Giggs has been to America plenty of times, but there are several cities he's never been to before like Chicago and Philadelphia. That will change later this month when begins his first-ever U.S. tour.
The U.K. artist has been impatiently waiting for a decade to visit his fanbase in the States. Giggs' "Zero Tolerance North American Tour" is set to kick off on April 28 in Los Angeles. He plans to deliver an immersive experience full of his classic hits, new joints and a few surprises. For some fans, it will be the first time they get to see him perform live, and he plans to give them the works.
"I got a thousand songs, bro. No cap," Giggs tells iHeartRadio. "There's too many. That's one of my biggest problems doing a set: scaling it down."
"Before I even started rapping, I used to DJ so I always got the set list,' he continues. "It's going to be a mixture of everything all mixed up. It might be wavy, then it might go into the relaxed, weed-smoking type vibe. Then it might go to the ladies, then it might go back up to the litness. You might have a one or two grime songs in there. So it's like a DJ set. You know how it goes. You got to keep the crowd going."
It's been a long time coming for the U.K.-born rapper. After getting his start as a DJ, Giggs released his first album Walk In Da Park in 2008. Since then, he's released numerous mixtapes and six studio albums including his 2013 album When Will It Stop and 2016's Landlord, which is his highest charting album to date. Last year, Giggs delivered his most recent project Zero Tolerance, which arrived 15 years after his debut LP. He celebrated the milestone at a rare concert at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire in London, which he co-headlined with Diddy.
In the months following his massive show, Giggs has been unraveling the plans for the next phase of his career. He teamed up with Maino for their collaboration "We Made It" towards the end of 2023. A few weeks later, the 40-year-old artist debuted his upcoming single "Big In The Game" during KidSuper's fashion show during Fashion Week in Paris. He let the song spread online and announced his historic tour before he revealed Quavo's involvement with the record.
The revered MC is laser-focused on his upcoming tour, but there's still more to come. Once he's done in America, Giggs plans to take his act all around the world from the U.K. to Africa. iHeartRadio caught up with the seasoned artist to talk about the tour, his upcoming collaboration with Quavo, conversations with 21 Savage, and more. Read the entire conversation below.
You're currently preparing to go on your first-ever North American tour. How do you feel about making that trek across the pond for the tour?
I'm just excited to be honest because me, personally, I love America. I love the different vibes in different states. You kind of got that, "it's like home away from home" like London, but then I love the vibe in Atlanta. I love the club scene in Atlanta, but then Miami, it's like mad places in one. I feel like I'm in America, London, Jamaica, the Caribbean— It's got mad different vibes in it. I'll be on this street and I feel like I'm in Jamaica, be on another street and I feel like I'm in America. Then I was in Tennessee the other day and the food's crazy, you get me? There's a lot of cities that I haven't been like Philadelphia or Chicago or Boston. So to be able to go and see them on tour is the best way. So I'm just more excited than anything.
This will be a great experience for you and your fans. Plus you get to explore these cities for the first time yourself. When you made the announcement about the tour, you said that you had been waiting a decade for this moment. For those who don't know, describe what happened between those 10 years that prevented you from coming over here.
To be honest, if you got a criminal record and you come to America, it's the hardest place to get into. I had a few gun convictions, some gun charges and stuff. I started going to America, but not declaring my convictions. So I used to be there all the time from 2008 to 2010. I was always there. Then one time it didn't work and got jammed up. So then I wasn't allowed there again for 10 years I was trying to get back in. So I used to just always watch the other artists, friends, family, always going back and forth to America. I'm just sitting there. So when I got the visa in 2020, I felt like I just came home, literally. So even more, I appreciate America even more than ever now.
There's another artist that recently experienced issues with his visa, 21 Savage. Did you get a chance to link up with him while he was in the U.K. for his first show or have you had a chance to even talk to him at all?
Yes. So when he was here, I was in the States, funny enough. But yeah, his situation's the same obviously. He was born here and but he couldn't get back here and all that clearly, but yeah, he was here a couple days ago again, but I was in New York again. He'll be like, "Yo where are you at?" And I'll be like, "I'm in the States." So our thing's reverse. He's happy to be back home. I'm bored—well not bored at home, but I'm trying to crack this new thing over there more. So he's like more over here and I'm more of here now.
Well hopefully you both be in the States when you hit up Atlanta. It would be dope to see you guys link up out there for sure. As far as the tour goes, what can fans expect to see?
