Rapper Gigg Evolves From Nothing to Something

by avigna | December 19, 2013 1:54 pm

By ANTHONY VIGNA

Giorgio Scalone may look like any normal 21-year-old student attending Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, but when he enters a recording studio or stands on a stage, his fans know him as the talented rapper named Gigg.

“Gigg continues to dominate the speakers and lives the dream of a real music artist,” user icevinsanity said through a Soundcloud comment[1].  “[Gigg] doesn’t waste his talent, he embraces it and shares with the world!”

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Gigg is starting to become an underground phenomenon in rap, hitting over 10,000 views on his free mixtape, titled “Next Tuesday[3].” His love for the genre influenced him to become an rapper back when he was attending Saint Joseph Regional High School in New Jersey.

Gigg has been rapping for about five years, but he said that it took him quite a while to reach the popularity that he has achieved so far.

“When first starting out, the biggest obstacle was definitely the lack of resources. When I say resources, I mean things along the lines of recording studios, producers, and other local artists to collaborate with,” Gigg said. “The recording quality I had from my laptop was not cutting it, and I knew if wanted to go to the next level, I had to find a legitimate studio with professional engineers and equipment.”

At first, Gigg struggled to release quality music without good equipment, but he finally caught a break when he gained access to a genuine recording studio through a member of his family.

“I was lucky because my cousin was already into the entertainment industry,” he said. “So, after I expressed my interest in making Hip-Hop music, he reached out to a few of his contacts and I began recording at a studio in Bloomfield, New Jersey.”

Gigg was able to create more professional, high quality music with this recording studio. His new music, along with his dedicated self-promotion efforts on numerous social media outlets, helped him gain the following that he has established to this day.

“I without a doubt think I have grown not only as a musician, but as a person,” he said. “Having I deal with people professionally from a young age definitely helped me mature as a man.”

[SOUNDSLIDES: Watch the story of Gigg come to life] [4]

Signing to Monstars Recordings

The more the quality of Gigg’s music and online promotion rose, the higher his popularity rose. His music eventually caught the attention of Monstars Recordings in NYC, leading him to sign a contract and work with them for roughly a year.

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Gigg released a single under this label, called “Mars,” which has received over 22,000 plays on popular music streaming site Soundcloud. The high amount of views was accompanied by a swarm of comments[6] that praised Gigg’s latest single for its intense, explicit tone.

“Seriously LOVING the harder style to this,” Soundcloud user Samantha Nicholls commented[7]. “Looking forward to hearing what’s next!”

[AUDIO: Listen to Gigg’s single, “Mars”][8]

However, Gigg had bigger plans for himself and decided to leave Monstars Recordings. While the label only helped him grow in experience, he said that he is much better off staying independent because he can have full creative control over all of his music.

“I don’t have to answer to anyone regarding my music except myself [now],” he said. “If a label would benefit me [in the future] then I wouldn’t be opposed, but I would like to be independent for a while.”

Plans for the Future

In an ideal world, Gigg said he would not want to change his music for any record label and would love to maintain his artistic integrity by starting his own business.

“Hopefully I will be able to pursue rap full time,” he said. “My dream is to start a functional major label.”

Since his time with Monstars Recordings, Gigg has found himself working with PreedomWorld, a New York City producer. This production artist has been making instrumentals for Gigg and is also helping him get access to more recording studios in the city.

“We have recorded in Quad and Terminus Studios, “ he said. “I used the same microphone as some of the industry’s greatest, like DJ Khaled, Meek Mill, Akon, Vado, and Mac Miller to name a few.”

Gigg said that having PreedomWorld produce his music helped him grow into an even better musician over time.

“PreedomWorld honestly has been my biggest influence and has helped me construct my flow and lyricism to where I am now,” he said.

Gigg said that even though he is happy with his career so far, he could be happier because there is still a lot more to achieve.

“I want to be nominated at awards shows, make the billboard and iTunes charts, have my music videos on MTV/VH1, and have all of the things successful professional artists do,” he said. “Although the goals I have may seem far-fetched, I know if I keep pushing hard I will be able to accomplish at least one of them.”

Achieving Mainstream Popularity

In order to reach the point where he wants to be, Gigg said that he is hard at work at releasing new music that will refine the quality of his music even further.

“Currently my new mixtape is almost complete,” he said. “So, once that is released, I really think I can start making strides towards being where I want to end up [as an artist].”

One of the big steps that Gigg is taking to improve the popularity of his music is having a bigger presence in video. Previously, the rapper only released mp3 music files, but he said that he is now starting to realize the importance of videos in the music industry. His new video features his upcoming single, called “I’m Gucci,” and is filled with creative visuals to set it apart from other basic rap videos.

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“In essence, the video was very simple with a white backdrop, but after the videographer edited the scenes it came together very well,” he said. “The effects are really what I’m trying to focus on.”

Gigg is also trying improve his popularity by performing at multiple music venues. Whether it’s at his college in Connecticut or in his hometown of New Jersey, Gigg said he tries to perform at every chance he can get.

“I constantly email venues and club promoters to [get a chance to] perform at their events,” he said.  “I am still waiting for a full-length tour, but I was lucky enough to perform in New Jersey at the end of the summer, which was amazing.”

Gigg said that he absolutely loves getting on a stage to perform in front of a large audience and claims that it’s one of his favorite things about being a musician.

“Playing different venues is awesome because every one has it’s own energy and the crowd may vary, which is good because I like to keep it diverse,” he said.

Gigg believes in chasing one’s dreams and continues to pursue his rap career because he loves making music. He said that anyone that is like him should continue to pursue his or her passion as well.

“Always stay true to yourself and your fans,” he said. “Don’t ever give up on your dream, no matter where you’re from or what story you are trying to tell.”

Related Links:

Follow Gigg on Twitter[10]

Like Gigg on Facebook[11]

Watch Gigg on Youtube[12]

Follow Gigg on Instagram[13]

 

Source URL: https://class1.ramaporecord.org/?p=15891

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