Pek Jin Shen (born 12 September 1992), better known by his
stage name
A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...
Shigga Shay (
stylised as ShiGGa Shay—the capitalised "GG" representing "Grizzle Grind"), is a Singaporean hip hop artist, songwriter, director and music producer.
He has been featured on the covers of Juice, the Today newspaper and the Pioneer Magazine. Having had over two million YouTube views, he has also been labeled one of the top 50 men to look out for in 2015 by the Esquire Magazine. ShiGGa is also a founder member of hip hop group Grizzle Grind Crew, as well as production company Grizzle Films.
Early life and education
Pek Jin Shen was born on 12 September 1992 in Singapore.
He developed his interest in
hip hop music and
rapping
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
at the age of nine, after his mother purchased him a few English hip hop records. Pek's father died in 2009 of
colon cancer
Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel mo ...
.
He attended
Henry Park Primary School
Education in Singapore is managed by the Ministry of Education (MOE). It controls the development and administration of state schools receiving taxpayers' funding, but also has an advisory and supervisory role in respect of private schools. Fo ...
,
Queensway Secondary School
Queensway Secondary School (QSS) is a co-educational government secondary school in Queenstown, Singapore. It offers a four to five-year course leading to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level or Singapore-Cambridge GCE Normal Level examinati ...
before graduating from
Singapore Polytechnic
Singapore Polytechnic (SP) is a post-secondary education institution and statutory board under the purview of the Ministry of Education in Singapore.
Established in 1954, the institution is the first and oldest polytechnic in Singapore and is ...
with a
diploma
A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offici ...
in
media and communication.
Career
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”.
One of his ShiGGa's earliest appearances on the public stage was when he was still a "raw, cocky" 16-year-old, at the show Live N Loaded by
MediaCorp
Mediacorp Pte. Ltd., doing business as Mediacorp and stylised as mediacorp, is a media conglomerate in Singapore. Owned by Temasek Holdings—the holding company of the Government of Singapore—it owns television, radio, and digital media prope ...
. According to Shigga himself, the stage name of "Shigga Shay" was just dreamt up by him
at age 14.
ShiGGa's music is rooted in hip hop. As of 2012, he has released one mixtape and one
extended play
An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. album, ''ShiGGa Shay's in the Building'' (2010) and ''They Call Me ShiGGa'' (2012) respectively.
''ShiGGa Shay's in the Building'' was reportedly recorded solely in Shigga's bedroom.
On 16 December 2012, ShiGGa was named the "Unsigned Talent of The Week" by
WorldStarHipHop
WorldStarHipHop is a content-aggregating video blog. Zurawik, David.Worldstarhiphop.com makes a name for itself with shocking viral videos". ''The Baltimore Sun''. March 23, 2012. Retrieved on April 22, 2012Alternate link to the same article fro ...
. ShiGGa is the "youngest hip-hop artist to have made it on the Singapore radio charts
.., according to Aging Youth.
In June 2013, he released "LimPeh" (English: Your Dad), an English-Chinese-Hokkien rap song which became a chart-topper in Singapore. It features guest vocals from Tosh Rock and
Wang Weiliang
Wang Weiliang (, born 11 October 1987) is a Singaporean actor and singer. A getai performer-turned-actor, Wang has become a local celebrity after the successes of ''Ah Boys to Men'' movie series by director Jack Neo.
Personal life
At 14, he dr ...
. Other notable works include Lion City Kia, ShiGGa Morning and the official theme song for 3688, Ta Pau.
During his two-year compulsory
National Service
National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939.
The l ...
, he was a member of the SAF Music & Drama Company (MDC).
During this time he performed for the ''
Ah Boys to Men
''Ah Boys to Men'' () is a 2012 Singaporean military comedy film produced and directed by Jack Neo, written by Neo and Link Sng. It stars Joshua Tan, Maxi Lim, Noah Yap, Wang Weiliang, Tosh Zhang, Justin Dominic Misson, Aizuddiin Nasser and Rid ...
'' musical, Rockhampton and the MDC 40th anniversary alongside other MDC alumni: Jack Neo, Dick Lee,
JJ Lin
Wayne Lin Junjie (; born 27 March 1981), better known by his stage name JJ Lin, is a Singaporean singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Lin launched his musical career by releasing his debut album ''Music Voyager'' (2003). GIO, Taiwa1 ...
, Jeremy Monterio and more. 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,"
ShiGGa had a few notable performances throughout his musical career. He was part of Singapore's National Day Parade 2015, leading one major rap segment. He was part of Sing50 concert and performed in the hip-hop segment with
Apl.de.ap
Allan Pineda Lindo (born November 28, 1974), known professionally as apl.de.ap (), is a Filipino-American rapper, singer and record producer. He is a founding member of the hip hop group Black Eyed Peas.
