Giggs (rapper)
| Giggs | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Nathaniel Thompson[1] |
| Also known as | Hollowman |
| Born | 26 November 1983 |
| Origin | Peckham, South East London, England |
| Genres | Hip Hop, Hardcore hip hop, Grime |
| Occupations | Rapper |
| Instruments | Vocals (baritone vocals) |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels | XL Recordings, Takeover Entertainment, SN1 Records |
| Associated acts | Wiley, The Streets, Skepta, B.o.B, TKO, Shola Ama, Joell Ortiz, DaVinChe, Tinchy Stryder, Lloyd Banks, Waka Flocka Flame, Example, Devlin, DJ Whoo Kid, Kreayshawn |
| Website | sn1giggs.com |
Nathaniel Thompson[1] (born 26 November 1983), better known by his stage name Giggs or his alter ego Hollowman, is an English rapper. He is the leader of Spare No 1 (SN1), alongside his brothers Gunna Dee, Joe Grind, Spender and Young Giggs (YG). Other artists within this group include Kyze[1] and Tiny Boost.[1] The group's main producers are Boom Productions (aka BoomBlast), Universe, Pablo Productions, Paws Productions, Bayoz Musik and Simple. Giggs signed a record deal in 2010 with XL Recordings.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Nathaniel Thompson, of Jamaican descent, was raised by his Jamaican single mother, he is the eldest of his siblings, and grew up in Peckham with his best friend Alastair Ovalle.[1] He dropped out of school at the age of 16. Originally, he was nicknamed 'Giggler' because of his tendency to laugh even in the most inappropriate situations; later, this was cut down to 'Giggs'. In 2003 he was sentenced to two years in prison due to weapon charges.[2][3]
[edit] Music career
Giggs started pursuing rapping as a career, instead of as a hobby. Giggs and his SN1 crew started off releasing numerous mixtapes, including Hollowman Meets Blade, Welcome to Boomzville, Best of Giggs 1 and 2 and 3 and Ard Bodied, which featured Dubz, "Talking the Hardest". His mixtapes have supposedly sold more than 10,000 units.[1] This success helped his popularity expand outside London. However when Giggs first signed to XL Recordings, the record label was allegedly warned by members of Operation Trident to not back the London rapper due to his past charges.[2][3]
Montague (2007–2008) Giggs released the street anthem "Montague" in 2007, which helped increase his popularity. The track features Giggs rapping over the beat from American hip-hop artist Stat Quo's track "Here We Go", originally produced by Dr. Dre. He then released his debut independent album Walk in da Park on 4 August 2008., for the tracks "Uummm!!" and "You Raised Me/Open Up". Walk In Da Park received mainly positive reviews, and was very successful, selling out in most HMVs in the first two days of release.[4]
Let Em Ave It " (2010)
"Giggs" announced his second album was due to be released on 21 June 2010. This album was titled "Let Em Ave It" due to a close friend to the rapper saying he should just "let the public have it'. "Giggs" released "Slow Songs" featuring Mike Skinner, "Look What The Cat Dragged In" and "Don't Go There" featuring American rapper B.o.B. At Reading Festival 2010 the rapper appeared on BBC Three, which was his first television appearance, performing his single "Look What The Cat Dragged In" live.
"Giggs" is scheduled to release his third studio album in July 2012 entitled "When Will It Stop".
In 2011, Giggs appeared in Channel 4 TV drama Top Boy. Giggs is presently in jail and has been imprisoned since the 10Th of February on charges which will later be revealed as "Giggs" is still on remand.
[edit] 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 |
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | UK R&B [5] |
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| 2008 | Walk in da Park
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143 | 34 |
| 2010 | Let Em Ave It
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35 | 7 |
| 2012 | When Will It Stop?
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[edit] Mixtapes
- Best of Giggs 1
- Best Of Giggs 2
- Best of Giggs 3[6]
- Bloody Raw
- The Beginning
- Hollow Grind
- Hollowman Meetz Blade[7]
- Welcome 2 Boomzville
- Ard Bodied[8]
- Another Quick One
- Who Said That
- Take Your Hats Off Mixtape (2011)[9]
[edit] Singles
| Year | Single | Peak Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [10] [11] |
UK IND |
UK R&B |
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| 2009 | "Slow Songs" (featuring Mike Skinner) |
|
|
|
Let 'Em Ave It |
| 2010 | "Don't Go There" (featuring B.o.B) |
|
|
|
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| "Look What the Cat Dragged In" |
|
|
|
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| "Hustle On" |
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[edit] As a featured artist
| Year | Single | Peak Positions |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | |||
| 2010 | "Shot Music" (with Devlin) | – | |
| "Game Over" (with Tinchy Stryder, Devlin, Example, Professor Green, Tinie Tempah + Chipmunk) | 22 | Third Strike |
[edit] Guest appearances
| Year | Single | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "Look Out" with Skepta | Microphone Champion |
| "Zip ItUp" with Wiley & Trigger | Race Against Time | |
| "Riding Season" with Dubz | Ard Doe | |
| "Black Bandana Wearer" with Joe Grind & Killa Ki | Not Your Average Joe | |
| "Gully Trap" with Joe Grind & Gunna | ||
| "Looking Up The Game" with Joe Grind & Boost | ||
| 2010 | "Back 2 Basics" with Sway | The Delivery Mixtape |
| "30 Rounds" with J Bubbs, Malik, S.A.S & Gfresh | ||
| "Shutdown" with Joe Black | ||
| 2011 | "Be With You" with Ny | |
| "Popstar" with Angel | ||
| "Gucci Gucci" with Kreayshawn |
[edit] Music videos
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "You Raised Me / Open Up" | Teddy Nygh |
| "Uummm!" | ||
| "Look Out" (with Skepta) | SB.TV | |
| "Slow Songs" (with Mike Skinner) | Adam Powell | |
| 2010 | "Don't Go There" (featuring 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 | "Matic" (with Gunna Dee & Y. Butch) | Post Diddy & Chas Appeti |
| "Monsta Man" | Oliver Whitehouse | |
| "Look Over Your Shoulder" (with Example) | Oliver Whitehouse |
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g [1]
- ^ a b "Giggs NME Interview". http://www.djsemtex.com/blog/2010/01/08/giggs-nme-interview/.
- ^ a b Lester, Paul. "Giggs (No 672)". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/nov/19/new-band-giggs. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
- ^ Walk In Da Park sold out
- ^ http://www.theofficialcharts.com/archive-chart/_/17/2010-07-03/
- ^ "Best Of Giggs 3". Download A Mixtape (DAM). http://www.downloadamixtape.com/?page_id=195&mixtape_id=247.
- ^ "Hollowman Meetz Blade Mixtape". Mixtape Madness. http://mixtapemadness.co.uk/mixtapes/giggsandblade/hollowmeetsblade.
- ^ "Ard Bodied Mixtape". Mixtape Madness. http://mixtapemadness.co.uk/mixtapes/giggsdubz/ardbodied.
- ^ "Giggs Take Your Hats Off Mixtape". Mixtape Madness. 2011-02-11. http://mixtapemadness.co.uk/mixtapes/giggs/tyho. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ http://www.theofficialcharts.com
- ^ Jhme.co.uk
[edit] External links
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