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Shigga Shay

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ShiGGa Shay 西阁
Image Courtesy of John15 Photography
Image Courtesy of John15 Photography
Background information
Birth namePek Jin Shen 白敬生
Born (1992-09-12) 12 September 1992 (age 32)
Singapore
GenresHip hop
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
  • producer
  • director
Websitehttp://www.shiggashay.com

Pek Jin Shen[1] (born 12 September 1992), better known by his stage name Shigga Shay (stylised as ShiGGa Shay—the capitalised "GG" representing "Grizzle Grind"), is a Singaporean hip hop artist, songwriter, director and music producer.[2] He is widely acknowledged as one of the prominent figures in Singapore's music industry, celebrated for his extensive body of work. ShiGGa Shay has achieved notable accomplishments throughout his career, including being recognised as the "Unsigned Talent of The Week" by WorldStarHipHop at 17 and securing multiple #1 singles on the iTunes Singapore Charts. Furthermore, he had the distinct honour of being invited to perform at the White House Afterparty for the State Dinner in Washington, DC.[3]

In 2023, Shay made history by being the first Singaporean and the first artist to perform a song in both Mandarin and Hokkien on COLORSxSTUDIOS.[4] In the same year, he was invited to perform as a special guest on "The Rap Of China", alongside rapper E.SO, making him the first Southeast Asian to be invited on the show.[5]

ShiGGa is also a founder member[6] of hip hop group Grizzle Grind Crew,[7] as well as production company Grizzle Films.[8]

Early life and education

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Pek Jin Shen was born on 12 September 1992 in Singapore.[9][10] He developed his interest in hip-hop music and rapping at the age of nine,[11] after his mother purchased him a few English hip hop records.[12] Pek's father died in 2009 of colon cancer.[13]

His passion for music began at a young age, when he joined the Chinese Orchestra and began playing the dizi at Henry Park Primary School. He joined the Queensway Secondary School military band, where he played the trombone.[14] Following secondary school, he graduated from Singapore Polytechnic with a diploma in media and communications.[15]

Career

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2010s: Early beginnings, LimPeh and impact on local culture

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ShiGGa Shay is an onomatopoeic play on the Chinese words, "是个谁" from "你是个谁," which translates to mean "who is it" or "who are you".[16]

Shay made his national television debut on Live N Loaded on MediaCorp as a 16-year-old, which was one of his early public performances.[17] He discussed how his initial appearance on public television inspired him to perform more in an interview with Mothership. He was approached by Dr. Sydney Tan, the National Day Parade's music director that year and Don Richmond when he was 17 years old, to take part in the parade for the first time.[14] That same year, he released his mixtape ShiGGa Shay's in the Building (2010), and They Call Me ShiGGa (2012) was an album that dropped soon after.[2] ShiGGa Shay's in the Building was reportedly recorded solely in Shigga's bedroom.[18]

On 16 December 2012, ShiGGa was named the "Unsigned Talent of The Week" by WorldStarHipHop.[19] ShiGGa is the "youngest hip-hop artist to have made it on the Singapore radio charts [...]", according to Aging Youth.[2]

He released the English-Chinese-Hokkien rap song "LimPeh" (English: Your Dad) in June 2013, and it quickly rose to the top of the Singaporean charts. It features guest vocals from Tosh Rock and Wang Weiliang.[20] The accompanying music video was one of the first from the local music industry to go viral.

During his two-year compulsory National Service, he was a member of the SAF Music & Drama Company (MDC).[21] In his interview with COLORSxSTUDIOS, Shay shared how his experience in MDC sharpened him as he became more familiar with performing on stage. He was given the opportunity to host, rap, act and dance - performing over 600 shows in different army camps.[22] He said in an interview with The Straits Times, "Before MDC, I was just a rapper but my time there made me an all-round performer,"[21]

During this time he performed for the Ah Boys to Men musical, Rockhampton and the MDC 40th anniversary alongside other MDC alumni: Jack Neo, Dick Lee, JJ Lin, Jeremy Monterio and more.[23] In the years that followed, he released several singles, Lion City Kia (2014), ShiGGa Morning (2015) and the official theme song for 3688, Tapau (2015).

In 2015 Shay released his first full-length self-titled album.[24] In 2015, he was part of Sing50 concert and performed in the hip-hop segment with Apl.de.ap from the Black Eyed Peas.[25] During that year he also collaborated with Dick Lee during this performance. He was also part of the SG50 album, "Sing, Love", where he collaborated with Stefanie Sun in a duet titled "Simply Love" which they also performed live during the albums showcase.[26] In 2017, Shay was also featured on Stefanie Sun's album on the song "Levitate (漂浮群岛)".

