Tricky (rapper)

"Adrian Thaws" redirects here. For the album by Tricky himself, see Adrian Thaws (album). For the American record producer, see Tricky Stewart.

Tricky
Tricky in 2009
Tricky in 2009
Background information
Birth nameAdrian Nicholas Matthews Thaws
Also known as
  • Tricky Kid
  • Tricky Rock
Born (1968-01-27) 27 January 1968 (age 56)
Bristol, England
Genres
Occupations
  • Producer
  • mixer
  • musician
  • vocalist
  • actor
Years active1985–present
Labels
Member ofMassive Attack
Formerly ofThe Wild Bunch, Whale
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1998; div. 1998)​
Websitetrickysite.com

Adrian Nicholas Matthews Thaws (born 27 January 1968), better known by his stage name Tricky, is a British record producer[5] and rapper.[6] Born and raised in Bristol, in southwest England, he began his career as an early member of the band Massive Attack, alongside Robert Del Naja, Grant Marshall & Andrew Vowles. Through his work with Massive Attack and other artists, Tricky became a major figure in the Bristol underground scene, which gave rise to multiple internationally recognized artists and the music genre of trip hop.

Tricky embarked on a solo career with his debut album, Maxinquaye, in 1995. The release won Tricky popular acclaim and marked the beginning of a lengthy collaborative partnership with vocalist Martina Topley-Bird. He released four more studio albums before the end of the decade, including Pre-Millennium Tension and the pseudonymous Nearly God, both in 1996. He has gone on to release nine studio albums since 2000, most recently Fall to Pieces (2020). In 2016, he joined Massive Attack on stage for the first time in two decades while continuing his solo career.

Tricky is a pioneer of trip hop music,[1] and his work is noted for its dark, layered musical style that blends disparate cultural influences and genres, including hip hop, alternative rock, and ragga.[7] He has collaborated with a wide range of artists over the course of his career, including Terry Hall, Björk, Gravediggaz, Alanis Morissette, Grace Jones and PJ Harvey.[1]

  1. ^ a b c Thomas Erlewine, Stephen. "Tricky | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference gua was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Flick, Larry (15 February 1997). "Electronic Music Rises From Underground". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 7. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  4. ^ Boles, Benjamin (11 September 2014). "Tricky – Adrian Thaws". NOW Toronto. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  5. ^ "Tricky Interview | The End". Endclub.com. Archived from the original on 23 February 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  6. ^ Ray, Ray, ed. (2012). Alternative, Country, Hip-Hop, Rap, and More: Music from the 1980s to Today. Britannica Educational Publishing. p. 146. ISBN 978-1615309108.
  7. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Tricky – Juxtapose". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 December 2015.