As the story goes, Giggs earned his name from the way he used to laugh and giggle, which he hasn’t been able to shake since. But over the years, his achievements have reflected his prowess as an MC – especially during his XL Recordings days, where he released arguably three of the best UK rap albums of all time, Walk in Da Park, Let Em Ave It and When Will It Stop.Over the past decade, Giggs has proven himself not only as a cornerstone of UK rap but also a clear conduit to US rap. You can hear that clearly on his most recent release, last Friday’s Big Bad, which features collaborators from Swizz Beatz, Wiz Khalifa and Lil Yachty to Jadakiss. He also walked so today's young road rappers could run. As we look back on his career, it’s clear his influence on the evolution of UK rap has paved the way for a new generation of rappers – from drillers telling stories about “putting skengs on peds”, to youngers paving their own path, to, pretty much, in fact, influencing the entire spectrum of contemporary UK rap: the whole melting pot of it.
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Really, what I’m saying is: Giggs has achieved enough in his career to be considered a legacy artist. However, it’s each of these milestone moments, whether big or small, that have added to his highlight reel. When it’s all said and done, and Giggs hangs up the gloves in the future, he’ll be recognised as one of the finest MCs to come from these shores. Here are some of his stand-out moments – some obvious, some less so.When “Look Out” was released on Skepta’s 2009 album Microphone Champion, Giggs’ own Walk in Da Park had only been out a year. Although, the production sounds a bit dated, it was not just an example of Skepta’s versatility but, with the addition of Giggs, an indication that the future for UK music was road rap.Two years isn’t necessarily a long time to go from never having made a record to releasing one of the most iconic UK rap songs of all time. After his release from prison in 2005, he began rapping as a hobby. In 2007, he would go onto record and release “Talkin Da Hardest”. Ok, so this isn't underrated at all is it – literally every line in this is a quotable, whether you’re diving in with those three about Armani, charlie, punani or pulling trigger fingers or a “jheeeez” when that line about being “covered in red like a portion of chips” pops up. As moments in UK music go, this song has to be in the top 10 of all genres, everything. It’s iconic. We had to include it in this list, 100%.
His Collaboration with Skepta on “Look Out”
Recording "Talkin Da Hardest" after two years of rapping
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His early life as a DJ
Winning Best UK Act at the BET Awards in 2008
Hopping on Bun B’s "Return of the Trill"
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The controversial interview with DJ Vlad
Oh and remember that Mark Ronson collab?
Then there's his work with soul legend Anthony Hamilton on “Mr Kool”
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