If you’re a North American rap fan, it’s very possible that Giggs’ appearances on Drake’s More Life album were your introduction to the London rapper. While Giggs has already made a considerable impact in the UK, he continues to embrace an American audience on his Wamp 2 Dem project, which features guest appearances from the likes of 2 Chainz, Young Thug, and Lil Duke. On “Times Tickin,” brings things even more global, as he works with Jamaican dancehall sensation Popcaan, yet another contact of Drake’s with a huge following outside of North America. The buzzing bassline of the beat provides a creeping feel reminiscent of early 00s rap. Both artists step up to the plate and do something entirely new with it, making for one of the best tracks on the new project.
With North American audiences still fairly unfamiliar with a lot of the music from overseas, Giggs is often mistaken for a grime artist. He spoke to Noisey about the difference between grime and what he does last year. Don’t know… to be honest, it’s all the same thing isn’t it? It’s just music,” he said. “They say grime doesn’t come from hip-hop, but I think it does. Cause men are rapping in it. Spitting in it, on the beat. Know what I’m saying? But they say grime is that 140 BPM. Well there’s 140 BPM rap playing. But obviously, I don’t know, they just want to say that they do grime and keep it in that. But to me, obviously I’m a rapper, isn’t it? But people say, yeah Giggs is a sick grime artist cause of his country. I don’t know man. Cause of everyone else that’s come up and made a name for themselves, they’ve all come from grime. Like I’m talking before I come, it’s like they don’t know anything else. It’s like they don’t even know that fucking American hip-hop’s always been around. They call anyone that makes music in the UK is grime.”
Listen Below
