Giggs (rapper)
| Giggs | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Nathaniel Thompson[1] |
| Also known as | Hollowman |
| Born | 11 May 1983 |
| Origin | Peckham, London |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Labels |
XL Recordings (2010-2013) |
| Associated acts |
|
| Website |
sn1giggs |
Nathaniel Thomson (born 11 May 1983),[2] better known by his stage name Giggs, is an English rapper from London. Giggs was signed to XL Recordings in 2009. He is known for his creative wordplay and catchphrases. In 2008 he released his debut studio album Walk in da Park and released a follow-up album, Let Em Ave It the following year peaking at number 35 on the UK Albums Chart. The singles "Don't Go There" featuring B.o.B and "Look What the Cat Dragged In" both charted in the top 60 of the UK Singles Chart. Giggs released his third studio album When Will It Stop, in October 2013.
He is the leader of SN1 (Spare No 1), alongside his brothers Gunna Dee, Joe Grind, Spender and Young Giggs (YG), Kyze[2] and Tiny Boost.[2] The group's main producers are Boom Productions (aka BoomBlast), Universe, Pablo Productions, Paws Productions, Bayoz Musik and upcoming music producer Mitz Productions.
Early life and music career
Nathaniel Thompson was raised by his Jamaican single mother in Peckham. He dropped out of school at the age of 16. Originally, he was nicknamed 'Giggler' because of his tendency to laugh at inappropriate times; later, this was shortened to 'Giggs'. He and his SN1 crew were part of the Peckham Boys gang, and in 2003 he was sentenced to two years in prison for carrying a firearm.
After deciding to pursue music, he released numerous mixtapes including Hollowman Meets Blade which featured Blade Brown, Welcome to Boomzville, Best of Giggs 1 and 2 and 3 and Ard Bodied, which featured Dubz. His mixtapes have supposedly sold more than 10,000 units.[2] This success helped his popularity expand outside London.[3]
In 2007, Giggs released the track "Talkin' da Hardest", which featured Giggs rapping over the instrumental of Stat Quo's song "Here We Go" originally produced by Dr. Dre. In 2008 he released his debut album Walk in da Park independently. This album helped Giggs’ popularity expand outside London and in 2008 he was nominated for the BET Awards in the US for Best Hip-Hop Act: UK. Giggs won the award beating out more established acts at the time.
In August 2009 Giggs signed a record deal with XL Recordings.
Giggs released Let Em Ave It in 2009 and singles released from that album include "Slow Songs" featuring Mike Skinner, "Look What The Cat Dragged In" and "Don't Go There" featuring American rapper B.o.B. At the Reading Festival in 2010, Giggs appeared on BBC Three, which was his first television appearance, performing his single "Look What The Cat Dragged In". That year he also appeared on Tinchy Stryder's single "Game Over" Alongside Chipmunk, Devlin, Example, Tinie Tempah and Professor Green. The single charted at No. 21 in the Official UK Singles Chart. This year he was nominated at the MOBO awards in the Best UK Hip Hop/Grime category. He was then nominated again for the same award in 2011.
In 2012 Giggs was arrested again for firearms along with three other people. All four were charged with possession with intent to endanger life. Giggs was held in Brixton Prison for nearly four months after the arrest. The rapper was later acquitted of all charges.
In 2013, Giggs released the album When Will It Stop. The album featured artists such as Ed Sheeran and Styles P. It debuted at No. 21 on the UK Albums Chart.
On the 5th of August 2016 Giggs released his 4th Studio album "Landlord" independently on SN1 Records. The album features guest appearances from Stormzy, Rico Love, Donae'o and more. It was received well and ganered very positive reviews. Landlord became Giggs' highest entry on the UK Album Charts, debuting at No.2. The album was preceded by the lead single "Whipping Excursion". The second single from the album was "Go Get Em'" featuring CasisDead.
Also in 2016 Giggs was nominated for several awards at the KA & GRM Daily awards. On the night he walked away with the Artist of the Year Award.
