There are many talented and musically adept individuals and groups in Singapore; we've a variety of rock bands, pop stars and even rap artiste. Speaking of rappers, take a moment to envision aforementioned character; what immediately comes to your mind? Here's betting that your rap artiste is an african american male with a baseball cap hailing from a tough neighbourhood rife with crime and poverty, that or you thought of Eminem.
Singaporean rap artist, producer & song writer, ShiGGa Shay, lives in one of the safest countries in the world; he's young, asian and has never been shot 9 times in a drug related incident. Yea well, Lil Wayne was an honor student and his only brush with firearms was when he accidentally pulled the trigger on himself- point being you don't have to live in the ghettos or be a thug to be a rapper.
Shigga Shay live @ Esplanade Theatre
ShiGGa Shay delved into Hip Hop and rap when he was only 9 years old; now at 19, ShiGGa has garnered considerable recognition for his performances in big nation-wide events like National Day Parade 2010, and his involvment in a number of notable collaborations with local bands like Electrico, and producers and singers such as Don Richmond, Sylvia Ratonel and Inch Chua.
PopConversation interviews our local rhyme guru and we learn about:
- Writing music that resonates with its listeners,
- Staying positive and focused,
- Making a career and a living out of music in Singapore.
---Start of Interview---
PopConversation: Hi ShiGGa Shay, you write and produce rap music that almost anyone can relate to at some level; how does a musician pen lyrics that reaches out to the masses?
ShiGGa: I feel it's because I'm just a regular guy just like anyone else, except that I strongly believe in my dreams. Everyone has dreams, so I guess just by keeping it real and telling real stories about myself, people would relate to that because they go through the same things in life.
PopConversation: In your music, you detailed having to contend with negativity and hate; how can and/or should an artiste/musician handle these situations?
ShiGGa: I feel that they shouldn't pay attention to negativity. This applies to everyone, not just artistes and musicians. We encounter negativity everyday, and it's how we handle it that makes a difference. Don't pay attention to it, pay attention to positivity and stay focused.
Image Credits: Paul Bradbury
PopConversation: Share with us some advise on how a new and unknown artiste/musician can make his/her work visible to his/her audiences, and how can they get their audiences to care about and like their productions?
ShiGGa: The best advise I could give them would be to just be themselves and not try to be someone that is hot or popular right now. Everyone is unique and special in their own ways, so if you keep to your craft, and work hard at it - people will eventually give you the attention.
PopConversation: Singapore is a relatively small market, what is your advise for musicians/artistes who decide that they want to make a living out of making music?
ShiGGa: It's difficult, but definitely possible. Everyone around you is going to tell you to not do it and stick to the norm of getting a regular job.
You would definitely need to have a lot of passion and drive in order to do it, so no matter what, just keep going, stay humble and never stop.
PopConversation: In your opinion, what are the elements that makes a person driven and motivated to be the best at what he/she does?
ShiGGa: The fear of Failure and the hunger for Success.
---End of Interview---
---Watch ShiGGa Shay's Latest Music Video---
ShiGGa's latest single (with over 11,000 Youtube views in less than a month), "Let's Roll"
Connect with ShiGGa on his Facebook page
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By Herman Soh
