25/04/11
[scroll down for Mark McCormick's candid interview with Giggs]
Nathan Thompson was born in Peckham, South London in 1983, but you may know him as Hollowman, or more likely, Giggs – short for Giggler, a name that takes the edge off of the controversy that surrounds this rhymer from the ends. If your preconceptions of the Peckham postcode area are linked with criminal activity and violence, then you wouldn’t have to alter your viewpoint too much to get an understanding of Giggs’ story.
School wasn’t the training ground for an adolescent Nathan, but rather the streets, where he found himself part of SN1, a derivative the Peckham Boys. To talk in depth about the exploits of this notorious battalion of criminal activity and violence would not do justice to the path that Giggs has taken more recently, but it’s all about those moments, as we said before, that find you where you are now. Perhaps inevitably, Giggs spent some time at Her Majesty’s Service by 2003, being put behind bars by the age of 20 for gun crime.
When someone takes a step back into society, there are two clear directions that they can take – the first is back to their vice, the second, away, and as it is written, Giggs took the path away and made a move towards music, a saviour for the troubled Londoner. As with many people, true perspective is attained when you become responsible for others, and the desire to provide something different for Giggs’ now eight year old son was the driving force behind turning what was once a hobby into a career. Giggs, looked to his SN1 cartel who made him the beats that have been compared to American Gangsta Rap, rather than British Grime couterparts and he came up with the words based on his epic experiences so far.
After getting no joy from radio, nor record labels, the crew did what they do best and took the matter into their own hands, producing self-made mixtapes and handing them out to eager ears. His most famous monologue so far came in the way of words he put to a Dr Dre-made beat that they recorded and made a budget video for. ‘Talkin Da Ardest’ became an anthem for his peers and a mantra for himself; whatever he was gonna do, he was gonna be the best at.
100,000 sales of his full length mixtape, ‘Walk in Da Park’ more than proved that point, and that’s before they’d even reached the shelves of your high street retail music stores. When they did, they created a furore as copies of the CD were sold out by 9:30am in certain HMV branches, inciting arguments and even violence between fanatic customers eager to get their hands on the last copy. The same reaction for SN1’s brand of merchandise has forced them to open a shop on Rye Lane Market, which has become an outlet not only for SN1 wares, but for up and coming artists too.
This attention couldn’t go unnoticed, and several industry heads started poking their heads up from behind the safety of their corporate desks. XL Recordings, the label giving credence to many original artists were the bravest label, despite Operation Trident (the Met Police Unit set up to investigate gang and gun crime) giving warnings to several record companies, warning them of Giggs’ past and trying to abate his path towards a different, successful life.
Not every figurehead has been backing the rehabilitated Giggs however, and controversy has arisen by Giggs being excluded from certain MTVBase and Radio 1Xtra playlists, leading Giggs to act as he has always done, and stand up for himself by turning the situation into music. The product of this confrontation has been ‘The Last Straw’, a response to the situation, with Giggs directing his point at Jasmine Dotiwala (MTVBase) and Ray Paul (1Xtra).
In America, things would be different. Listeners are well versed on the subject matter of Gangsta Rap, with most of the icons of the genre holding charges on their records themselves, including Giggs’ own icon, Young Jeezy, a man not unfamiliar with the cool steel of a gun.
The characteristic nonchalant tones that ripple through the songs with his deep growl of a voice have stood high above the rest among an accepting crowd. Mike Skinner, urban laureate and member of The Streets has championed this young former wayward and the two collaborated on a track, ‘Slow Songs’ last year that Skinner personally wrote for Giggs. Giggs also stuck it to his doubters when he took home the BET Award for Best UK Act last year, beating more experienced contemporaries, Wiley and Dizzee Rascal.
Taking what we’ve learnt now, how a convergence of character and circumstance can sometimes bare fruit, it is with this story of impending success that we anticipate the arrival of Giggs to Norwich when he arrives later this month. [Emma Roberts]
An interview with Mark McCormick - Giggs
I believe you have just gotten back from the States…with all the recent interest in you over there and B.O.B appearing on your next single ‘Don’t Go There’, I wondered was the trip business or pleasure?
Yeah, I was in Disneyland for a holiday…
So you’ve just signed your first major deal with XL Recordings - the original home of the likes of The Prodigy & Dizzee Rascal - I wondered why they got your signature?
At the time there were a few other labels also interested, but I felt XL best suited the music that I’m makin’…so I went with them.
I’d read that officers from the Metropolitan Police Trident section contacted a few of the companies that were showing interest in signing you to scare them off …is this true?
They phoned up XL and said that they shouldn’t mess around with me. I don’t know exactly what was said, but Richard Russell [label head] was a bit shaken up from the phone call. This kinda slowed things down a bit, but we got there in the end...