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [4] |
UK R&B [5] | |||||||||||||
| Walk in da Park |
|
143 | 34 | |||||||||||
| Let Em Ave It |
|
35 | 7 | |||||||||||
| When Will It Stop |
|
21 | 2 | |||||||||||
| Landlord |
|
2 | 1 | |||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Mixtapes
- Bloody Raw (2005)
- SN1 – The Beginning (with Gunna Dee & Joe Grind) (2006)
- Best of Giggs (The Real Meaning) (2006)
- Hollow Grind (with Joe Grind) (2006)
- Hollowman Meets Blade (with Blade Brown) (2007)
- Ard Bodied (with Dubz) (2007)
- Best of Giggs 2 (2008)
- Who Said That? (2009)
- Best of Giggs 3 (2010)
- Another Quick One (2010)
- Take Your Hats Off (hosted by DJ Whoo Kid) (2011)
- Every Angle Friday (2011)
- The Final Straw (2011)
- Best of Giggs 4 (2013)
- STR8 Murkin (2014)
- The SN1 Folder (2015)
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions[6][7] | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | UK IND |
UK R&B | ||||||||||||
| "Slow Songs" (featuring The Streets) |
2009 | — | — | — | Let Em Ave It | |||||||||
| "Don't Go There" (featuring B.o.B) |
2010 | 60 | 3 | 16 | ||||||||||
| "Look What the Cat Dragged In" | 53 | 3 | 20 | |||||||||||
| "Hustle On" | — | — | — | |||||||||||
| "(Is It Gangsta?) Yes Yes Yes" | 2013 | — | — | — | When Will It Stop | |||||||||
| "Who's Dat?" | 2015 | — | — | — | Non-album single | |||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Other charted songs
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK [8] | |||
| "Whippin' Excursion" | 2016 | 193 | Landlord |
| "Lock Doh" (featuring Donae'o) |
52 | ||
| "The Blow Back" (featuring Stormzy and Dubz) |
170 | ||
Guest appearances
| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "IC3" | 2006 | Akala, Buck Boy | A Little Darker |
| "Get da Packs Out" | 2007 | Kyze | Today's My Deadline |
| "Playtime" | |||
| "It Ain't Fun" | Kyze, T. Boost | ||
| "Look Out" | 2009 | Skepta | Microphone Champion |
| "Zip It Up" | Wiley, Trigga | Race Against Time | |
| "Riding Season" | Dubz | Ard Doe | |
| "Black Bandana Wearer" | Joe Grind, Killa Ki | Not Your Average Joe | |
| "Gully Trap" | Joe Grind, Gunna | ||
| "Looking Up the Game" | Joe Grind, T. Boost | ||
| "Back 2 Basics" | 2010 | Sway | The Delivery Mixtape |
| "Shot Music" | Devlin | N/A | |
| "Pop Stars" | Gunna Dee, Fix Dot'm | Hustler By Nature | |
| "Block Buster" | Gunna Dee | ||
| "Raasclart Riddim" | |||
| "Game Over" | Tinchy Stryder, Professor Green, Tinie Tempah, Devlin, Example, Chipmunk | Third Strike | |
| "30 Rounds" | J Bubbs, Malik, S.A.S, G FrSH | N/A | |
| "Shutdown" | Joe Black | ||
| "This Rap Shit's Happening (Remix)" | Joe Grind, Fix Dot'm, Jamila | ||
| "Be with You" | 2011 | Ny | Who Is She? |
| "Ice Cream Man" | Tempman | Shooting Star 4 | |
| "Popstar" | Angel | 7 Minutes Before Time | |
| "Gucci Gucci (Remix)" | Kreayshawn | N/A | |
| "No Comment" | Ghetts | Momentum | |
| "I'm On One" | Wiley | Creating a Buzz | |
| "Dem Man" | 2012 | Kano | Jack Bauer 2.4 |
| "Backhand Pricks" | Bashy | The Great Escape EP | |
| "Peckham 2 Brixton" | Big Narstie, Darko, Crumbs, Solo | Pain is Love | |
| "Leak-a-Mixtape" | Tinie Tempah | Happy Birthday | |
| "Set It Off" | Angel | In Between Time | |
| "Head Above Water" | 2013 | Smiler | The Coming |
| "Make a Killing" | Gunna Dee | Hustler by Nature 2 | |
| "The Hunger Strikes" | Joe Grind | EPisode 2: The Hunger Strikes | |
| "Godzillas" | Joe Grind, Ghetts | ||
| "Know Your Place" | Joe Grind, Gunna Dee | ||
| "Bloodclart" | Krept and Konan | Young Kingz | |
| "Lemme Get Dat" | Bayoz Muzik, Waka Flocka Flame | Death of a Beatmaker (DOB) | |
| "Gangsters" | 2014 | Lolo | N/A |
| "Till Dawn" | Alyssa English | Girlfriend EP | |
