Born Nathan Thompson in the early 1980s, raised by a single mum and the eldest of his siblings, he grew up in a less well off family in Peckham. Originally nicknamed 'Giggler' because of his tendency to laugh even in the most inappropriate situations, this was cut down to 'Giggs'. He became a father at the age of 21, but soon after spent two years in jail for gun possession.
He is known for rapping slowly in a low voice, which he described as "something different, enough to separate me from all the competing others".
Soon after being released from prison in 2005, Giggs started pursuing rapping as a career, instead of a hobby. Giggs and his SN1 crew started off releasing numerous mixtapes, including Hollowman Meets Blade, Welcome to Boomzville, Best of Giggs 1 and 2 and 3 and the hugely successful Ard Bodied, which featured the street anthem of 2008, "Talking the Hardest". His mixtapes have supposedly sold more than 100,000 units. This success helped his buzz expand outside London, however when Giggs first signed to XL Recordings, the record label was allegedly warned by members of Operation Trident to not back the London Rapper as Operation Trident is the Metropolitan Police's specialist team investigating gun crime within the black community in Peckham.
Giggs released the street anthem 'Talkin the Hardest' in 2008, which helped his growing buzz. The track features Giggs rapping over the beat from American hip-hop artist Stat Quo's track "Here We Go", originally produced by Dr. Dre. He then released his debut independent album Walk in da Park on 4 August 2008. The album had two official videos, for the tracks 'Uummm!!' and 'You Raised Me/Open Up'. Walk In Da Park received mainly positive reviews, and was very successful, selling out in most HMVs in the first two days of release.
Let Em Ave It is Giggs' second album and the first on a major label, under the XL Recordings label. "Look What the Cat Dragged In" was released on 7 June 2010 on XL Recordings, and is included on the album, which WAS released on 21 June 2010.
Singles released from the album include 'Slow Songs' featuring Mike Skinner and 'Don't Go There' featuring B.o.B.. In March 2010, "Don't Go There" entered the UK Singles Chart at #60. Giggs has been working with Atlantas JBizzy and produced around four tracks, "Whippin all day" (which can be downloaded for free from www.sn1giggs.com), "Background Ting" which can be heard on the official Giggs myspace www.myspace.com/trapstargiggs and two other which are going to be available on his album.
Giggs also has his own clothing brand, SN1 wear, including T-shirts, jackets and caps quoting previous lines from his songs such as "Talking the Hardest". These can be purchased from these SN1 store or the SN1wear website 'http://www.sn1wearltd.com/'.Giggs and the SN1 crew have opened a SN1 shop which can be found in Peckham Market. The shop sells clothing lines from the SN1 camp, as well as clothing from other designers. They also sell mixtapes and albums from SN1, Giggs and many UK artists.
Giggs has founded his own record label called SN1 Entertainment, it has not yet been confirmed whether or not it will be distributed through XL recordings. So far the only major releases on this label are Giggs debut album Walk in Da Park and Joe Grind Not Your Average Joe
Hold up
Giggs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Montana, Giggs
Top shotta
Hah
Got the paper on my mind (Hold up)
Take that bad bitch with you (Hold up)
Got a crib on the yacht (Hold up)
Hold up, hold up
Hold up, hold up
Hold up
Turn the bag into two
Bodegas with ahkis, talkin' G pack salamis
I'm talkin' hammers with bodies
Been wavy, tsunami (Tsunami)
Had to starve and wait, not reincarnated
Young LeBron to be the first down, young Tom Brady
Missiles, rip out your ball, whistle
Referees and DACA visas for the refugees
And if you talkin' white, go and grab your skis (Skis)
If you ain't talk about no paper, you speakin' Lebanese
Glad we made it from the gladiator school
When they pull me over, confiscate the tool, you stoppin' who?
I turn your brain to ramen noodle, copy? Cool
Cuckoo puffs, got beaucoup bucks for that voodoo opp
Been player, brick layer
A Lam' parker, K sprayer
Miracle whip sandwich, you niggas gon' get embarrassed
Had the paramedics scramble like Randall with your body
Young Illuminati
Man, I can rap and shoot (Hah?)
Jumped off the plane, saw the money, no parachute (Hah?)
