Meet 1Biggs Don, The Drake Co-Signed Dancehall Artist On The Edge Of Stardom

Social media is often criticized for its many negative effects, but every so often, the algorithm-driven content mills churn out something life-changing, and that seems to be the end of the stick Mandeville-born 1Biggs Don has found himself on, teetering on the edge of stardom with his viral freestyle, Bwoii Affi.

Despite his humble reservations, the now 18-year-old 1Biggs Don, who has OTP Control to thank for his viral moment, has caught the valuable gaze of Canadian rapper Drake, whose history of endorsements of upcoming artists, producers, and athletes is well-documented.  In addition to Drake’s Instagram follow, Biggs Don has also earned the attention of the genre’s elite, with Popcaan, among others, also recently following him, and Aidonia and TeeJay being among those who have sent him words of encouragement. According to World Music Views, Biggs was even featured by popular American TikTok personality, Andrew Tate, whose commentary social media users described as mean-spirited and hateful.

The George’s Valley resident, riding on the highs of his newfound fame, stopped by the Entertainment Report and Onstage, hosted by Anthony Miller and Winford Williams respectively, to share some insights into his life, passions, and ambitions.

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1Biggs Don shared with Miller that he was relatively fresh out of high school, just two years removed, at the time of filming the video in April, and had been pursuing other interests, despite his love for music. “Mi did a go fi mi Level 3 certificate fi be a chef,” he told Miller of his time at the HEART Trust Academy. “You know, mi did still affi a pree big.”

He added, however, that even in his spare time chilling with friends, he would still be writing music.

Miller quizzed Biggs about his preferences in music, from artists he admires to those he would like to work with, and his responses proved to be just as interesting as he was. “Honestly,” he began, “mi nuh have a problem with no artist at all. None a dem.”

He then went on to reveal his unexpected pick of the artist that tops the list of those he would like to collaborate with – I Wayne. “Mi have dis one artist weh – him a elda, mi affi waa do a song wid him – I Wayne,” Biggs Don explained, before reciting the lyrics to one of I-Wayne’s most popular songs, ‘Life Seeds’. “Yeah yuh see him? Him a di general to mi.”

Having already done several stage shows since his song went viral, even performing with the likes of Stalk Ashley in the famous Taboo nightclub in Montego Bay, 1Biggs Don’s confession that he believed he was too fat to be on camera came as a surprise. Revealing to Miller that he had been ducking friends who had been encouraging him to “step out there” for that reason, he was eventually caught in a situation his excuses couldn’t save him from.

“Mi a seh ‘Mi too fat fi go pon camera yaa man’, so mi did a hide from dem. But one day dem buck me pon di road afta mi did a get ready fi go a waa party and seh ‘Ay bwoy come dweet!’… Dem give mi di riddim and we vibe, and a deh so mi sing ‘Watch Eh Style’ and mix it wid bout three different songs.” That’s how the viral moment came to be.

The video has since racked up over five million views on TikTok alone, and has since been released as an official single on streaming platforms. Despite the song’s raving success, even before it was officially recorded, 1Biggs Don shared with Miller that he wrote it on November 11, 2020, and didn’t immediately grasp what the hype was about until he was shown the numbers. “A couple days afta mi see di million,” he shared. It has grown wildly since then.

On Winford Williams’ Onstage, 1Biggs Don seemed a lot more comfortable under the spotlight. There, he shared that he had always held a quiet confidence surrounding his skills and talents as an aspiring artist, and knew that it was only a matter of time before his time came. He further told Williams that he found that self-confidence as a talented Dancehall act after his third song, Elevate, which had a whopping 16 bars in its second verse. “Dat did give mi a likkle buzz inna Mandeville and a from deh suh mi see seh yeah, mi actually have it.”

He was, however, quick to point out that he was first and foremost a fan of Dancehall music and respected every artist in the genre, prompting Williams to quiz him about who his inspirations were. 1Biggs Don wasted no time running down the list, confirming that it included I-Wayne, Aidonia, Govana, Chronic Law and Intence.

On the international scene, he pointed to NBA YoungBoy and Meek Mill.

1Biggs Don, whose humility is shown through the entire interview, unsurprisingly has big dreams given his talent. “Mi jus’ want di world and Jamaica love di music wa mi a put out same way. Mi waa come mek everybody proud, can even collect a Grammy one day and mek mommy and daddy proud.”

Seemingly ever a man of surprises, Biggs Don revealed that the next step in his quest to stardom is to master his singing technique. Combining that with his ability to deejay, he believes, will only help him ascend further.

He is currently filming an official music video for ‘Watch Eh Style’.