Confidence And Clarity: Clash Meets Tiggs Da Author
"It's all about feelings for me..."
For the past five years or so, *Tiggs Da Author* has weaved his way into the foundations of UK music consciousness with his raspy, jazzy tones sprinkled over some of our favourite rap songs - from J Hus to Tinie Tempah. When he wasn’t teaming up with North-West stalwart Nines, he was cultivating his unique Afro-jazz lane, inspired by Tanzanian jazz bands alongside the R&B, hip-hop and grime he grew up with after moving to South London aged eight.
After lending his production and songwriting abilities and building a reputation as the man with the hooks, he’s finally ready to release his debut album - 'Blame It On The Youts' - bringing together all his influences from Dar es Salaam to Dartford.
Citing influences such as Bongo Flava - a Tanzanian genre that blends traditional styles with American hip-hop and afrobeats - as well as the grime and UK rap he grew up with in South London, this album is an insight into the boy and the man he is today.
Clash links with Tiggs Da Author to find out more.
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*Congratulations on your debut album! How are you feeling?*
Thank you! It’s a shame I can’t celebrate it the way I usually do but I’m really excited for the music to come out and or people to take it in.
*Why was now the best time to release this album?*
When I was figuring out which direction to take for my album as far as 2016, I figured something was missing. It wasn’t until I went to Tanzania that December that I was able to realise what that was. That was the trip that made everything click into place.
*How do you mean? Personally or musically?*
I was introduced to all these Tanzanian jazz bands and some really cool people. Before that trip, I hadn’t been 100% sure that the direction I was taking was authentically to me. Especially with this being my first album, it was really important for people to truly understand my journey, me as a person and as a musician. Going back to Tanzania taught me so much about gratitude, to give thanks for even the little things and stop complaining. It made me wise-up and really affected my outlook on life when I got back.
*How has Tanzanian music - such as Bongo Flava - influenced your musical output?*
It’s funny because when I was a kid in Tanzania, I never bothered with music much as I was more interested in football. When I moved to the UK and actually started making my own music, that was influenced by UK and US sounds, like Dizzee Rascal, So Solid, 50 cent, Destiny’s Child etc.
When I first started singing hooks, I realised that my voice and tone wasn’t the typical smooth R&B mainstream type, and I was quite paranoid about that. It wasn’t until I went back to Tanzania, and saw musicians playing jazz bands with raspy voices that I felt affirmed. Their voices weren’t perfect but they still sounded amazing.
Different tones, textures and imperfect harmonies went on to define my sound and helped me become unapologetic about not conforming.
*Were there any particular musicians you were listening to?*
I was listening to this band called the Killua Jazz Band, who were formed in the late sixties and would probably be something my mum listened to. When I heard their music, it inspired me so much that when I went back to London I instantly knew what direction I wanted to go in for my album.
*So since that trip in December 2016, this album has essentially been four years in the making?*
Not actively, but yes. In that time I’ve worked on other people’s projects, released my mixtape ('Morefire', 2020) but mostly been writing whenever I have bursts of inspiration. I’ve been waiting until I met the right producers and musicians for my debut, as it’s such a statement of intent, it needed to be right.I met a guy called John Corby, who has a deeper understanding of music, he’s a magician!
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*Speaking of other people’s music, you’ve built a reputation for yourself as the go-to guy for a lot of people’s hooks. Is this something you’ve deliberately honed or fallen into?*
It’s funny because when I started making music, all I wanted to do was produce. I wasn’t really known for my own music. But I noticed a lot of rappers were in a sense, quite lazy. They wanted everything neatly packaged and prepared for them to just rap their verses and go - the concept, the hook, everything. Once I figured this out, I would record my own ideas whenever I produced, whether it was for me to sing or another vocalist - I was just having fun with it creatively, quite unbothered.
*So it was a chance to practice, in a way?*
Yeah because it’s from that honing that I’ve been able to be really good at hooks. Now, if I know somebody is working on a project and they reach out, I’m able to get into the studio with them and be able to tailor a hook depending on what we brainstorm.
*What inspired the title, ‘Blame It On The Youts’?*
This album is about my life - from being born in Tanzania and moving to London aged eight, and growing up in South London. Growing up as a teenage boy in South London, I felt like the whole world was against me and my friends. There was always an assumption that whatever we were doing was just not right. Whether it was music - the older rappers telling us that our new styles weren’t ‘real rap’ or the older people in the community seeing me and my friends hanging out and assuming we were up to no good, labelling us a gang. Even the police stopping and searching us aged thirteen or fourteen, we were just getting it from every angle.
It feels like a cop out that young people are so often incorrectly blamed - and the title is a nod to that time in my life. It’s also subverting it, okay save your time and blame the youts, but we don’t give a damn, we’re going to keep doing our own thing.
