Giggs has always been different from the rest. He rapidly rose from local to national fame with his distinctive slower-tempo and bassy flow. Not quite UK hip-hop, not quite grime, his unique style appealed to both fan bases and many, many more.
Since that original explosion onto the scene, he has continued to keep the people on their toes. From surprise US collabs, to switching up flows and tempos, to becoming the king of the Grime feature, The Landlord has kept it moving like he was charging London rent – expect the unexpected.
With his latest offering landing on Friday, here we break down 7 of his very best moments.
1. “Talkin Da Hardest”
Anthem doesn’t do justice to what this song was. If you found yourself at a rave in ’07-’08 times, you’re likely to have witnessed the reaction to “Talkin Da Hardest.” All but the silent types reciting each bar at the top of their lungs, it lit up the dance like no other. This was Giggs’ big entrance, and boy he nailed it.
2. BET Cypher
Giggs, Chip, Skepta and Ghetts paved the way for the US love Grime is now starting to get with their BET Cypher way back when. Hearing these four back-to-back was greatness guaranteed, and what made the punch lines even better was hearing Giggs’ appreciative creasing in the background.
3. “Look Out”
When the King of Grime and the Landlord linked up back in 2009, they delivered the fire they were supposed to, and when Giggs told the world he was the best on his opening verse, people started to believe him. “Look Out” was one for the road and the rave, and got the best out of both MCs.
4. “Look What The Cat Dragged In”
I reckon Giggs’ opening bars on this one are up there with his most addictive. Another one that sends the dance crazy.
“Don’t Go There”
Giggs took everyone by surprise when he came through with US features as diverse as Wacka Flocka and BOB. “Don’t Go There” had it all, the catchy chorus, the sick bars and the coldest of videos. This one sounds just as fresh today as it did back then.
“Man Don’t Care”
Giggs has recently made himself the MVP of feature verses. His appearances on songs with Kano, Footsie and 67 have all been noteworthy, but Jme’s “Man Don’t Care” is his best of all. “Like Batman, dunnu dunnu duu nuh” has to go down as one of the most iconic UK bars ever for the impact it had.
“Whippin Excursion”
The only vid we have had from the upcoming album is the perfect appetiser, a little snippet into the Giggs we can expect on the project. A skippy flow over a sick beat, with a bag of quotables – this is hard.
Friday soon come.