Silhouetted behind a white curtain as he made his dramatic entrance on his first headlining tour, diminutive rapper Tinchy Stryder looked, and must have felt, 20 feet tall.

The hottest new star in British hip hop right now, Stryder, real name Kwasi Danquah, has recently scored two consecutive number one singles and is central to the current success of homegrown urban music.

This was demonstrated by the presence in the building of Taio Cruz, who is number one right now, support act and fellow hot London rapper Chipmunk, and the latest incarnation of embattled girl group The Sugababes, not to mention more hysterical teenage girls than at a Topshop sale.

Rapping over backing tracks, Stryder allowed visual interest to come from an elaborate lightshow. His guests frequently outdid him for energy, including Cruz on the buoyant electropop of Take Me Back and beefy bunch Ruff Sqwadon the bass-heavy Tryna Be Me.

An ear for a pop melody was key to his appeal, most notably on the rousing chorus of Never Leave You, sung by Sugababe Amelle Berrabah. The dominance of big trancey synths made him sound current but may leave him sorely dated in a couple of minute's time, and he had cliches, too- sampling old soul chestnut Express Yourself, and seeing which part of the audience could shout the loudest.

That they did shout very loudly confirmed how big this little man is right now. Victory at the Mobo Awards will ensure 2009 is his year.