In August 2016, Shay performed at the White House state dinner after-party. He was invited to perform by the US Ambassador to Singapore, Kirk Wagar.[3]

Recognised for his stage presence and talent, Shay has opened for esteemed hip-hop legends, including Wu-Tang Clan, and shared the stage with cultural influencer Jaden Smith during the Singapore leg of his World Tour. He has performed at several prominent events including Singapore's National Day Parade, performing on five different years, Singapore Day, Ultra Singapore, and the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix Concert.

2020 - 2022: $S, uRight and I AM U

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In 2020, he dropped a 12-track mixtape, S$.

Shay has also experienced considerable commercial success on an international scale. In 2021, he released 'uRight', a transformative collaboration with Korean-American rapper Jay Park.[27] This release coincided with his inaugural collaboration with Hugo Boss, where he curated a capsule collection exclusively available in Singapore.

In 2022, he released an EP titled I AM U. The 5-track EP features previously released singles in "uRight" which notably features South Korean rapper Jay Park. 'Mercury' featuring Taiwanese-American rapper ØZI, 'Birthday', 'uKnow' and 'Passive Aggressive'. The track 'Mercury' was produced by London-based producer JB Made It, who has production credits for Drake, Fivo Foreign, and Chief Keef.[28]

2023 – present: COLORS Studios and Rap of China

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In April 2023, he became the first Singaporean artist to grace the stage of COLORSxSTUDIOS and was also the first to perform a song in both Mandarin and Hokkien.[4]

In that same month, Shay was featured in "Gummy Yummy", a multilingual single released by Thai Rapper, F.Hero. It also features Thai artist JV.Jarvis and Japan's JP The Wavy.[29]

In June 2023, he was invited to perform as a special guest alongside rapper E.SO on "The Rap Of China", which stands as one of China's most popular variety show produced by iQiyi. On that episode, the duo debuted their single "BO BEH ZAO" (Hokkien for "No Horse Run" 没⻢跑).[5] He participated in the next season of the show in 2024 as a competitor.[30]

Artistry and influences

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Shay's upbringing in Singapore and his reflections of his environment form the basis of his creative output. This is shown in the multilingualism and colloquialism frequently used in his songs.[22] The Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z and Nas are among the musicians he cites as influences.[10]

Music videos

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Through his production company, Grizzle Films, ShiGGa Shay not only directs his own music videos but also directed multiple music videos such as the Starhub Chinese New year Commercial 2014 "Wang Ah!"[31] as well as the Singapore version of the Durex-MTV global sex-ed campaign "Somebody like me" that featured The Sam Willows. He also directed the music video for the song 我们的故事 of Jack Neo's movie, The Lion Men.[32]

In 2023, Shay directed the music video for the theme song of NDP 2023, "Shine Your Light" which he co-wrote the lyrics with Don Richmond.[33]

Venturing beyond music

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Shay holds the distinction of being the sole Asian music artist selected for HUGO's 2021 global music campaign, HUGO Louder, joining esteemed artists such as Rejjie Snow, Amelie Lens and MØ.[34]

In 2020 in the midst of the pandemic, he became the first Southeast Asian artist to host a live streaming Mixed Reality concert. The concert was broadcast on cable TV via TechStorm in Asia.[35]

In April 2022 Shay become the first Southeast Asian music artist to sell out his genesis Non-Fungible Token (NFT) within a span of four minutes, marking his entry into the Web 3.0 space.[36]

In 2023, Shay performed at the opening ceremony of The International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s first Olympic Esports Week Singapore 2023.[37]

Discography

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Studio albums

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Title Album details Track listing
ShiGGa Shay
  • Released: 9 August 2015
    1. "Never Learn"
    2. "Lion City Kia feat. Akeem Jahat and Lineath"
    3. "Siala feat. Wang Weiliang"
    4. "Lonely"
    5. "Wussapa"
    6. "Ang Moh Pai feat. Tosh Rock"
    7. "Everybody"
    8. "Mama Don't Cry"
S$
  • Released: 19 June 2020
    1. "White House"
    2. "Waking Up"
    3. "Reason Why"
    4. "Too Sunny Freestyle"
    5. "Handbag"
    6. "Merry Go"
    7. "Standby Freestyle"
    8. "If I,"
    9. "$ing Dolla"
    10. "Don't Talk 2 Me"
    11. "No Sound"

