Giggs

Giggs is the stage name of Nathan Thompson, a British rapper from Peckham, South London. He is also known as Hollowman. He grows up in Peckham with a single mother, as the eldest of his siblings, in a family with limited money. He is nicknamed “Giggler” because he laughs even in inappropriate situations, and the name becomes shortened to Giggs.

SN1 and early releases

Giggs leads SN1, short for Spare No 1, a branch of the Peckham Black Gang. The group includes his brother Joe Grind, Spender, YG, also known as Young Giggs, and Gunna D, with Kyze and Tiny Boost also part of the wider group. Its main producers are Simple, Boomblast, Unit 10, Universe and Pablo. After spending two years in prison for gun possession, Giggs begins pursuing rap as a career in 2005. He is known for rapping slowly in a low voice.

With SN1, he releases a series of mixtapes including Hollowman Meets Blade, Welcome to Boomzville, Best of Giggs 1, 2 and 3, and Ard Bodied, which features “Talking the Hardest”, a street anthem from 2008. His mixtapes are said to sell more than 100,000 units.

Albums and label work

Giggs releases his debut independent album, Walk in da Park, in 2008. It includes official videos for “Uummm!!” and “You Raised Me/Open Up” and receives generally positive reviews. The album sells strongly, with copies selling out in many HMV stores in its first two days. His second album, Let Em Ave It, is his first on a major label, XL Recordings. It includes “Look What the Cat Dragged In”, “Slow Songs” featuring Mike Skinner, and “Don’t Go There” featuring B.o.B. “Don’t Go There” enters the UK Singles Chart at number 60 in March 2010.

He later founds his own label, SN1 Entertainment. The label’s major releases include Walk in Da Park and Joe Grind’s Not Your Average Joe. Giggs also works with Atlanta artist JBizzy and produces around four tracks, including “Whippin all day” and “Background Ting”.

Other activity

Giggs creates his own clothing brand, SN1 wear, which includes T-shirts, jackets and caps printed with lines from his songs such as “Talking the Hardest”. He and the SN1 crew also open an SN1 shop in Peckham Market, where they sell clothing from the SN1 camp and other designers, along with mixtapes and albums by SN1, Giggs and other UK artists.