Giggs: the best of Hollowman (playlist)

We've compiled the hottest Hollowman tracks, featuring collars with the likes of Drake, Mike Skinner and Jme.

Last updated: 28th Nov 2019

Originally published: 25th Oct 2019

From his early days playing reggae on the radio and selling mixtapes on the streets of Peckham, to selling out shows across the UK and being labelled 'British hip-hop's mightiest voice' in the national press, Giggs has rose through the ranks to become one of the biggest and most influential names in UK rap - up there with the likes of Wiley, Lethal Bizzle, Kano and Dizzee Rascal.

With a reputation built on frank lyrics and notoriously lively live shows (which were once regularly shut down by police), the rapper's career really began in 2005, following release from prison, when he decided to turn rapping from a hobby into a serious pursuit.

In 2007 he dropped 'Talkin' da Hardest', which has since been referred to as 'one of the most iconic UK rap songs of all time' and featured Giggs rapping over the instrumental of the Dr. Dre produced Stat Quo's song 'Here We Go'. The track's lyric 'everyone wants to know where Walk in Da Park is' foreshadowed the 2008 release of the rapper's debt album, which dropped independently through SN1 Records and paved the way for the grime sub-genre, 'road rap'.

Despite bans from MTV and Radio 1Xtra, the underground success of the album led to Giggs signing to XL Recordings, and the release of his sophomore album Let Em Ave It (2010).

From there Hollowman continued to impress and remained a huge part of the UK rap scene, with 2013's Let Em Ave It and 2016's Landlord, the latter earning Giggs his highest entry on the UK Albums Chart, debuting at number two.

Fast forward to 2017 and the rapper's feature on two tracks on Drake's More Life - 'No Long Talk' and 'KMT' - well and truly cemented the Peckham rapper's place on the global stage, and in the summer of 2018 the two joined each other on stage for performances at both Wirelsess and Reading Festival.

Latest release The Big Bad and its monster lead single 'Baby', has further solidified Giggs' style as one of the most recognisable on the scene, and we couldn't think of a better way to salute him than to condense his immense career into this handy playlist.  

From his aforementioned tacks with Drake, to hook ups with The Streets' Mike Skinner, Theophilus London and Jme, plus a tonne of Hollowman's own tunes.

Find Tipsy with Giggs Edinburgh tickets below as Hollowman brings a live PA set to the Scottish capital with a performance at Lulu, Edinburgh on Sunday 1st December.