Niggas that you can't recruit
Fresh off the stoop
Wanna fuck with me go and grab your group
You'd rather hoop than grab the till and shoot
Talkin' guns, we got bazookas
Can't roof you, ruthless niggas
On the top of roof with the scope
All we had was hope, rather that
Go and grab a rope around your neck and kick the chair
Hold up, hold up
Hold up, hold up
Hold up
Turn the bag into two
Hold up, hold up, hold up
Hold up, hold up
Hold up
Turn the bag into two
Yeah, shit is lit
Straight up, this is it (Yeah, yeah)
Snap snap, fisher pit (Fisher)
Man are dumb, thick as shit (Haha)
Hold up, hold up (Hold up)
Big man and grown-ups (Yeah)
Weed I roll up (Roll up)
Talk greazy, phone her
Yeah, 'bout the ketchup
Count the cash up, nigga, count the cash up
Hollowman, he might just order lobster (Yeah, yeah)
When on the clock, he might just light the snapper (Umm)
Plenty hollered, jets, sterling, dollars
Yeah, nowadays when niggas mention Giggs (Ah)
Most the time they talkin' 'bout the rapper (Jheeze)
All about that money business
Watch these niggas stunt until they money's finished
Now they wanna run it on some funny business (Switch, switch)
Lemons, ammi, soon, billions, Grammy's
Ask them old school niggas 'bout him, yeah
Mention Giggs, they'll tell you 'bout the trapper (Trapper)
Tell 'em run it (Run it)
Tell 'em bring it and they brung it (Brung it)
If it's fire then I bun it (Bun it)
Now you went and gone and done it (Yeah)
Bringin' sonic
Man drink 'Yac, ain't fuckin' with no gin and tonic (Nah)
Man get table tennis when I ping and pong it (Pong it, pong it)
Ain't no sing and songin' when I bring the wallet (Wallet, wallet)
Every time I drop new shit I bring the sonics (Sonics, sonics)
Any time I swing this shit I swing it solid (Yeah, yeah)
Man just hit up Dublin to bring the chronic
Bitch about to wax it up and bring the pilot
Hold up, hold up
Hold up, hold up
Hold up
Turn the bag into two
Hold up, hold up, hold up
Hold up, hold up
Hold up (paper on my mind)
Turn the bag into two
Got the paper on my mind (Hold up)
Take that bad bitch with you (Hold up)
Got a crib on the yacht (Hold up)
Turn the bag into two
Hold up, hold up
Hold up, hold up
Hold up
Turn the bag into two
The song "Hold Up" by Giggs and French Montana starts off with Montana announcing Giggs as "Top Shotta". This introduction fits well with the aggression and intensity of the rap verse that follows. Giggs talks about the paper that's on his mind, suggesting that he's focused on the money-making aspect of his career. He also talks about his luxurious lifestyle, with references to bad bitches and cribs on yachts. However, he doesn't miss out on showcasing his rap skills, with upbeat and catchy lines that add to the song's overall energy.
One striking feature of the song is French Montana's use of Jamaican Patois words like "ahkis", "salami", and "G pack". The use of Patois words adds to the song's authenticity and sound, as French Montana has previously worked with dancehall artists. The song also contains top-notch wordplay and imagery, such as "referees and DACA visas for the refugees" and "turn your brain into ramen noodle." This cleverness in the song's lyrics further elevates it.
The song's chorus is another catchy repetition of the phrase "hold up, hold up, hold up, turn the bag into two". The phrase suggests that Giggs and Montana are successful in their ventures and are focused on doubling their earnings.
Line by Line Meaning
Got the paper on my mind (Hold up)
I'm thinking about making money, hold up
Take that bad bitch with you (Hold up)
Bring that attractive woman with you, hold up
Got a crib on the yacht (Hold up)
I have a luxurious residence on my yacht, hold up
Turn the bag into two
Make double the profit
Bodegas with ahkis, talkin' G pack salamis
I'm with my close associates at the corner store, discussing drug deals
I'm talkin' hammers with bodies
I'm referring to guns that have been used to kill people
Been wavy, tsunami (Tsunami)
I've been riding a wave of success like a tsunami
Had to starve and wait, not reincarnated
I had to go through hard times and wait for success, I wasn't born lucky
Young LeBron to be the first down, young Tom Brady
I'm like LeBron James, leading my team to victory, or Tom Brady, winning games as a quarterback
Missiles, rip out your ball, whistle
I have weapons that can destroy you and will whistle like a bomb dropping
Referees and DACA visas for the refugees
I have people in high places, including referees and can assist refugees
And if you talkin' white, go and grab your skis (Skis)
If you are speaking in code, then bring code breakers with you
If you ain't talk about no paper, you speakin' Lebanese
If you're not talking about money, I can't understand you
Glad we made it from the gladiator school
I'm happy we made it out of the rough area we grew up in
When they pull me over, confiscate the tool, you stoppin' who?
