Storytelling comes naturally for Tiggs Da Author. He tucks messages of freedom, power and unity into his genre-less music, reflective of the sounds of his London home and his Tanzanian roots. Adopting a chameleonic nature has allowed this singer, songwriter and producer to create timeless hits with the likes of Nines, LD, Juls, Rimzee and Cruel Santino and his work with Potter Payper on the 2022 chart-topping hit ‘Gangsteritus’ landed him a MOBO Award nomination for Song Of The Year.

Collaboration also forms the nucleus of his project ‘Morefire 2’. In 2019 he delivered the first instalment with support from afroswing maestros Kida Kudz, NSG and Not3s. A few UK rap giants also stopped by which he reconnects with on the newly dropped tape 2, balancing their gritty rhymes with a stream of melodies.

‘Morefire 2’ takes a snapshot of Tiggs’ sonic evolution with the precise incorporation of hip hop and soul samples. Take the Potter Payper-assisted ‘Champagne Riddim’ where the distant cries of a horn dances over a carefully chopped vocal sample, setting the stage for their musings on luxury living. Or ‘Say Less Riddim’ with Dcypha and M.anifest where the beat chops the percussions and vocals from a vintage record. We dip into some afro-house rhythms on ‘Fendi Riddim’ featuring Rimon, while elsewhere, Sainté, Louis Rei, Kenny Allstar and Moliy arrive, delivering alluring performances across the tape.

“The whole idea of it is making a playlist where you can pull different artists together and put them in a space that maybe they haven’t been in before,” says Tiggs of ‘Morefire 2’, which he teased with the two-part ‘OCD Riddim’ featuring Rimzee, Blade Brown and Wretch 32, who spit on the rough realities of their upbringings and the eventual rise to attaining the finer things in life.

Most times, in order for these fruitful studio collaborations to flourish, the artists share their current headspace and what the song may need before leaving the rest to intuition. Tiggs usually steps in with zero expectations, just a deep sense of motivation and inspiration. In turn, he’s become the go-to man for hooks, making multiple appearances on staple rap records. “What's crazy with collaborations is there’s so many different worlds in music itself, so it’s been monumental to who I am, I feel like it opens another side of me as well.” He lingers on the train of thought, adding: “Collaboration is great for music listeners. I remember listening to music from a fan standpoint and how much it used to excite me to see two of my favourite artists on a song together.”

There are many aspects of his upbringing that pointed Tiggs towards his current, no-boundaries approach to music. Born and partly raised in Tanzania, he fed from his mother’s love for Whitney Houston and Tina Turner while his father was heavily into afro-jazz, namely the Kilwa Jazz Band. Aged eight, he landed in South London with knowledge of only a few English words which grew by socialising at school and football. While adapting to a different culture, he was also educating others about his. “When I met other kids, a lot of them were from West Africa, and they didn’t really know too much about Tanzania,” he recalls.

It was during his school days that he immersed himself in US rap music, namely 50 Cent, DMX and Tupac, as well as the vibrations of UK music. “Once you get into your teenage years, you start embracing who you are and your environment and you want to see people who look like you, so that tuned me into Dizzee Rascal, Wiley, So Solid Crew, Kano, whatever was cool at the time.” Tiggs’ childhood best friend was a DJ who turned out to be one of his biggest influences in making music, offering a bedroom full of equipment as their playground. He’d frequent radio stations, began writing poetry and released a few songs under the alias Tigga. “I remember after putting a couple songs out, Disney were like ‘Yeah you can’t use the name Tigga no more, thank you very much’ so I had to change it to Tiggs.”

And so Tiggs Da Author was born. Bursts of afro-jazz, blues, soul and whatever sounds his spirit evokes form pieces like 2013’s ‘Evilution’ and ‘Glenville Grove’ from 2016 and in the same year, ‘Run’, his track with Lady Leshurr, proved one of his breakout moments as the master of hooks. Meanwhile his albums, such as last year’s ‘Blame It On The Youts’, are a medium for social commentary. “I’ve always been that sort of person where, even when I meet up with my cousins, I’m the first one to start a random debate about life, society, the government, religion, everything,” he concludes. Lauded for his unique contributions to UK music, Tiggs’ imagination continues to expand as he forms more stories of liberation.

‘Morefire 2’ by Tiggs Da Author is out now.