| "Punani" | Kyze | AM | |
| "Drumline" | |||
| "Ask for Me" | |||
| "Work It Like a Pro" | Waka Flocka Flame | Re-Up | |
| "The Baddest (Remix)" | Moelogo | N/A | |
| "Gas Mark 9" | Ghetts | Rebel with a Cause | |
| "Support Machine" | Lily McKenzie | Support Machine EP | |
| "Who Said Dat?" | Ghetts | Momentum 2 (The Return of Ghetto) | |
| "The Ride" | Mr Bigz, J Warner | S.U.M.M.E.R | |
| "Mack Daddy" | 2015 | Kyze | Oliver Twisted EP |
| "Flexin'" | Frenchy Le Boss | N/A | |
| "Nutcrackerz" | Dizzee Rascal | ||
| "How We Started" | Gunna Dee, Joe Grind, Kyze, Tiny Boost | Hustlism | |
| "LOTM Freestyle" | N/A | Lord of the Mics VII | |
| "Man Don't Care" | Jme | Integrity> | |
| "Lift Your Wallets" | Haze | Visionary | |
| "Intro Freestyle" | DJ Big Ryde | Just a Reminder | |
| "Move Back" | DJ Big Ryde, Fix Dot'M | ||
| "HBN Freestyle" | DJ Big Ryde | ||
| "Spotify" | |||
| "Lights Out" | Hannah Lucia | N/A | |
| "Get Comfy (Underground Sound Suicide)" | Loco Dice | Underground Sound Suicide | |
| "Still (Remix)" | Mo G, Smoke Dawg | N/A | |
| "We Dem Niggas" | Potter Payper | ||
| "Gangster for Certain" | Young Spray | Invisible Tears | |
| "Good One" | Mark Asari | N/A | |
| "What's My Name? (Remix)" | CASisDEAD | ||
| "More Ratatatin" | Chase & Status | London Bars | |
| "Round Here" | Skrapz | The End of the Beginning | |
| "Swan Song" | Espa | N/A | |
| "3 Wheel-Ups" | 2016 | Kano, Wiley | Made in the Manor |
| "Look At Me" | Tinie Tempah | Junk Food | |
| "Start Again" | Mikill Pane | Let MC It | |
| "Hot Water" | Footsie | N/A | |
| "Let's Lurk" | 67 | Let's Lurk | |
| "Coming Through" | Cadell | 3 is the New 6 | |
| "Gossip" | Fekky | El Clasico | |
| "Move" | Tinchy Stryder, Bayku | 360° / The Cloud 9 LP | |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "You Raised Me / Open Up" | Teddy Nygh |
| "Uummm!" | Giggs | |
| "Look Out" (with Skepta) | SB.TV | |
| "Slow Songs" (with Mike Skinner) | Sacha Khari | |
| 2010 | "Don't Go There" (with B.o.B) | Adam Powell |
| "Look What the Cat Dragged In" | Adam Powell | |
| "30 Rounds" (with J Bubbs et al.) | Jason McKoy | |
| "Shot Music" (with Devlin) | Digital Dan | |
| "Hustle On" | Adam Powell | |
| "Out There" | Morgan Keyz | |
| "Game Over" (with Tinchy Stryder et al.) | Adam Powell | |
| "Bus Commercial" | Post Diddy | |
| 2011 | "Monsta Man" | Oliver Whitehouse |
| "Look Over Your Shoulder" (with Example) | Oliver Whitehouse | |
| "Showout Freestyle" | Morgan Keyz | |
| 2012 | "What N*ggas Want" | RAPCITY TV |
| "Raw Bands" | GRM Daily | |
| "Lemme Get Dat" (with Waka Flocka Flame) | Morgan Keyz | |
| 2013 | "Cool Nuh" (with Wretch 32) | GRM Daily |
| "(Is It Gangsta?) Yes Yes Yes" | Reg Traviss | |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Region | Ceremony | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | United States | BET Awards | Best Hip-hop Act: UK | – | Won |
| 2010 | United Kingdom | MOBO Awards | Best Hip-hop Act UK | – | Nominated |
| 2011 | Best Hip-hop/Grime Act UK | – | Nominated |
References
- ↑ Knight, Gavin (27 August 2012). "We can't hide away from our history of gritty youth culture". The Guardian. London.
- 1 2 3 4 "?". jango.com.
- ↑ Lester, Paul (19 November 2009). "Giggs (No 672)". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
- ↑ "GIGGS | full Official Charts history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
- ↑ "2010-07-03 Top 40 R&B Albums Archive". Official Charts. 3 July 2010. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
- ↑ "GIGGS | full Official Charts history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
- ↑ Jhme.co.uk
- ↑ "CHART: CLUK Update 13.08.2016 (wk32)". Zobbel.de. Retrieved 22 August 2016.