If the police take my gun away, who will stop me?
I turn your brain to ramen noodle, copy? Cool
I can make you lose your mind, you get me?
Cuckoo puffs, got beaucoup bucks for that voodoo opp
I'm crazy and rich from my enemies' misfortunes
Been player, brick layer
I am experienced in both business (player) and illegal activities (brick layer)
A Lam' parker, K sprayer
I drive a Lamborghini and have an automatic weapon
Miracle whip sandwich, you niggas gon' get embarrassed
I'll easily beat you, it will be embarrassing
Had the paramedics scramble like Randall with your body
I caused physical harm to you, and the paramedics rushed to help you
Young Illuminati
I am part of the infamous secret society
Man, I can rap and shoot (Hah?)
I'm good at both rapping and shooting guns
Jumped off the plane, saw the money, no parachute (Hah?)
I took a risk and started making money without a safety net
Niggas that you can't recruit
I'm with people who can't be easily convinced or hired
Fresh off the stoop
I recently started making money from humble beginnings
Wanna fuck with me go and grab your group
If you mess with me, I'll be ready with my own crew
You'd rather hoop than grab the till and shoot
You prefer playing basketball to making money illegally
Talkin' guns, we got bazookas
We have heavy artillery
Can't roof you, ruthless niggas
We will stop at nothing to take you down
On the top of roof with the scope
We have a sniper on standby to take out our targets
All we had was hope, rather that
All we had was a dream, but that was enough
Go and grab a rope around your neck and kick the chair
Commit suicide, nobody will miss you
Yeah, shit is lit
This is great, it's lit
Straight up, this is it (Yeah, yeah)
I'm telling the truth, this is what it is
Snap snap, fisher pit (Fisher)
I'm snapping my fingers at the club, Fisher
Man are dumb, thick as shit (Haha)
Some people are not smart, they're quite dense
Big man and grown-ups (Yeah)
I'm with mature adults
Weed I roll up (Roll up)
I'm smoking marijuana
Talk greazy, phone her
I'm talking dirty, calling her
Yeah, 'bout the ketchup
I'm talking about my money, sauce like ketchup
Count the cash up, nigga, count the cash up
Let's count the money we've made
Hollowman, he might just order lobster (Yeah, yeah)
My friend might order the expensive lobster
When on the clock, he might just light the snapper (Umm)
He might light up the blunt when he's working
Plenty hollered, jets, sterling, dollars
I have a lot of money in multiple currencies
Yeah, nowadays when niggas mention Giggs (Ah)
When people mention me nowadays
Most the time they talkin' 'bout the rapper (Jheeze)
They're usually talking about my music career
All about that money business
I'm all about making money
Watch these niggas stunt until they money's finished
People will keep showing off until they run out of money
Now they wanna run it on some funny business (Switch, switch)
Now they're trying to do something sneaky
Lemons, ammi, soon, billions, Grammy's
I have no idea what these words mean, they're probably slang or code
Ask them old school niggas 'bout him, yeah
Older people know who I am
Mention Giggs, they'll tell you 'bout the trapper (Trapper)
They'll tell you about my criminal activity
Tell 'em run it (Run it)
Tell them to give me what I want
Tell 'em bring it and they brung it (Brung it)
They brought what I asked for
If it's fire then I bun it (Bun it)
If it's good music, I'll listen to it
Now you went and gone and done it (Yeah)
You did something wrong and now you'll pay for it
Bringin' sonic
I'm bringing a unique sound to the industry
Man drink 'Yac, ain't fuckin' with no gin and tonic (Nah)
I prefer cognac over gin and tonic
Man get table tennis when I ping and pong it (Pong it, pong it)
I play ping pong very well
Ain't no sing and songin' when I bring the wallet (Wallet, wallet)
When I'm making money, I don't waste time with celebrations
Every time I drop new shit I bring the sonics (Sonics, sonics)
My new music always has a unique sound
Any time I swing this shit I swing it solid (Yeah, yeah)
Every business move I make is successful
Man just hit up Dublin to bring the chronic
I just got some marijuana from Dublin
Bitch about to wax it up and bring the pilot
I'm about to have sex and then fly a plane
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jamal Rashid, Jason Thompson, Karim Kharbouch, Paul Beauregard, Sean Olascoaga, Tim Moore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind