrical style that is half-rapped, half-sung. As a producer and a musician, he is noted for a dark, rich and layered sound. Culturally, Tricky bridges white and black Britain, particularly in his fusion of rock and hip hop, high art and pop culture. His debut album ''Maxinquaye'' was nominated for the Mercury Prize and voted Album of the Year by ''NME'' Magazine.

Contents

Biography

Early career

Breakthrough

Idiosyncrasies and media controversies

Side projects and film career

Currently

Discography

Albums

Compilations

Singles and EPs

Collaborating artists

External links

Biography

Tricky was born in Knowle West, Bristol, England. His father left the family before he was even born and his mother, Maxine Quaye, committed suicide when he was four. He named his first solo album after her - ''Maxinquaye'' - and once said that though he hardly knew her he feels like she's speaking through him with his words.
Tricky's family includes a great diversity of ethnic backgrounds, including Jamaican, Spanish, British, Amerindian and many others. He cites that his family is incredibly varied in appearance, one cousin white, one seemingly Asian, one very dark-skinned and looking mostly of African heritage .
He spent his youth with his grandmother, who often let him watch old horror movies instead of going to school. At 15 he began to write lyrics (''"I like to rock, I like to dance, I like pretty girls taking down their pants"'' MixMag '96), though not with the ambiguity and tricky-ness that showed up later on his albums. At 17, he spent some time in prison because he bought forged £50 notes from a friend, who later informed the police. In an interview, Tricky said: ''"Prison was really good. I'm never going back"'' (NME '95).

Early career

Eventually he met DJ Milo and hung out with a sound system called The Wild Bunch, which by 1987 evolved into Massive Attack. He received the nickname 'Tricky Kid' and at 18 he became a member of the Fresh 4, a rap group built from The Wild Bunch. He also rapped on Massive Attack's acclaimed debut album ''Blue Lines'' (1991). But as soon as making music turned into a business he didn't like it anymore. Though Tricky also appeared on Massive Attack's next album, ''Protection'', he never had the feeling of being a part of the band and never really enjoyed it.
In 1991, before the release of Massive Attack's album ''Blue Lines'', he met Martina Topley-Bird. Some time later she came to his house, and mentioned to Tricky and Mark Stewart that she could sing. Martina was only fifteen years old, but her 'honey-coated vox' impressed them and they recorded a song called "Aftermath" (though The Face '95 mentions that the first song they recorded together was called "Shoebox"). Tricky showed "Aftermath" to Massive Attack, but they weren't interested. So in 1993 he decided to press a few hundreds vinyls of the song. He cut it directly off of the tape, so that the song is basically ''"just bassline and hiss"''. (NME '94). Finally, this white label got him a contract with Island Records and he started to record his first solo album.

Breakthrough

He left Massive Attack to release his debut album, ''Maxinquaye'' (named after his late mother "Maxine Quaye"). The album was a massive success and Tricky was catapulted to international fame, something he was notably uncomfortable with.
Tricky failed to complete a number of lyrics for the Massive Attack album ''Protection'' and gave the band some of the lyrics he had written for ''Maxinquaye'' instead. When Massive Attack was asked about why the lyrics were the same in a Radio interview on CFNY (Toronto) they jokingly said that it was because he was lazy. Different versions of the same songs appear on both albums - called "Overcome" and "Hell is 'Round the Corner" on ''Maxinquaye'' and "Karmacoma" and "Eurochild" on ''Protection''.
Tricky found it difficult to cope with the huge success of ''Maxinquaye'' and he subsequently eschewed the laidback soul sound of the first album to create an increasingly edgy and aggressive punk tinged music.
In 1996, the opening track of his second album ''Nearly god'' is a cover of a Siouxsie & the Banshees number called 'Tattoo'..

Idiosyncrasies and media controversies

By the time ''Pre-Millennium Tension'' was released Tricky was increasingly irritated with the press, particularly articles written in ''The Face'' magazine. ''The Face'' had been an early champion of ''Maxinquaye'', but saw Tricky as more a duo than a solo project. ''The Face'' published an article claiming that vocalist Martina Topley-Bird had to single-handedly bring up the child that Tricky had fathered, Mina Topley-Bird.
He has also been concerned with racial stereotyping of the media. In the documentary ''Naked & Famous'' he explains how photographers want him to frown angrily in photos, because that's how black artists are marketed. He points to a recent cover of ''The Big Issue'', where he has a more ambiguous, confused look on his face, as being more how he feels. In the song "Tricky Kid" from ''Pre-Millennium Tension'', he writes "As long as you're humble/Let you be the king of jungle", indicating that all black music is still judged as music from "the African jungle" and that its black fans are "savages". That same lyric was also said to be a subtle dig at rival jungle king Goldie.
In 1995 during the making of Icelandic singer Björk's album ''Post'', the two were romantically involved. The two kept this a secret from the press, feeling the tabloids would never leave them in peace. After their relationship ended, Björk began a short lived relationship with drum and bass artist Goldie with whom Tricky famously had a fist fight at a Florida night club. He contributed writing on the ''Post'' tracks "Enjoy" and "Headphones".

