Walk in da Park is English rapper Giggs' first album, released on the 4th of August, 2008. The project is 70 minutes long & most of the production is handled by Boom Productions. View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2008 CD release of Giggs Starring In: Walk In Da Park on Discogs.
Birth name | Nathaniel Thompson[1] |
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Also known as | Hollowman |
Born | 11 May 1983 (age 36)Peckham, London, England |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | |
Years active | 2005–present |
Labels |
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Associated acts |
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Website | sn1giggs.com |
![GIGGS WALK IN THE PARK MIXTAPE GIGGS WALK IN THE PARK MIXTAPE](http://respecta.net/uploads/posts/2009-05/thumbs/1242674495_sn1-another-quick-one.jpg)
Nathaniel Thompson (born 11 May 1983),[2] better known professionally as Giggs, is a British rapper and songwriter from Peckham, South East London. He released his debut studio album Walk in da Park in 2008 and released a follow-up album Let Em Ave It the following year. Giggs released his third studio album When Will It Stop in October 2013. In 2016, Giggs released his fourth album Landlord, which entered and peaked at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart – becoming the highest-charting album of his career. His latest mixtape Wamp 2 Dem was released in 2017 and also debuted at No. 2. Giggs is also the frontman and founder of record label and rap collective SN1 (Spare No 1), which includes, Gunna Dee, Joe Grind, Kyze and Tiny Boost.
While sometimes referred to as a grime artist[3], Giggs has repeatedly stated the music he makes is not grime, but rather falls under the British hip hop umbrella.[4][5]
![Giggs Giggs](/uploads/1/2/5/8/125846510/488742921.jpg)
- 1Music career
- 3Discography
Music career[edit]
Pre-career[edit]
Giggs was a DJ in Peckham, predominately playing reggae, ragga and bashment. He also had his own radio station called 'Spare No One FM'.[6]
2005–08: Career beginnings and Walk in da Park[edit]
After deciding to pursue a music career, 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. This success helped his popularity expand outside London.[7]
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. 'Talkin da Hardest' was later certified silver after it was officially released. 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.
2009–2012: Let Em Ave It[edit]
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.
2013–14: When Will It Stop[edit]
In 2013, Giggs released the album When Will It Stop. The album featured artists such as Ed Sheeran and Styles P. It debuted at number 21 on the UK Albums Chart, becoming his highest-charting album at the time.
2015–2018: Landlord and Wamp 2 Dem[edit]
As Giggs geared up for the release of his album Landlord he featured on many records. Two notable records were 'Man Don't Care' by JME and 'Three Wheel Ups' by Kano, also featuring Wiley. 'Man Don't Care' went on to be certified Gold in the UK by the BPI whilst 'Three Wheel Ups' was certified silver.
On 5 August 2016, Giggs released his fourth 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 garnered very positive reviews. Landlord became Giggs' highest entry on the UK Albums Chart, debuting at number two. The album was preceded by the lead single 'Whippin Excursion' and followed up with the club-themed 'Lock Doh', which achieved a Gold certification from the BPI in March 2018. The album Landlord also went on to be certified silver by the BPI. Landlord was nominated for Best Album at the 2016 MOBO Awards.
Also in 2016, Giggs was nominated for several awards at the KA & GRM Daily Rated Awards. On the night he walked away with the Artist of the Year Award. This year he was also nominated for two MOBO awards. Best Rap/Hip-Hop and Best Album.
In March 2017, Giggs was featured on two songs from Canadian rapper Drake's album More Life, 'No Long Talk' and 'KMT'. 'KMT' peaked at No.9 on the UK Singles Chart whilst 'No Long Talk' peaked at 17. 'KMT' is certified gold in the UK by the BPI and 'No Long Talk' is certified silver.
Giggs was nominated for Best Hip Hop at the 2017 MOBO Awards, which he went on to win. He was also nominated for Best International Act: Europe at the 2017 BET Awards.
On 6 October 2017, Giggs released a new mixtape entitled Wamp 2 Dem. Despite also being offered as a free download, the project sold enough units to enter the UK Albums Chart at number two, making it his joint highest-charting release. Giggs released 'Linguo' featuring Donae'O as the only single from the project, it peaked at No. 28 on the UK singles chart and would later be certified silver by the BPI.
Giggs collaborator Drake was a surprise headline act at Wireless 2018 in London, filling in for DJ Khaled. Drake would come out right after Giggs' Wireless set, as they performed KMT for the second time in the UK. They first performed KMT at Reading Festival, where Giggs brought out Drake as a surprise guest.[8]
2019: Big Bad[edit]
Giggs announced his new album 'Big Bad' via Youtube on January 7th 2019, with a 2 minute trailer. This features Giggs attacking London whilst '187' is heard in the background. The second part of his YouTube film The Essence was inspired by the soundtrack of Big Bad.
