You're currently preparing to go on your first-ever North American tour. How do you feel about making that trek across the pond for the tour?

I'm just excited to be honest because me, personally, I love America. I love the different vibes in different states. You kind of got that, "it's like home away from home" like London, but then I love the vibe in Atlanta. I love the club scene in Atlanta, but then Miami, it's like mad places in one. I feel like I'm in America, London, Jamaica, the Caribbean— It's got mad different vibes in it. I'll be on this street and I feel like I'm in Jamaica, be on another street and I feel like I'm in America. Then I was in Tennessee the other day and the food's crazy, you get me? There's a lot of cities that I haven't been like Philadelphia or Chicago or Boston. So to be able to go and see them on tour is the best way. So I'm just more excited than anything.

This will be a great experience for you and your fans. Plus you get to explore these cities for the first time yourself. When you made the announcement about the tour, you said that you had been waiting a decade for this moment. For those who don't know, describe what happened between those 10 years that prevented you from coming over here.

To be honest, if you got a criminal record and you come to America, it's the hardest place to get into. I had a few gun convictions, some gun charges and stuff. I started going to America, but not declaring my convictions. So I used to be there all the time from 2008 to 2010. I was always there. Then one time it didn't work and got jammed up. So then I wasn't allowed there again for 10 years I was trying to get back in. So I used to just always watch the other artists, friends, family, always going back and forth to America. I'm just sitting there. So when I got the visa in 2020, I felt like I just came home, literally. So even more, I appreciate America even more than ever now.

There's another artist that recently experienced issues with his visa, 21 Savage. Did you get a chance to link up with him while he was in the U.K. for his first show or have you had a chance to even talk to him at all?

Yes. So when he was here, I was in the States, funny enough. But yeah, his situation's the same obviously. He was born here and but he couldn't get back here and all that clearly, but yeah, he was here a couple days ago again, but I was in New York again. He'll be like, "Yo where are you at?" And I'll be like, "I'm in the States." So our thing's reverse. He's happy to be back home. I'm bored—well not bored at home, but I'm trying to crack this new thing over there more. So he's like more over here and I'm more of here now.

Well hopefully you both be in the States when you hit up Atlanta. It would be dope to see you guys link up out there for sure. As far as the tour goes, what can fans expect to see?

Look out for me. I'm going to be there. I'm going to give them everything old, new, so I'm just going to give them a full Giggs show. There might be some people who in America who wanted to see me forever, so I can't forget to give them some of the old stuff as well, you know what I mean? But then there's people who just locked into Gigg's tunes. So I'm just going to give them everything.

I'm sure you're going to perform new music too. You recently dropped your song with Maino "We Made It." How did that record come together?

Yeah that one is just obviously Maino, that's the big homie. That's my family, you get me? He said he's got the new album and I was like 'yeah.' Then we shot [the video] in my hood in Peckham. Me and Maino. That's just organic. That's my bra.

Val Santos