Side projects and film career

Tricky has guest starred on a number of albums, including a notable appearance on Live's fifth studio album, ''V''. This appearance came as Tricky and Live's lead singer Ed Kowalczyk had developed a close friendship, with Kowalczyk contributing vocals to 'Evolution Revolution Love', a track on Tricky's album ''Blowback''.
Tricky has also acted in various films. He appeared in a significant supporting role in the 1997 Luc Besson film ''The Fifth Element'', playing the right-hand man Michael to evil businessman Mr. Zorg. He reportedly put off actor Gary Oldman (who played Zorg) because, while he had his back to the camera, he was eating a Twix bar, to Oldman's anger ("He's facking eatin' a Twix!") [1]. He also appears briefly in the 2004 Olivier Assayas film ''Clean'', playing himself, and had a large role in the music video for "Parabol/Parabola" by Tool.
In 2001 Tricky appeared in online advertising for the webisodal show ''We Deliver'', [2] about a marijuana delivery service in NYC. Though he didin't actually appear in any episodes, in the advertising it appears as if he's a customer of the service.
After the release of ''Blowback'', Tricky opened for Tool with the full support of his band during Tool's Lateralus Tour in 2001 and 2002. He and Hawkman, a rapper on ''Blowback'', joined Tool on stage to perform "Opiate" and "Reflection", respectively.

Currently

Tricky's website last reports him busy at work with the musical acts signed to his Brown Punk record label. He also recently produced several new solo works that have been featured in television programs such as '', ''The L Word'' and ''Girlfriends''. As well as this Tricky contributed a track to a compilation entitled ''Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited'', the track is called "Au Revoir Emmanuelle". In October 2006, soundgenerator.com reported that Tricky will release a new album in 2007.

Discography

Albums

★ ''Maxinquaye'' (1995) '#3' UK

★ ''Nearly God'' (1996) '#10' UK

★ ''Pre-Millennium Tension'' (1996) '#30' UK, '#140' US

★ ''Angels with Dirty Faces'' (1998) '#23' UK, '#84' US

★ ''Juxtapose'' (1999) (with DJ Muggs and Grease) '#22' UK, '#182' US

★ ''Blowback'' (2001) '#34' UK, '#138' US

★ ''Vulnerable'' (2003)

Compilations

★ ''A Ruff Guide'' (2002)

Singles and EPs

Year	Song	UK singles	Album
1994	"Ponderosa"	-	''Maxinquaye''
1995	"Aftermath"	69	''Maxinquaye''
1995	"Overcome"	34	''Maxinquaye''
1995	"Black Steel"	28	''Maxinquaye''
1995	"The Hell EP" ''(Tricky vs. Tha Gravediggaz)''	12	also appears on ''
1995	"Pumpkin"	26	''Maxinquaye''
1996	"Poems"	28	''Nearly God''
1996	"Grassroots EP"	-	''-''
1996	"Christiansands"	36	''Pre-Millennium Tension''
1997	"Tricky Kid"	28	''Pre-Millennium Tension''
1997	"Makes Me Wanna Die"	29	''Pre-Millennium Tension''
1998	"Money Greedy" / "Broken Homes"	25	''Angels with Dirty Faces''
1999	"For Real"	45	''Juxtapose''
2000	"Mission Accomplished EP"	-	''-''
2001	"Evolution Revolution Love"	-	''Blowback''
2002	"You Don't Wanna"	-	''Blowback''
2004	"Anti Matter"	-	''Vulnerable''
2004	"How High"	-	''Vulnerable''

Collaborating artists

★ Afrika Islam (Here Come The Aliens)

★ Damon Albarn (unreleased song intended for Nearly God)

★ Ambersunshower

★ Björk

★ Pete Briquette

★ Rob Cavallo

★ Greg Cohen

★ Cath Coffey

★ Lisa Coleman

★ Elvis Costello

★ Neneh Cherry

★ Carmen Ejogo

★ Flo

★ Nelly Furtado

★ Garbage

★ Alison Goldfrapp

★ Gravediggaz

★ Terry Hall

★ PJ Harvey

★ Chesney Hawkes

★ Scott Ian

★ Inner Circle

★ Grace Jones

★ Josh Klinghoffer

★ Ed Kowalczyk of Live

★ Cyndi Lauper

★ Mad Dog

★ Massive Attack

★ Wendy Melvoin

★ Alanis Morissette

★ Mos Def

★ Alison Moyet

★ DJ Muggs

★ Paul Oakenfold

★ Tim Pierce

★ Red Hot Chili Peppers

★ Marc Ribot

★ Mark Saunders

★ Jane Scarpantoni

★ Terranova

★ Mark Thwaite

★ Martina Topley-Bird

★ Tool

★ Zeb

External links

★ TrickyOnline

★ Tricky at Brown Punk

★ Tricky at Myspace

★ Brown Punk Myspace

★ Tricky at Hollywood Records

★ Tricky at Music Map

★ Very detailed Biography

★ Audio Samples at Last.fm

★