Legal issues[edit]
Giggs was convicted for possession of a firearm in 2003, and sentenced to two years in prison. In February 2012, police searched a car Giggs was in and found an illegal firearm; Giggs spent six months remanded in custody, despite the driver admitting to owning the gun, as police accused Giggs of being aware of the firearm. Giggs was acquitted on all charges.[9]
Giggs often experienced venues cancelling events he was scheduled to appear at mere hours before the performance.[9][10] Giggs was dropped as support act for Lil Wayne before a 2006 tour without explanation.[10] These incidents have been linked to actions of the Metropolitan Police Service, who have been said to have specifically targeted Giggs.[9][10][11] Giggs believes that they 'must have called the venues and threatened them with taking away their licences'.[10] In 2010, he said that 'every single thing I do that's supposed to be positive, they fuck up for me'. In 2013, he stated: 'I don't want to get caught up in whose fault it is, or whether the police are after me [...] I'm just happy to be making music again'.[9]
In 2009, the Metropolitan Police wrote to XL strongly advising the label not to sign Giggs, though they did so anyway.[10] A 2010 tour planned by Giggs was cancelled due to police warnings.[9] In 2013, Giggs' London performance of material from When Will It Stop was cancelled by police, after they had given him the go-ahead. Giggs responded in a video publicly apologising to fans, reimbursing them for tickets, and sarcastically praising the police's attempts to 'slow [him] down'.[11]
Discography[edit]
Studio albums[edit]
- Walk in da Park (2008)
- Let Em Ave It (2010)
- When Will It Stop (2013)
- Landlord (2016)
- Big Bad... (2019)
Commercial mixtapes[edit]
- Wamp 2 Dem (2017)
Awards and nominations[edit]
Year | Region | Ceremony | Category | Result | |
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2008 | United States | BET Awards | Best Hip Hop Act: UK | Won | |
2010 | United Kingdom | MOBO Awards | Nominated | ||
2011 | Best Hip Hop / Grime Act: UK | ||||
2016 | United Kingdom | MOBO Awards | Best Hip Hop | ||
2016 | United Kingdom | MOBO Awards | Best Album | Nominated | |
2017 | United States | BET Awards | Best International Act: Europe | Nominated | |
2017 | United Kingdom | MOBO Awards | Best Hip Hop | Won | |
2019 | United Kingdom | BRIT Awards | Best Male | Nominated | |
2019 | United States | BET Awards | Best International Act: Europe | Nominated |
References[edit]
- ^Knight, Gavin (27 August 2012). 'We can't hide away from our history of gritty youth culture'. The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 19 March 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ^Jason Birchmeier. 'Giggs | Biography & History'Archived 17 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine. AllMusic. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
- ^Rennie, Andrew (22 July 2010). 'Giggs'. NOW Magazine. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
- ^'GIGGS on Instagram: 'NO GIGGS IS NOT''. Instagram. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
- ^SK Vibemaker (15 March 2010), Giggs talks being banned from BBC.... SB.TV F64s, 'Road rap' & more..., archived from the original on 25 April 2019, retrieved 27 July 2019
- ^Not For The Radio (4 August 2016), Giggs - Landlord, Past, Bangers and More [NFTR], archived from the original on 29 May 2017, retrieved 16 September 2018
- ^Lester, Paul (19 November 2009). 'Giggs (No 672)'. London: The Guardian. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
- ^'Giggs & Drake perform KMT'. Archived from the original on 1 October 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
- ^ abcdeWolfson, Sam (5 October 2013). 'Giggs: prison, police harassment, cancelled tours - When Will It Stop'. The Guardian. Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
- ^ abcdeAllen, Lily (12 December 2017). 'why giggs is brilliant, by lily allen'. i-D. Vice Media. Archived from the original on 26 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
- ^ ab'Giggs issues apology video after London show is cancelled by police – watch'. NME. 9 October 2013. Archived from the original on 26 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
External links[edit]
- Official website
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Giggs_(rapper)&oldid=934685236'
Walk in da Park | |||
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Studio album by | |||
Released | 4 August 2008 | ||
Recorded | 2008 | ||
Studio | Unit 10 Studios (London, England) | ||
Genre | |||
Length | 70:18 | ||
Label | SN1 Records | ||
Producer |
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Giggs chronology | |||
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Walk in da Park is the debut album by EnglishrapperGiggs. It was released on 4 August 2008 independently through SN1 Records.[1] It is Giggs' first commercial release after putting out a collection of mixtapes from 2005 onwards. The album includes guest appearances from SN1 members Joe Grind, Gunna, Kyze and Gunna D, among others. Production was handled by frequent in-house producers Boom Productions, Bayoz Muzik and others. Walk in da Park incorporates British hip hop with road rap and gangsta rap alongside aggressive flows and production.
The album entered the UK R&B Chart at number 13 and number 9 on the UK Independent Chart, selling thousands of independently-pressed copies and selling out in music stores.[2][3]Walk in da Park was positively received by music critics.[citation needed]
Since its initial release, Walk in da Park has been recognised as an influential release for British hip hop, spawning the subgenre of road rap while introducing slower flows that contrasted the fast-paced grime flows that were significantly popular at the time.