Extended plays

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Title Album details Track listing
They Call Me ShiGGa
  • Released: 1 January 2012
I AM U
  • Released: 21 April 2022
    1. "uRight (feat. Jay Park)"
    2. "Mercury (feat. ØZI)"
    3. "Passive Aggressive"
    4. "Birthday"
    5. "uKnow"

Singles

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As lead artist

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Title Year Album
"Lim Peh feat. Tosh Rock" 2013 Non-album single
"Lion City Kia" 2014 ShiGGa Shay
"Wussapa" 2015 ShiGGa Shay
"Tapau (From 3688)" 2015 Non-album single
"Last Warning feat. Tosh Rock, Wang Weiliang, LINEATH, Fakkah Fuzz, Charles ENERO" 2016 Non-album single
"In My Hand" 2016 Non-album single
"Paiseh" 2019 Non-album single
"if, i" 2019 S$
"Leh Loh" 2020 S$
"Reason Why" 2020 S$
"365 the Intro" 2020 Non-album single
"who r u 是个谁" 2020 Non-album single
"uRight (feat. Jay Park)" 2021 I AM U
"Passive Aggressive" 2021 I AM U
"uTopia reimagined: chasing feat. Aisyah Aziz" 2021 Non-album single
"iykyk (uKnow remix) ft. Cykko" 2022 I AM U (iykyk edition)
"Rainy Days - A COLORS SHOW" 2023 Non-album single
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Title Year Album
DOMO feat. [ShiGGa Shay, SonaOne & JP THE WAVY] 2019 Non-album single
GUMMY YUMMY [F.Hero, JV.JARVIS, ShiGGa Shay & JP THE WAVY] 2023 Non-album single

Music videos

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Title Year
"Break Me (ft. Muzique)" 2012
"Lion City Kia (Ft. LINEATH, Akeem Jahat)" 2014
"Grizzle Grind Anthem (Ft. ShiGGa Shay, LINEATH, Charles Enero & Tosh Rock)" 2014
"Born Hater Freestyle (feat. Charles ENERO & THELIONCITYBOY)" 2015
"ShiGGa Morning (ft. Inch Chua)" 2015
"EVERYBODY" 2015
"Tapau (From the "3688" Movie OST)" 2015
"Ang Moh Pai (ft. Tosh Rock)" 2015
"Never Learn" 2015
"Paiseh" 2019
"if i", 2019
"주니어셰프 (JuniorChef) - 'DOMO (Feat. ShiGGa Shay, SonaOne & JP THE WAVY)" 2019
"Leh Loh (Visualizer)" 2020
"Reason Why (Lyric Video)" 2020
"Waking Up (Lyric Video)" 2020
"No Sound (Lyric Visualizer)" 2020
"who r u 是个谁 (Mixed Reality Music Video)" 2020
"Reason Why (Live XR Studio Performance)" 2021
"uRight (feat. Jay Park)" 2021
"Passive Aggressive" 2021
"uTopia reimagined: chasing feat. Aisyah Aziz (Lyric Video)" 2021
"Mercury (feat. ØZI) (Visualizer)" 2022
"iykyk (uKnow remix) ft. Cykko" 2022

Filmography

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Movies

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Year Title Role Notes
2015 3688 想入飞飞 Yoyo This movie's opening weekend was recorded as the highest opening weekend for a local film in 2015[38]

Music video appearances

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Year Song Artist
2016 One of These Days MICappella
2023 Rainy Days - A COLORS SHOW COLORSxSTUDIOS
2023 GUMMY YUMMY F.Hero, JV.Jarvis, ShiGGa Shay, JP THE WAVY