*There’s somebody speaking in Swahili I think, at the beginning of album opener ‘Enough’. Who is it, what are they saying?*
It’s Tanzanian president Julius Kambarage Nyerere the first president of an independent, unified Tanzania. He’s saying that leaders can’t lead divided along religious or tribal lines, but as individuals. It was important for him to open the album as the most famous Tanzanian president, and that speech sets the tone for the rest of the album.
*What tone would that be?*
Uptempo, intense and musical with political undertones. Even from the cover, I wanted to make it clear that this is distinctively Tanzanian and East African.
*One striking this about this album is the artwork - it is distinctly Tanzanian. I feel like you’re making a statement from the jump and setting the tone.*
Exactly. I feel like people often clump Africa together in one bracket. Especially now that some African music is so internationally successful. There are so many different cultures and types of music that deserve to be individually appreciated and showcased , so I feel like I have a responsibility to put on for my corner. There are some really cool contemporary artists coming out of Tanzania right now, like [Afro-pop duo] Navy Kenzo, they make a mix of Dancehall and Bongo Flava.
*Speaking of your corner, what was it like growing up in South London? How has that side of your childhood affected you and your music?*
Growing up and seeing people like Dizzee Rascal make it so big, not seem to give a care in the world and touch on really raw subject matter in songs - that has definitely influenced me. It’s funny because all my friends I grew up with are the same - no filters and not a care in the world. It’s translated into confidence and clarity - to do things on my own terms.
*Is this non-conformist approach why your music is impossible to box-in?*
It's all about feelings for me. I don’t really care for genres or whatnot - the most fundamental element for me is the message - regardless of what that is categorised as. As long as listeners can distinguish that its me, that I’m staying true to myself, then my job is done. I can easily flit though genres depending on my mood, my next album might be pure reggae, who knows!
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*You mentioned that you were into football before music, what encouraged the change in career?*
Quite simply, football was expensive. Training was in Kent, a lot of my teammates had parents to drive them back and forth and buy them new football boots. I had to rely on other people and it was difficult. As a fourteen year old, I was embarrassed about that, so I just kept missing training and eventually fell out of it.
*What was the moment that made you decide to commit to a career in music?*
I distinctly remember [North London rapper] Sway making a song with one of my friends in the studio. I was working in a call centre at the time, and told my friend to play some of our music. Sway told me to come to the studio the next day and asked me to feature on a UK version of Still D.R.E with Kano.
*Wait, Kano Kano?*
It was surreal. You know when you’ve been watching people on TV and you can’t really believe that they’re next to you? I didn’t even tell my friends until the music video was out because I was so scared it might all just go away. When that came out, I told my sister who was a massive Kano fan but wasn’t too keen on me doing music. When she was impressed and shocked, I realised I was a proper music artist and decided to commit.
*You mentioned that your dad was in an afro-jazz band in Tanzania, ‘Les Strippers’ before you were born, did you want to carry on his legacy?*
It’s funny because I didn’t even know that he was in a band until I was much older. My mum never really spoke to me about it as a child, but as I gre into an adult she started telling me more stories and showing me more photos. Ironically, he stopped doing music to do a degree in chemical engineering at uni, whilst I dropped out of my degree in chemical engineering to do music.
*Oh wow, that must have been a difficult decision?*
I halfway through my second year of university but by the time I dropped out, because it got to a point where I had to choose, so I chose music.
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*You have a strong chemistry with Nines, and the lead album single ‘Fly Em High’ is a continuation of your work together for the past couple of years.*
Nines is one of my favourite people to work with! Before I heard him rap, I saw him taking local kids from his ends to JD sports. He was a kid himself, and I felt like he had a good character just seeing this. Once I heard his freestyles, I knew I wanted to work with him. Around 2015, I had a decent relationship with Jamal Edwards from SBTV who was managing Nines at the time. He told me Nines was working on his project at the time, and we started working together on ‘Yay’. From then, our relationship has gone from strength-to-strength and we just bounce off each other when I work on his projects.
*And finally, you’ve spoken about how this album chronicles your life, so what would you say to a teenage Tiggs at a time when everybody was blaming the yout?*
Hmm, that’s a tough one! Probably “Stay off the streets” but a teenage Tiggs wouldn't have listened. It’s so funny how you think you have the whole world figured out in like, year 11, aged sixteen. When I was 21? You really couldn’t tell me anything, I was a big man as far as I was concerned. So no matter what I would’ve told a teenage version of myself, most things you really only learn through age and experience.
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'Blame It On The Youts' is out now.
Words: *Rahel Aklilu *
Photo Credit: *Seye Isikalu*
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