Early life
Allan Pineda Lindo was born ...
from the
Black Eyed Peas
Black Eyed Peas (also known as The Black Eyed Peas) is an American musical group consisting of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo (rapper), Taboo. The group's line-up during the height of their popularity in the 2000s featured Fergie (singer ...
. 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
Stefanie Sun (, born 23 July 1978) is a Singaporean singer-songwriter. In 2000, she released her debut album, '' Yan Zi'', which won her a Golden Melody Award for Best New Artist. In 2004, she released her eighth studio album, '' Stefanie'', w ...
in a duet titled "Simply Love" which they also performed live during the albums showcase. Other notable performances in 2015 include: SEA games 2015, Pink dot 2015, Digital fashion week 2015, the Shine youth Festival 2015.
In 2015 ShiGGa released his first full-length self-titled album.
In August 2016, ShiGGa performed at the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
state dinner after-party at which he, along with the local singer,
Tabitha Nauser
Tabitha Nauser (born 23 February 1992) is a Singaporean singer.
Nauser was born to a Swiss father and a Singaporean Indian mother. In 2009, Nauser placed third in the third edition of ''Singapore Idol''.
In 2017, Nauser's song “Bulletproof” ...
, were invited to perform by the US Ambassador to Singapore,
Kirk Wagar
Kirk W. B. Wagar (born July 13, 1969) is a former United States Ambassador to Singapore. He was sworn in as ambassador on September 4, 2013. Following the inauguration of President Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is ...
.
Influences
He considers artists like
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop and particularly gangsta ...
,
2Pac
Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...
,
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...
, and
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
as his influences.
Music Videos
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
StarHub Limited, most commonly known as just Starhub, is a Singaporean multinational telecommunications conglomerate and one of the major telcos operating in the country. Founded in 1998, it is listed on the Singapore Exchange (SGX).
History ...
Chinese New year Commercial 2014 "Wang Ah!" as well as the Singapore version of the Durex-MTV global sex-ed campaign "Somebody like me" that featured
The Sam Willows
The Sam Willows is a four-member Singaporean pop band formed in 2011. The group consists of siblings Narelle and Benjamin Kheng, together with their friends Sandra Riley Tang and Jonathan Chua. The quartet’s self-titled freshman EP was rel ...
. He also directed the music video for the song 我们的故事 of
Jack Neo
Jack Neo (born 24 January 1960) is a Singaporean actor, television host, comedian and film director. He was prominently a full-time Mediacorp artiste from 1983 to 2003. In the 1990s and early 2000s, he was best known for his cross-dressing roles ...
's movie,
The Lion Men
''The Lion Men'' () is a Singapore action comedy film directed by Jack Neo and starring Tosh Zhang, Wang Weiliang, Eva Cheng, Noah Yap, Charlie Goh, Maxi Lim and Chen Tianwen. The main plot revolves around two lion dance groups pitting th ...
.
Discography
Studio albums
Extended Plays
Singles
As lead artist
As featured artist
Music Videos
Filmography
Movies
Music video appearances
See also
*
Sylvia Ratonel
Sylvia Anne Ratonel (born 14 June 1988) is a Singaporean singer and spokesmodel. She is most popularly known as the first female finalist in ''Singapore Idol'' history as well as being the runner-up of the third season. The show launched her ca ...
*
Inch Chua
Inch Chua (born Chua Yun Juan; 22 December 1988), stylized as iNCH, is a Singaporean singer-songwriter, musician, producer, actress and artist previously based in Los Angeles and New York. After rising to fame in Singapore's nascent indie scene as ...
*
The Sam Willows
The Sam Willows is a four-member Singaporean pop band formed in 2011. The group consists of siblings Narelle and Benjamin Kheng, together with their friends Sandra Riley Tang and Jonathan Chua. The quartet’s self-titled freshman EP was rel ...
*
Gentle Bones
Joel Tan (born 23 March 1994), better known by his stage name Gentle Bones, is a Singaporean singer-songwriter. His self-titled debut EP, released in 2014, as well as the singles released from it have charted on iTunes and Spotify, making him one ...
*
Tabitha Nauser
Tabitha Nauser (born 23 February 1992) is a Singaporean singer.
Nauser was born to a Swiss father and a Singaporean Indian mother. In 2009, Nauser placed third in the third edition of ''Singapore Idol''.
In 2017, Nauser's song “Bulletproof” ...
*
Jay Park
Jay Park ( Korean name: Park Jae-beom (Hangul: 박재범; Hanja: 朴載範); born April 25, 1987) is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and entrepreneur of based in South Korea. He is a member of the Seattle-based ...
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shay, Shigga
1992 births
Singaporean musicians
Living people
Singaporean hiphop musicians
Singaporean people of Chinese descent
Singapore Polytechnic alumni