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Rasul, Juliana June (23 May 2012). "Digging in his heels". The New Paper. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013.
  2. ^ a b c "Shigga Shay". AgingYouth. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Proud to be Singaporean, say musicians Shigga Shay and Tabitha Nauser after performing at White House State Dinner after-party". The Straits Times. 5 August 2016. Archived from the original on 14 November 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  4. ^ a b "ShiGGa Shay – Rainy Days 下雨天 | A COLORS SHOW". COLORSxSTUDIOS. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  5. ^ a b "ShiGGA Shay joins E.So on iQiyi's The Rap of China for 'BO BEH ZAO'". liftedasia.com. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  6. ^ "ShiGGa Shay". Grizzle Grind Crew. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  7. ^ "Grizzle Grind Crew at Esplanade". Time Out. 11 March 2013. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014.
  8. ^ Chin, Jeanette (5 June 2012). "Power of Pop Interview: Shigga Shay". Power of Pop. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014.
  9. ^ Lim, Christopher (13 July 2012). "Local hip-hopper's true grit". The Business Times. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014.
  10. ^ a b "ShiGGa Shay". Esplanade: Theatres by the Bay. Archived from the original on 8 June 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  11. ^ Ibrahim, Shereen (14 October 2011). "let’s-roll"/ "Lion City's Very Own Shiga Shay Releases Single "Let's Roll"!". Fever Avenue.[permanent dead link‍]
  12. ^ "Mom got him rapping". The Straits Times. 15 October 2011. Archived from the original on 29 October 2017.
  13. ^ Lee, Cassandra (14 November 2012). "ShiGGa Shay: Taking the rap". Time Out. Archived from the original on 20 November 2012.
  14. ^ a b This is rapper ShiGGa Shay's fifth NDP. Why does he do it?, 7 August 2023, retrieved 4 September 2023
  15. ^ "Make Way for Shigga Shay". Singapore Polytechnic. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  16. ^ "Shigga Shay". AgingYouth. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  17. ^ "PoPTV – Shigga Shay". Power of Pop. 14 October 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  18. ^ "The Apprenticeship Programme 2011". Noise Singapore. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  19. ^ "Unsigned Talent of the Week: Shigga Shay (17 Year Old Rapper From Singapore) – On My Grind". WorldStarHipHop. 16 December 2012. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013.
  20. ^ Toh, Christopher (26 June 2013). "Shigga Shay tops iTunes Singapore charts". Today. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  21. ^ a b Hadi, Eddino (15 September 2014). "Rapper Shigga Shay is an unabashed Lion City kid". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  22. ^ a b "ShiGGa Shay Interview". COLORSxSTUDIOS. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  23. ^ Koh, Eng Beng (28 November 2013). "Concert salutes NSmen, celebrates 40 years of MDC". Cyber Pioneer. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  24. ^ Hon, Jing Yi (21 August 2015). "ShiGGa Shay celebrates debut album release with private party". Today. Archived from the original on 24 August 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  25. ^ Abdul Hadi, Eddino (25 April 2015). "Stefanie Sun, JJ Lin, Lang Lang and Rahimah Rahim among stars to join Sing50 concert on Aug 7". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 16 November 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  26. ^ Toh, Christopher (26 June 2015). "Final song for SG50 album released". Today. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  27. ^ Peters, Daniel (26 February 2021). "Watch ShiGGa Shay and Jay Park's music video for new single 'uRight'". NME. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  28. ^ Rafid, Sabiq (22 April 2022). "ShiGGa Shay debuts new collaboration-heavy EP, 'I AM U'". Hear65. Retrieved 4 September 2023 – via Bandwagon.asia.
  29. ^ "F.HERO, JV.JARVIS, ShiGGa Shay, and JP THE WAVY team up for sunny summer single 'GUMMY YUMMY' — watch". F.HERO, JV.JARVIS, ShiGGa Shay, and JP THE WAVY team up for sunny summer single 'GUMMY YUMMY' — watch | Bandwagon | Music media championing and spotlighting music in Asia. 28 April 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  30. ^ "Singaporean hip-hop artiste Shigga Shay joins new season of Chinese reality series The Rap Of China". CNA Lifestyle. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  31. ^ "StarHub CNY 2014 旺Ah! Extended Cut [Featuring Shigga Shay and The Lion Men]". StarHub. 29 January 2014. Archived from the original on 18 March 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2015 – via YouTube.
  32. ^ "我们的故事 MV (Tosh / Weiliang / Bunz) "The Lion Men" Official Theme Song". JTV. 23 January 2014. Archived from the original on 23 August 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2015 – via YouTube.
  33. ^ "Theme Song". ndp.gov.sg. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  34. ^ "ShiGGa Shay for #HUGOLouder". www.sleek-mag.com. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  35. ^ Singh, Surej (8 September 2020). "ShiGGa Shay announces "mixed reality" virtual concert to launch EP". NME. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  36. ^ Hadi, Eddino Abdul (14 April 2022). "Singapore rapper Shigga Shay sells out 999 NFTs within 4 minutes". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  37. ^ Kwek, Kimberly (22 June 2023). "Inaugural Olympic Esports Week declared open". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  38. ^ Bots, F. "Local film '3688' tops weekend chart". Fmoviemag. F***. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
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