So your debut album on a major label titled ‘Let ‘Em Ave It’ is set for release in April 2010; I wondered if you could tell us a little about this release?
Yep, it’s finished now. We are just in the process of mixing it all down and getting it ready to put it out there. It focuses on my life really. From before I went to jail, then getting out and me focusing on the music, erm, to where I am now really. It takes you along that journey. It’s a long story…well not that long (laughs), well, not boring anyway. It only took about three weeks to do, but it’s not rushed or anything. It’s just that I have a lot to say and it’s the way I work. I love making music, so I was in there everyday just banging out the tracks. I felt every one of them was good enough to go on the album. That’s how we make CDs from where I’m from… just bang em’ out!
With B.O.B guestings and your success at the BET awards I wondered how America is taking to you?
Well it’s not really like I have a big career out there at the moment. I’m just currently making a lot of links out there and trying to do some business. I’m trying to set up other collaborations with both producers and artists to show them that I’m good. They seem to like what they’ve heard so far…
You’ve already worked with The Streets’ Mike Skinner on your track ‘Slow Songs’. Can you tell us how this collaboration came about?
It was arranged through my old manager. Originally Mike wasn’t meant to be on the song. When I’d done my part, I thought it would be good if he could do a chorus…and then it got sent back and he’d done both a chorus and the verse. I thought it was really good.
So you’ve already sold around 100,000 mixtapes to date - did this much interest add pressure whilst recording ‘Let ‘Em Av It’?
There isn’t any pressure. Ok, in fact the only pressure I felt was trying to get it all down, but apart from that everything else was cool. It is all about making good music…
On the subject of 100,000 mixtapes, how do you physically deal with a demand like that privately?
Well it’s not 100,000 at once. It was over a period of time… [like I said] just bangin’ them out, bangin’ ‘em out. They just spread out, through record shops and through us giving them away. So it wasn’t 100,000 sold and that figure has come about from over the years.
From the success of these I believe you already had to open a merchandise shop (SN1) to keep up with the demand and interest in you…can you tell us about the shop?
Yeah, it’s for the clothing line… it’s got everything, kids clothes, for boys and girls. It’s based in Peckham Indoor Market. We also sell CDs and DVDs - everything to do with the music really.
How involved with the physical running of the shop are you?
No, my brother and friend run the shop… and others pitch in from time to time.
Does the business stress ever compromise the art at times?
Nah, not really. Anytime there is any stress I just sit down and put it on paper. This is a lot easier than what I was doing before. I feel a lot more relaxed now…
With your recent success and the attention you are currently getting from the mainstream media I wondered how your community have taken to this?
Yeah everyone’s showing a lot of love at the moment, so that’s all good.
A lot of negative attention has come along with this regarding your previous gang ties. Is this putting you in a tricky position in any way?
What, you mean people being annoying about me rapping what I rap about? Nah everything is cool… no-one’s talking about things they’re not supposed to.
So within the eyes of both society and the judicial system, you have done your time in prison and have come out rehabilitated – taking into account your record deal and your SN1 Merch shop. But for most it appears the penal system is failing as re-offender figures are so high. From your perspective why is this system failing so many?
No one gives a shit about jail man. It’s just a place you end up if you get caught innit. No one wants to end up there, and no one really wants to end up doing what they are doing on the streets, they are just trying to make money. But there’s not a lot of opportunities out there for ex-offenders… so they end up back inside. For me, that’s why the whole music thing is so important.
I believe there’s been a situation in the past with yourself and both MTV Base head Jasmine Dotiwala and 1Xtra executive producer and events manager Ray Paul about you having to tone down your lyrical content and video imagery to gain airplay - have XL suggested you do this now?
Y’mean changing the way I make music, to suit this? No, XL have been cool; that’s the reason they’ve signed me, to keep making the music I’m making. Everyone loves what I already do and that’s another reason I went with XL, ‘cause they understand that.
Tell us the first Hip Hop track that made you decide you wanted to make a life out of it?
Probably NWA ‘Fuck Da Police’ (laughs)…
Which rappers have been big inspiration for you?
Rappers like NWA and Ice Cube
So up until now, you’ve had a short, but pretty full-on career - any regrets?
Nah, there’s never regrets.
Ideally, what does the future hold for Giggs?
Makin’ a difference to the game and changin’ it.
Finally have you been to Norwich before?
Yeah (sighs)… the only reason I went to Norwich was to visit my brother in jail…
Mark McCormick
Catch Giggs performing live, with support coming from Devlin at the Waterfront on 25th February. For tickets go to www.ueaticketbookings.co.uk Watch out for his debut album due out in April