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Tink (musician)

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Tink
Tink performing at NXNE in 2015
Background information
Birth nameTrinity Laure'Ale Home
Born (1995-03-18) March 18, 1995 (age 29)[1]
Calumet City, Illinois, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
Years active2011–present
Labels
Websitethisistink.com

Trinity Laure'Ale Home (born March 18, 1995), better known by her stage name Tink, is an American rapper and R&B singer from Chicago, Illinois. She signed with record producer Timbaland's Mosley Music Group, an imprint of Epic Records to release her 2014 debut single, "Treat Me Like Somebody". Her 2015 single, "Million", entered the Bubbling Under Hot 100. Both produced by Timbaland, the songs were intended to precede her debut studio album Think Tink, although disagreements with the producer led her to part ways with the label in 2017.

Tink was chosen as part of the XXL 2015 Freshman Class.[2]

Early life and education

Trinity Laure'Ale Home was born on March 18, 1995, in Calumet City, Illinois.[3][4] Home was nicknamed Tink by friends in elementary school and she has used the name ever since.[3][5] Tink started singing in church when she was five years old[6][7] and began writing songs at age 11, including some for her father's friends.[8] She attended high school at Chicago's Simeon Career Academy where she participated in talent shows[3] and joined the school choir.[7] English was one of her favorite subjects because it helped her become a stronger writer.[9] She started rapping and recording music in her father's basement studio at the age of 15.[10] At age 16, she and her brother posted a clip of her freestyling over Clipse's "Grindin'" to Facebook and received local buzz.[3][6]

Career

2011–2014: Winter's Diary 2 and Timbaland

Tink's career officially began with the release of her 2011's mixtape, Winter's Diary, while she was still in high school under Lyrical Eyes Management.[11] In 2012, she followed that up with two more mixtape releases Alter Ego and Blunts & Ballads.[12][13] In 2013, she released her fourth mixtape, Boss Up, and she was featured on Future Brown's debut single "Wanna Party".[14] In 2013, the buzz surrounding her mixtape releases and her collaboration with Future Brown, which led her to have a meeting with record executives in Los Angeles. At the time, Tink noted that she was comfortable staying independent.[12]

Tink's next mixtape, Winter's Diary 2: Forever Yours, which was named the eighth-best R&B album of 2014 by Rolling Stone and the ninth-best R&B album of 2014 by Billboard.[15][16] In 2014, Tink performed alongside Sleigh Bells at South by Southwest (SXSW), and the acts released a joint single, "That Did It," on the same year.[17] She also collaborated with Kelela on a song, titled "Want It" and collaborated with Jeremih on a song, titled "Don't Tell Nobody".[18] In October 2014, Tink signed a deal with Timbaland's Mosley Music Group, an imprint of Epic Records. Tink appeared in the Worldstar Hip Hop documentary showcasing Chicago's burgeoning Hip Hop scene titled "The Field: Chicago" in January 2014.

2014–2017: ThinkTink and label issues

Her debut studio album had been scheduled to be released in 2015[3][19] and was preceded by the single "Ratchet Commandments".[20][21] Timbaland made headlines in 2015 by indicating at SXSW that Aaliyah had appeared to him and described Tink as "the one." Tink would later perform an unreleased track that samples Aaliyah's "One in a Million".[22] In April 2015, the unreleased track, now titled "Million", was released.[23]

Epic scheduled a July 2015 release for Think Tink but Timbaland decided to delay the project. "The album was actually finished. There was an intro, I had interludes." Tink told the FADER in February 2018. "It was [Timbaland's] call to hold back on it, and I think, I want to say, for the benefit of the doubt, he did want to perfect it. But it was Tim's call not to put it out."[24] Frustrated by Mosley and Epic's resistance to letting her share new material with her fans, Tink returned to the formula that had initially earned her a loyal following, and released her third mixtape in the Winter's Diary series called Winter's Diary 3[25] which featured one of her most famous songs to date named "I Like".

In 2016, Tink released several tracks throughout the beginning of the year and dropped her seventh mixtape named Winter's Diary 4. The mixtape was mentioned on Rolling Stone's "40 Best Rap Albums of 2016" and ended up on number 20.

