Chipmunk’s bag of nuts
Name: Jahmaal Fyffe aka Chipmunk.
Age: 20.
High points: In 2009, his single Oopsy Daisy went straight to No.1 and
he won Best Hip Hop Act at the MOBOs, beating the likes of Eminem.
What’s next: Touring with Ne-Yo: “I’m looking forward to
connecting with fans.”
OK Chip, is it true you were nicknamed Chipmunk because you used to have
sticky-out front teeth?
Yeah, I had really bad buck teeth. I had braces put on when I was 12 which
sorted them out, but the nickname stuck.
What sort of braces?
Train tracks. I was tracked out for four long years, top and bottom teeth.
Did girls still want to snog you or were they afraid they’d get their
tongue caught in the wires?
Ha! No one’s tongue got caught but I was so happy when they came off – just in
time for my school prom.
What’s your best chat-up line?
I always say: “Hello, Miss” and that works well. I never call girls “babes”,
that’s just a bit played out. Girls like a guy to be respectful.
Wise words, Chip. Your new single’s called Champion – have you ever been
the champion of anything?
Yeah, at my school sports days, I owned the 100m race. I was good at football
as well.
And you’re clearly modest, too…
I played for Queens Park Rangers’ youth team when I was a teenager.
So if you were a footballer now, who would you have as your WAG?
Hmm… there’s too many pretty girls out there, it’s impossible to pick just
one. I’d have to have lots of them.
How romantic. Is there anyone you’d really like to duet with?
It would have to be Florence from Florence And The Machine [right]. I really
admire her – she’s got a whole heap of lungs.
cross with me
But she’s really tall and you’re quite small…
I’m 6ft actually!
Oopsy daisy! Sorry about that – you look smaller on TV! Do you want to hear
a few chipmunk facts?
Yeah, definitely.
Did you know that Alvin the Chipmunk has a sex tape online?
You wouldn’t catch me doing that. Shame on you, Alvin!
And western chipmunks only breed once a year?
Really? Wow! I didn’t think any man could wait that long!
Chipmunks store worms for the winter – what gets you through the cold times?
I’ve gone quite hard with jewels – watches, chains, bracelets, earrings.
I like to be pretty blinged up.
- The single Champion, featuring Chris Brown, is out now on Jive Records.
WORDS: EIMEAR O’HAGAN ADDITIONAL REPORTING: DILPREET BHAGRATH AND GRAINNE
MCKINNEY PHOTOGRAPHY: CONTOUR BY GETTY IMAGES, PHOTOLIBRARY, FEATURE FLASH
]]>