Background[edit]
In 2007, Giggs released the song 'Montague', leading to increased buzz for Giggs and his music. This was followed up by 'Talkin' da Hardest', a freestyle over Stat Quo's song 'Here We Go', produced by Dr. Dre.[4] The freestyle and its music video proved to be an underground success and became a British rap cult classic. However, neither song were included in the track listing of the album. According to Giggs, Walk in da Park was recorded and completed within two weeks.
Giggs released a video for the song 'Uummm!!' for promotion before the album was released, however MTV Base refused to play the video due to claims that the content was too strong for their channel. Radio channels also banned Giggs' music from airplay.[5] In response to the bans, Giggs retracted his video application and wrote the tune 'The Last Straw' directed towards the bad treatment he received from MTV Base and BBC Radio 1Xtra. When asked about the issue he said he was asked to censor 'drug references' from the song, despite none being made.
DJs such as Tim Westwood are known to hold this album in high regard, despite Giggs being blacklisted from BBC 1Xtra.
The underground success of the album led to Giggs signing to XL Recordings, and the release of his sophomore album Let Em Ave It (2010).
Track listing[edit]
Walk in da Park[6] | |||
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No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
1. | 'Intro (B.B.T.)' | Boom Productions | 4:20 |
2. | 'Uummm!!!' | Wbeeza | 3:49 |
3. | 'Open Up' | Bayoz Muzik | 2:56 |
4. | 'Who Are You to Judge?' (featuring Joe Grind) | Boom Productions | 4:24 |
5. | 'More Maniacs' (featuring T.Boost and Young Spray) | Boom Productions | 3:43 |
6. | 'Swagga!!' (featuring Joe Grind) | Boom Productions | 4:39 |
7. | 'Cut Up Bag' | Boss Entertainment | 4:21 |
8. | 'Saw' | Boom Productions | 3:36 |
9. | 'Make It Look Good' (featuring J. Melo) | Boom Productions | 4:26 |
10. | 'Click Clack!!!' (featuring Killa Ki & Shocks) | Universe | 4:06 |
11. | 'Pitchin' All da Time' (featuring Dubz and Chelsi Lauren) | Flupes | 5:20 |
12. | 'Rat-A-Tat-Tat' (featuring Kyze) | Simple | 3:36 |
13. | 'Tempa Tempa' (featuring T.G.) | Bayoz Muzik | 3:16 |
14. | 'Bring a Message Back' | Boom Productions | 3:04 |
15. | 'You Raised Me' | Boom Productions | 2:51 |
16. | 'Walk in da Park' (featuring O.T.B) | Boom Productions | 3:47 |
17. | 'Let 'Im Ave It' (featuring T.Boost) | Flupes | 3:33 |
18. | 'Test Out da Nine (Remix)' (featuring SN1) | Boom Productions | 4:57 |
Total length: | 70:18 |
Personnel[edit]
Credits adapted from AllMusic.[7]
- Giggs – primary artist, executive producer, composer
- Bayoz Muzik – producer
- Boost – featured artist, composer, engineer, mixing
- Carl 'Universe' Dennis – executive producer, engineer, mixing
- Dubz – featured artist, composer
- Fix Dot'm – composer
- J Melo – featured artist, composer
- Joe Grind – featured artist, composer, engineer, mixing
- Killa Ki – featured artist, composer
- Kyze – featured artist, composer, engineer, mixing
- Chelsi Lauren – featured artist, composer
- O.T.B. – featured artist
- Buck – vocals (track 16)
- Fix Dot'M – vocals (track 16)
- Shocks – featured artist
- SN1 – featured artist
- Joe Grind – vocals (track 18)
- Kyzer – vocals (track 18)
- Gunna D – vocals (track 18)
- T.Boost – vocals (track 5, 17, 18)
- Wbeeza – producer
- Young Spray – featured artist, composer
Charts[edit]
Chart (2008) | Peak position |
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UK Albums (OCC)[8] | 143 |
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[9] | 9 |
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[10] | 13 |
References[edit]
- ^'Walk In Da Park [Explicit]: Giggs: MP3 Downloads'. Amazon.com. Retrieved 2011-08-12.
- ^Morley, Paul (21 February 2010). 'Paul Morley Showing off ... Giggs'. The Guardian. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
- ^'Giggs – Walk in da Park'. BritishHipHop. 8 August 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
- ^'Artist profile: Giggs'. MOBO Awards. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
- ^'Giggs' Landlord is a transatlantic triumph'. Crack Magazine. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
- ^'Walk in da Park by Giggs on Apple Music'. iTunes. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
- ^'Walk in Da Park – Giggs – Credits'. All Music. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
- ^'Official Albums Chart Top 100'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
- ^'Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
- ^'Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
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