#TBT: 7 Giggs Songs You Should Revisit

Rewind yourself back to 2007; remember when you couldn’t go to a nightclub or sit at the back of a bus without hearing “Talkin’ Da Hardest” ring off? While at the time Giggs may have seemingly popped out of nowhere, he and his SN1 crew had a catalogue of mixtapes already behind them and were not about to let ‘em have it all (just yet).

Looking back on that era, Giggs completely shifted the wave of music coming out of the streets of London and the UK. Before him, aspiring MCs were hitting pirate radio with an aim of becoming the next Wiley or Dizzee, but Hollowman put a spanner in the works, and inspired them to slow the tempo all the way down. Since then, Giggs has gone from freestyles on Peckham back-roads to dropping an album with XL Recordings (Let Em Ave It), putting out a mixtape with DJ Whoo Kid (Take Your Hats Off), and even getting his acting game on in Channel 4 drama Top Boy.

Armed with a deep, hollow tone and slow, calculating flow, there’s no mistaking who you’re listening to when you hear Giggs on a track. His latest collab with Jme, “Man Don’t Care”, has created mosh-pits in raves and festivals over the last two months—just at the drop of the words “digestives and cinnamon tea”—further proving why he's one of the most loved and respected lyricists around today.

Here are 7 Giggs songs you should revisit.

“Pain Is The Essence” was a standout number on and Giggs and Dubz’s collaborative mixtape, 2007’s ‘Ard Bodied, which is very much considered a hood classic today. Here, the two rappers touch on the painful truths of street life in the Southside of London over a backdrop that tugs hard at the heartstrings. It’s an emotional listen, so have your tissues at the ready.

This one’s a Walk In Da Park highlight, but just take a moment to digest the chorus—sounds like Freddie Kruger rolled to the studio and dropped some terror on the beat! Make sure you check under your bed before listening to this monster man.

His voice might instill fear inside your bones, but Hollowman can get smooth and touch on topics concerning love and the ladies when he’s ready, too. Surprisingly, unlike most rappers who only do “girl tunes” for gimmicks, “List Hello” doesn’t sound forced at all, but rather something road guys can relate to. 

Idris Elba takes Giggs through the back roads in the video for this Wire-inspired anthem. It would make anyone want to jump on the block and buy a few bricks—and wonder why no one’s eager to build a house with them! “Hustle On” is an adrenaline-inducing track that everyone from your street corner hustler to Canary Wharf stockbroker can find motivation in.

Let Em Hav It, released by XL Recordings in 2010, gave Giggs the space to explore a variety of directions he had briefly touched upon in previous projects. “All the tragedies I’ve been given, but nothing stopped me from grabbing ahold of my vision / I’ve never had it easy—I’m talking about the days we had hangers on our TV,” Giggs spits on “The Way It Is”, addressing the hardships that are often masked up in the limelight. One of his most vulnerable offerings yet.