In 2017, Tink released few songs and had a six month long social media break, the reason for which would later become clear. In a February 2017 interview, Tink told DJ Vlad that she hadn't spoken to Timbaland in three months and said that the ball was still in his court when it came to releasing Think Tink. That spring, she began to seek a permanent solution that would get her out of her contract with Mosley, eventually reaching an agreement with the label at the end of the year with the rights to her unreleased music. Tink is now an independent artist. She does not have any interest in releasing any of her songs with Timbaland as she wants to start from scratch.[24]

2018–2020: Independence, Pain & Pleasure and Hopeless Romantic

In January 2018, Tink's mixtape catalog appeared on all streaming services. After leaving Mosley Music Group and Epic Records, Tink released her first EP Pain & Pleasure in March 2018 through Machine Entertainment Group and Sony RED.[26]

In 2019, Tink founded her own label, Winter's Diary, under Empire.[27] On April 28, 2019, she released the mixtape Voicemails, through Winter's Diary and Empire. The lead single was Bad Side.[28]

Tink released the album Hopeless Romantic through Winter's Diary and Empire on February 14, 2020.[29]

2021–present: Heat of the Moment

On July 30, 2021, Tink released her second album Heat of the Moment, which was executive produced by Hitmaka.[30]

Musical style

Tink has been compared to Lauryn Hill, Ms. Jade and Da Brat.[3][10][13] Her first mixtape, Winter's Diary, was largely filled with R&B ballads, but her second mixtape, Alter Ego, established her rapping skills. Her subsequent mixtapes have blended her R&B and rap styles.[12][13] Tink has also been loosely associated with the Drill movement that was birthed in Chicago. Some of her early songs (like "Bad Girl") display some of the genre's hallmarks like aggressive beats and violent lyrics. She has since distanced herself from that movement, saying that she wants to become "a positive, realistic vision of female empowerment."[3]

Much of the lyrical content in her music deals with complex emotional issues[3] that are geared toward a primarily teenage demographic. She often uses a Chicago setting to convey her feelings about love, heartbreak, faithfulness, and teenage melodrama.[8][10] Tink has been praised for her storytelling ability.[12] Her music has also taken on issues like female empowerment and the Black Lives Matter movement.[3][10]

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums
Title Details Peak chart positions
US
[31] 		US
R&B/HH
[32] 		US
R&B
[33] 		US
Ind.
[34]
Hopeless Romantic 99 — 12 11
Heat of the Moment
  • Released: July 30, 2021
  • Label: Winter's Diary, Empire
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
 54 31 5 7
Pillow Talk
  • Released: August 19, 2022
  • Label: Winter's Diary, Empire
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
 43 25 9 8
Thanks 4 Nothing
  • Released: February 24, 2023
  • Label: Winter's Diary, Empire
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
 147 — 22 25
Winter's Diary 5
  • Released: July 12, 2024
  • Label: Winter's Diary, Empire
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
 140 48 14 24

Mixtapes

List of mixtapes
Title Album details
Winter's Diary[35]
  • Released: March 14, 2012
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
Alter Ego[36]
  • Released: July 20, 2012
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
Blunts & Ballads[37]
  • Released: December 28, 2012
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
Boss Up[38]
  • Released: September 30, 2013
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
Winter's Diary 2: Forever Yours[39]
  • Released: January 10, 2014
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
Winter's Diary 3[39]
  • Released: July 30, 2015
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
Winter's Diary 4[40]
  • Released: August 25, 2016
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
Voicemails[41]
  • Released: April 28, 2019
  • Label: Winter's Diary, Empire
  • Format: Digital download

Extended plays

List of extended plays
Title EP details Peak chart positions
US
[31] 		US
R&B
[33] 		US
Ind.
[34]
Pain & Pleasure[42]
  • Released: March 30, 2018
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
 147 19 15
A Gift and a Curse
  • Released: December 25, 2020
  • Label: Winter's Diary, Empire
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
 — — 44

