Local rapper Shigga Shay to perform at finals of New Face contest

Shigga Shay is all about homegrown talent.

The 23-year-old local rapper-actor will be injecting his brand of hip-hop at the upcoming The New Paper New Face finals. It will be his first time performing at a modelling competition.

He feels that New Face, now in its 23rd edition, is a good platform for local aspiring models.

The New Face finals will be held at Takashimaya Square on Oct 1 at 7.30pm. There will be 20 finalists competing.

Apart from the catwalk segment, the audience can also look forward to a 15-minute medley by Shigga featuring his latest hits such as Shigga Morning and Everybody.

As a proud Lion City Kia - to borrow the title of his popular song - he finds it important for locals to step out.

Known for his rich colloquial Singaporean influence on tracks like Lim Peh, he told The New Paper: "As Singaporeans, we have to appreciate what we have at home and provide more platforms here."

He lauded New Face for being one of the few platforms that give aspiring models a boost in their careers.

Shigga, who released his debut self-titled album on National Day and plays a rapping kopi boy in the local Royston Tan movie 3688 which is currently showing here, said: "(New Face) is a good platform because it inspires these girls to take it to bigger stages."

He has not met any of the New Face finalists, yet became excited as he recalled New Face alumni who went on to become TV actresses, like Julie Tan and Jayley Woo.

Temasek Polytechnic student and New Face finalist Tanisha Lissa Khan, 17, is delighted to be able to meet Shigga because she shares his passion for the same genre of music.

Rapping

She said: "I love rap so I'm really excited to meet Shigga Shay, especially when he's one of the best rappers in Singapore."

For Shigga, being a hip-hop artist himself in Singapore isn't enough, which is why he went on to be the founder of 14-member local collective Grizzle Grind.

By merging Singaporean lingo into hip-hop, he hopes that people can relate to it better and link it to Singapore instantly.

Another New Face finalist, administrative manager Selynna Norhisham, 22, said: "I have strong faith in the local music scene and I'm sure Shigga Shay will put on a great show. Remember to support local talent!"

This article was first published on September 29, 2015.
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