BIG BAD...

by 
AlbumFeb 22 / 201918 songs, 1h 9m 2s
Noteable

Giggs has always been one of UK rap’s more upwardly mobile talents. One of the MCs to receive Drake’s patronage during the Canadian’s 2017 🇬🇧 love-in, his fifth studio album has a strikingly cross-Atlantic guest list that hints at broader ambitions. In less credible hands, this could feel like a calculated lurch, but it’s Giggs we’re dealing with: His US guests are in his house to play by his rules. This means we get Jadakiss patrolling Peckham with menace on “MIC CHECK,” Lil Yachty battling the baleful, gothic production of “NOSTALGIA,” and, best of all, Swizz Beatz trying to wrest control of the glorious anarchy of “TERMINATOR.” With that dexterous flow both thunderous and playful, Giggs himself has never sounded better, hungrier, or more relaxed. He’s put together a record that feels important—beyond the UK.

7.4 / 10

The London rapper’s fifth album reinforces his dominance of the UK scene and marks his increasing cachet in international waters, but the decision to sing might be the wrong kind of risk-taking.

He’s now friends with Drake and a star on both sides of the Atlantic, but Giggs remains the London rapper we know and love on his fifth album

8 / 10

The best distillation yet of Giggs' peerless talent

8 / 10

Since first establishing himself as one of the UK’s most creative rappers with 2007’s ‘Welcome 2 Boomzville’, Giggs has proven

The Peckham rapper has become one of the UK’s most successful by sticking to his guns – and being gifted with a uniquely sensual vocal tone