Singles

As lead artist

List of singles, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US
Bub.
[43] 		US
R&B/HH
[44] 		US
Elec.
[45] 		UK
[46]
"Treat Me Like Somebody" 2014 — — — —[A] Winter's Diary 2: Forever Yours
"Lullaby" — — — —
"Ratchet Commandments" 2015 — —[B] — — Non-album singles
"Million" 14 38 — —
"I Like" — — — — Winter's Diary 3
"Wet Dollars"
(featuring Tazer) 		— — 33 63 Non-album single
"Modern Wave" — — — — Winter's Diary 4
"Different" 2018 — — — — Voicemails
"M.I.A" — — — — Pain & Pleasure (EP)
"Get You Home" — — — —
"Bad Side" 2019 — — — — Voicemails
"Fuck Around" — — — — Hopeless Romantic
"Cut It Out" 2020 — — — —
"Bottom Bitch" 2021 — —[C] — — A Gift and a Curse
"Selfish"
(featuring Yung Bleu) 		2021 — — — — Heat of the Moment
"Rebel"
(featuring Jeremih) 		— —[D] — —
"Heat of the Moment" — —[E] — —
"Cater"
(with 2 Chainz) 		2022 —[F] —[G] — — Pillow Talk
"Goofy" — — — —
"Switch" — — — —
"Fake Love" 2023 — —[H] — — Thanks 4 Nothing
"Stingy"
(with Yung Bleu) 		— — — — Thanks 4 Nothing and Love Scars II
"40x" — — — — Non-album single
"Charged Up" 2024 — — — — Winter's Diary 5
"Huh" — — — —
"Songs About U"
(with Summer Walker) 		— — — —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart.
List of singles as featured performer, showing year released and album name
Title Year Album
"Wanna Party"
(Future Brown featuring Tink) 		2013 Wanna Party / World's Mine
"That Did It"
(Sleigh Bells featuring Tink) 		2014 Non-album single
"Can't Sleep Love"
(Pentatonix featuring Tink) 		2015 Pentatonix
"Work"
(Bekoe featuring Moneydudetazo and Tink) 		Illanoize
"UFO"
(Timbaland featuring Future and Tink) 		Non-album single
"Rock Steady"
(Paris Libretto featuring Tink)
"Outta Line"
(Jacquees featuring Tink) 		2016
"Mine"
(G Herbo featuring Tink) 		2017 Humble Beast
"G.M.O. (Got My Own)" (Mýa featuring Tink) 2018 Non-album single
"Black Men Don't Cheat" (K Camp featuring Ari Lennox, 6lack and Tink) 2020 Kiss Five

Guest appearances

List of non-single guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album name
Title Year Other performer(s) Album
"Temporary" 2015 Saba —
"Put The Guns Down" R. Kelly Chi-Raq (Soundtrack)
"Frenemies" Timbaland, Sy Ari Da Kid King Stays King
"Tables Turn" Timbaland, Obsessed
"Drama Queen" Timbaland
"If He Find Out" Lil Bibby, Jacquees Free Crack 3
"All Falls Down" 2016 Chocolate Droppa Kevin Hart: What Now? (The Mixtape Presents Chocolate Droppa)
"Senses" 2017 Mack Wilds AfterHours
"Girls Need Love (Girls Mix)"[54] 2023 Summer Walker
Victoria Monét
Tyla 		—

References

  1. ^ Home, Trinity. "Tweet by Tink". Twitter. Tweet. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  2. ^ "2015 XXL Freshman Class Revealed". BallerStatus.com. June 3, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wortham, Jenna (February 17, 2015). "Meet Tink, A New Voice For Proudly Imperfect Women". The FADER. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  4. ^ "The New New: 15 Female Rappers You Should Know". XXL. December 2, 2013. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  5. ^ Tietjen, Alexa (February 23, 2015). "Who The Hell Is... Tink?". VH1. Archived from the original on February 24, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  6. ^ a b Ramirez, Erika (March 28, 2013). "Tink Talks Chicago Rap Scene & Female Rappers; Premieres 'All That' Song". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  7. ^ a b Droppo, Dana (January 21, 2014). "Interview: Tink Talks About Rapping, Singing and the New Voices of Chicago". Complex. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  8. ^ a b Soldner, Anna (October 17, 2013). "Meet Tink, the Chicago Native Who Sings and Raps Better Than You Do". Bullett Media. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  9. ^ "Get to know Tink, Chicago's rising teen rap queen". The Mash. July 31, 2012. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  10. ^ a b c d Stone, Zak (December 9, 2013). "Gen F: Tink". The Fader. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  11. ^ Kramer, Kyle (January 30, 2014). "Tink – 'Winter's Diary 2'". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  12. ^ a b c d "Introducing... Chicago newcomer Tink". Fact. October 6, 2013. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  13. ^ a b c Lester, Paul (January 7, 2014). "Tink (New band of the day No 1,672)". The Guardian. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  14. ^ Ortiz, Edwin (August 2, 2013). "Premiere: Future Brown f/ Tink – 'Wanna Party'". Complex. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  15. ^ "20 Best R&B Albums of 2014". Rolling Stone. December 15, 2014. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  16. ^ Leight, Elias; Horowitz, Steven J. (December 11, 2014). "The 10 Best R&B Albums of 2014". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  17. ^ Vozick-Levinson, Simon (November 18, 2014). "Hear Sleigh Bells' Fiery Collaboration With Chicago Rapper Tink". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  18. ^ Garvey, Meaghan (April 29, 2014). "Stream: Tink f. Jeremih, "Don't Tell Nobody (Final)"". The Fader. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  19. ^ Garvey, Meaghan (November 23, 2014). "Get Hip to Tink's Best Songs Before Her Debut Album Drops Next Year". Complex. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  20. ^ Zonyee, Dominique (March 4, 2015). "Tink Performs 'Ratchet Commandments' With Timbaland in Chicago [VIDEO]". The Boombox. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  21. ^ Torres, Eric (March 4, 2015). "Tink – 'Ratchet Commandments'". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  22. ^ "Timbaland Was Tink's Hype Man at the FADER FORT Presented by Converse Tonight". The Fader. March 21, 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  23. ^ "New Music: Tink – 'Million'". Rap-Up. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  24. ^ a b "Tink is finally free".
  25. ^ "Winter's Diary 3". HNHH. July 30, 2015.
  26. ^ "Stream: Tink shares first project since exiting her former label, 'Pain & Pleasure'". Revolt. April 1, 2018. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  27. ^ "Digital Cover Story 45: Tink". Equate Magazine. September 7, 2022.
  28. ^ "Tink Releases New Mixtape Voicemails: Listen". Pitchfork. April 29, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  29. ^ "Hopeless Romantic by Tink". Apple Music.
  30. ^ Gage, Dewayne (September 15, 2021). "Tink Seizes the Moment". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  31. ^ a b "Tink Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  32. ^ "Tink Chart History: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  33. ^ a b "Tink Chart History: Top R&B Albums". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  34. ^ a b "Tink Chart History: Independent Albums". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  35. ^ "'Winter's Diary'". DatPiff. March 14, 2012. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  36. ^ "Alter Ego". DatPiff. July 30, 2012. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  37. ^ "Blunts & Ballads". Live Mixtapes. January 28, 2013. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  38. ^ "Mixtape: Tink – 'Boss Up'". Complex. September 30, 2013. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  39. ^ a b "'Winter's Diary 2: Forever Yours'". DatPiff. January 10, 2014. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  40. ^ "Tink - Winter's Diary 4". HNHH. August 25, 2016.
  41. ^ "Tink Releases New Mixtape Voicemails: Listen". Pitchfork. April 29, 2019. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  42. ^ "Tink announces Pain & Pleasure EP". The Fader. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  43. ^ "Tink". Billboard.
  44. ^ http://www.billboard.com/artist/6327877/tink/chart?f=367 [dead link‍]
  45. ^ "Tink". Billboard.
  46. ^ a b "TINK". Official Charts Company.
  47. ^ "Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart". Billboard. May 23, 2015. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  48. ^ a b "American certifications – Tink". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  49. ^ "Hot R&B Songs Chart". Billboard. May 1, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  50. ^ a b "Hot R&B Songs Chart". Billboard. August 14, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  51. ^ "R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart". Billboard. October 8, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  52. ^ "Hot R&B Songs Chart". Billboard. June 18, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  53. ^ "Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart". Billboard. July 15, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  54. ^ Bowenbank, Starr (October 16, 2023). "Summer Walker Enlists Victoria Monet, Tyla & Tink for 'Girls Need Love (Girls Mix)' EP". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  1. ^ "Treat Me Like Somebody" did not enter the UK Singles Chart, but peaked at number 13 on the Independent Singles Breakers Chart.[46]
  2. ^ "Ratchet Commandments" did not enter the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but peaked at number 35 on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop chart.[47]
  3. ^ "Bottom Bitch" did not enter the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but peaked at number 24 on the Hot R&B Songs chart.[49]
  4. ^ "Rebel" did not enter the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but peaked at number 20 on the Hot R&B Songs chart.[50]
  5. ^ "Heat of the Moment" did not enter the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but peaked at number 23 on the Hot R&B Songs chart.[50]
  6. ^ "Cater" did not enter the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart, but peaked at number 20 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.[51]
  7. ^ "Cater" did not enter the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but peaked at number 23 on the Hot R&B Songs chart.[52]
  8. ^ "Fake Love" did not enter the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but peaked at number 33 on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop chart.[53]
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