Shigga Shay facts for kids

Quick facts for kids ShiGGa Shay 西阁
Image Courtesy of John15 Photography
Background information
Birth name	Pek Jin Shen 白敬生
Born	(1992-09-12) 12 September 1992 (age 32) Singapore
Genres	Hip hop
Occupation(s)	Rapper songwriter producer director

Pek Jin Shen (born on September 12, 1992), known by his stage name ShiGGa Shay, is a famous hip hop artist from Singapore. He is also a songwriter, music producer, and director. His stage name, ShiGGa Shay, is written with a capital "GG" to stand for "Grizzle Grind," which is the name of his hip hop group.

ShiGGa Shay is one of the most important people in Singapore's music scene. He has done many amazing things in his career. When he was just 17, WorldStarHipHop named him "Unsigned Talent of The Week." He also had several songs reach number one on the iTunes Singapore Charts. A very special moment was when he was asked to perform at the White House Afterparty in Washington, DC.

In 2023, ShiGGa Shay made history on COLORSxSTUDIOS. He was the first Singaporean artist to perform a song there in both Mandarin and Hokkien. In the same year, he was a special guest on "The Rap Of China" with rapper E.SO. This made him the first Southeast Asian artist to be invited to that show.

ShiGGa Shay also helped start the hip hop group Grizzle Grind Crew. He also founded a company called Grizzle Films, which makes videos.

Early Life and School

Pek Jin Shen was born in Singapore on September 12, 1992. He became interested in hip hop music and rapping when he was nine years old. This happened after his mom bought him some English hip hop CDs. Sadly, his father passed away in 2009.

He went to Henry Park Primary School and Queensway Secondary School. Later, he earned a diploma in media and communication from Singapore Polytechnic.

Music Career Highlights

Early Days and Big Hits (2010s)

The name ShiGGa Shay sounds like the Chinese words "是个谁" (shì ge shéi). This means "who is it" or "who are you."

ShiGGa Shay first appeared on national TV when he was 16. He performed on a show called Live N Loaded on MediaCorp. This early performance made him want to perform even more. When he was 17, he was asked to be part of the National Day Parade for the first time.

In 2010, he released his mixtape called ShiGGa Shay's in the Building. A mixtape is like an album, but often made more casually. He recorded this mixtape in his own bedroom! His album They Call Me ShiGGa came out in 2012.

On December 16, 2012, WorldStarHipHop called ShiGGa the "Unsigned Talent of The Week." He was also the youngest hip-hop artist to have a song on the radio charts in Singapore.

In June 2013, he released a rap song called "LimPeh." This song mixed English, Chinese, and Hokkien. "LimPeh" means "Your Dad" in English. The song quickly became number one in Singapore. It featured other artists like Tosh Rock and Wang Weiliang. The music video for "LimPeh" was one of the first local music videos to become very popular online.

ShiGGa Shay also served in Singapore's National Service for two years. During this time, he was part of the SAF Music & Drama Company (MDC). He performed over 600 shows in army camps. He said that his time in MDC helped him become a better all-around performer. He learned to host, rap, act, and dance.

While in MDC, he performed for the Ah Boys to Men musical. He also performed at the MDC 40th anniversary with famous artists like Jack Neo and JJ Lin. After this, he released more songs like Lion City Kia (2014) and ShiGGa Morning (2015). He also made the official theme song for the movie 3688, called Tapau (2015).

In 2015, ShiGGa Shay released his first full-length album, named after himself. He performed at the Sing50 concert with Apl.de.ap from the Black Eyed Peas. He also worked with Stefanie Sun on a song called "Simply Love" for the SG50 album, "Sing, Love." They performed this song live together. In 2017, he was also featured on Stefanie Sun’s album on the song “Levitate (漂浮群岛)”.

In August 2016, ShiGGa Shay performed at the White House state dinner after-party. The US Ambassador to Singapore, Kirk Wagar, invited him to perform.

ShiGGa Shay is known for his amazing stage presence. He has opened shows for famous hip-hop groups like Wu-Tang Clan. He also shared the stage with Jaden Smith during his World Tour in Singapore. He has performed at many big events, including the National Day Parade (five times!), Singapore Day, Ultra Singapore, and the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix Concert.

New Music and Collaborations (2020-2022)

In 2020, ShiGGa Shay released a 12-song mixtape called S$.

He also became very successful internationally. In 2021, he released "uRight," a song with Korean-American rapper Jay Park. Around the same time, he worked with Hugo Boss. He helped create a special clothing collection that was only available in Singapore.

In 2022, he released an EP called I AM U. An EP is like a mini-album, usually with fewer songs than a full album. This EP included "uRight" with Jay Park. It also had "Mercury" with Taiwanese-American rapper ØZI. The song "Mercury" was produced by JB Made It, who has worked with big names like Drake.

COLORS Studios and Rap of China (2023-Present)

In April 2023, ShiGGa Shay became the first Singaporean artist to perform on COLORSxSTUDIOS. He was also the first artist there to sing a song in both Mandarin and Hokkien.

In the same month, he was featured on "Gummy Yummy." This was a song by Thai Rapper F.Hero that used many languages. It also featured Thai artist JV.Jarvis and Japan's JP The Wavy.

In June 2023, he was invited to be a special guest on "The Rap Of China" with rapper E.SO. This is one of China's most popular TV shows. On the show, they performed their new song "BO BEH ZAO." This Hokkien phrase means "No Horse Run," which means something is super good or unbeatable. He also joined the next season of the show in 2024 as a contestant.

Artistry and Influences

ShiGGa Shay's music is inspired by growing up in Singapore. He often uses many languages and local slang in his songs. He looks up to famous musicians like The Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, and Nas.

Music Videos and Directing

ShiGGa Shay has his own production company called Grizzle Films. Through this company, he directs his own music videos. He has also directed music videos for others, like the Starhub Chinese New Year Commercial 2014 "Wang Ah!". He also directed the music video for the song "我们的故事" from Jack Neo's movie, The Lion Men.

In 2023, Shay directed the music video for the theme song of NDP 2023, called "Shine Your Light." He also helped write the lyrics for this song.

Beyond Music

ShiGGa Shay was the only Asian music artist chosen for HUGO's 2021 global music campaign, HUGO Louder. He joined other famous artists like Rejjie Snow and MØ.

In 2020, during the pandemic, he was the first artist in Southeast Asia to host a live streaming concert using Mixed Reality technology. This concert was shown on cable TV across Asia.

In April 2022, Shay became the first music artist in Southeast Asia to sell his first Non-Fungible Token (NFT) very quickly. It sold out in just four minutes! This was his first step into the Web 3.0 world.

In 2023, Shay performed at the opening ceremony of the first Olympic Esports Week in Singapore. This was a big event for competitive video gaming.

Discography

Studio Albums

Extended Plays (EPs)

Singles

As Lead Artist

As Featured Artist

Music Videos

Filmography

Movies

Music Video Appearances

See Also

• Sylvia Ratonel
• Inch Chua
• The Sam Willows
• Gentle Bones
• Tabitha Nauser
• Jay Park