Look out for me. I'm going to be there. I'm going to give them everything old, new, so I'm just going to give them a full Giggs show. There might be some people who in America who wanted to see me forever, so I can't forget to give them some of the old stuff as well, you know what I mean? But then there's people who just locked into Gigg's tunes. So I'm just going to give them everything.
I'm sure you're going to perform new music too. You recently dropped your song with Maino "We Made It." How did that record come together?
Yeah that one is just obviously Maino, that's the big homie. That's my family, you get me? He said he's got the new album and I was like 'yeah.' Then we shot [the video] in my hood in Peckham. Me and Maino. That's just organic. That's my bra.
You also have a new song in the works with Quavo. I saw your behind-the-scenes look at the music video on Instagram. How did that collaboration happen?
Yeah, I met Quavo in London. Quavo practically lives in London as well. That one I originally did that track for the designer KidSuper. He had a fashion show in Paris for Fashion Week. So I did the track for the fashion show and the track was just too cold for him. Then I thought Quavo would sound cold on this and I saw him at the fashion show as well. I knew he would be into the KidSuper s**t as well. I sent it over to Quavo, he sent it back straight away. Then I said, "This thing's too mad fun. We got to shoot a video." Then we shot the video. KidSuper directed it as well so it's been just us having fun. We got a cold banger and the video is looking crazy. There's a lot of KidSuper's clothing in there. So everyone's just shining with their talents. My verse, Quavo's verse, KidSuper's clothes, he's directing, you know what I'm saying?
Sounds like a movie is on the way. What's the name of the song?
"Big In The Game." No one even knows that still. So you actually got the exclusive.
"Big in the Game" is the name. You heard it here first! So the plan is to drop it around tour time, right?
I can't even say. I've said too much.
It's all good. We'll definitely be excited to hear that. Now these two records come 15 years after you dropped your debut album, Walk In Da Park. How do you feel like you've grown as an artist over the last 15 years?
I've grown up hella loads. Walk In Da Park, I was fresh off the street. Literally that's my first ever album. I was still on the street then. I mean, I had my son, my oldest son, but I was still kind of running around. Since then I went back to jail again. Came out, had more kids that grew, that matured a lot more. That took the game to the craziest levels ever. I've just grown a lot.
You recently celebrated the 15-year anniversary with a massive show in London. What moments from that show still resonate with you today?
Just the whole celebration. It's been 15 years and I guess just even be able to do a show because them times I couldn't even do it. I wasn't even allowed to do shows. I've just been banned from everything you can think of. Like shows T.V., radio, going to America. This is the first time I'm going to be an artist without both hands and legs tied. We're trying to move around, you know what I mean?
It's been over six months since you dropped your album Zero Tolerance. How do you feel the reception has been from the fan base since then?
It's been love, man, especially more in the States. When I be walking around people like "That Zero Tolerance is a classic." Over there on the state side, I'm a brand new artist so I feel like I'm starting from scratch kind of thing.
What would you say is your favorite song off the album? If you had to pick one?
I don’t know, because there's a lot of different moods. I might be in a chilled-out, "Once In A Blue" mood, or then I love the 'Zero Tolerance' intro, or I might be in "Spiderman" mode. There's all different types, but probably "Once In A Blue" to be fair.
My personal favorite is "Unlimited Blessings" because of all the references to Miami. Talk about the making of that record.
I'm glad you said that because that's exactly the vibe. I didn't make it in Miami. I was in New York when I made it, but I just left Miami and I was in the Miami mode, you know, sitting by the waves and in Booby Trap with Tafia and all that, you get me?
Tafia's the homie so personally I was hype when you shouted him out. Plus Booby Trap is a popping spot out here right now. All the celebrities and artists roll through there.
They always shows me love down there, know what I mean?
You've definitely come a long way since the beginning. I feel like you're preparing fans for a new album between your new music and the upcoming tour. What can fans expect from your next project?
I don't know, but you know it's always going to be a wave, always going to be wavy. I always take things to the next level.
Is there anything that you want to do with this next project that you've never done before?
Yeah, but it's just always figuring out what that is. No two projects are the same, but it's always still Giggs.
You've worked with plenty of artists in the past but who else do you still want to work with?
There's loads, there's always someone like maybe some of the legends like Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, and I want to work with Future. That'll be a mad thing still. But I'm always looking forward to the future, no pun intended.
He's active in the studio right now, so hopefully you'll connect when you slide to Atlanta. What else can fans look forward to from you in 2024?
After I do this year's tour, I really want to do a world tour like the whole world. Africa, Australia, the U.K., America, everywhere.
Is there any kind of message you want fans to have in their heads before they experience your tour?
Yeah, we're just getting started. That's it. I ain't ever stopping.