Dizzee Rascal | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Just a few months prior to winning the U.K.s prestigious Mercury Prize -- for Boy in da Corner, his 2003 debut album -- Dizzee Rascals name was known only to his peers and devout followers of the garage/grime scene. The innovative MC and producer was only 18 at the time of the albums release, but thereafter he became a chart perennial, hitting number one on the British charts four times and reaching the Top Ten with nearly every album he released. Born Dylan Mills, Dizzee Rascal grew up in a council estate in East London and was raised an only child by his mother. He didnt fare well in school -- he was booted from several of them, often for altercations with teachers. When he wasnt in school, he got himself into more trouble by robbing pizza deliverers and stealing cars. One particular music class, however, proved to be a safe haven and helped push him in an alternate direction. With support from his instructor, he began making his own productions on a classroom computer. He made noisy, off-kilter tracks to back his own MCing, since he found that the average garage track was unsuitable for his style of delivery. Taking cues from a host of admired U.S. MCs, Mills began to develop his songwriting skills, which took on an increasingly introspective quality. He was no stranger to making boastful pronouncements, but he drew from his own life and various mind states in a way that few other MCs -- regardless of background and nationality -- had done before. When Mills recorded the underground white-label single "I Luv U," he had just started to make a name for himself in the U.K. garage scene as a member of Roll Deep Crew. He, his fellow crew members, and a cast of other groups and MCs were building on a more aggressive and abrasive offshoot of relatively slick, R&B-oriented; garage that would come to be referred to as grime. "I Luv U" became one of grimes key singles and paved the way for Mills first full-length album, which was routinely praised by critics upon initial release in July of 2003. In what might have initially seemed like a press stunt to cynics, Mills was stabbed several times while visiting Ayia Napa, a resort in Cyprus, just before its street date. He made a safe recovery, picked up the 2003 Mercury Prize a couple months later, guested on Basement Jaxxs Kish Kash, and saw his album receive a U.S. release in January of 2004. He became more of an underground sensation stateside; Anglophiles with an equal love for dance music and hip-hop tended to embrace him, while others found themselves baffled by all of the hype. In September of 2004, Dizzee released his second album, Showtime, his first Top Ten hit in the U.K. He broadened his sound (and his guest list) with 2007s Maths + English, featuring UGK, Alex Turner, and Lily Allen. Between the release of the two albums, he set up a fledgling label for younger talent called Dirtee Stank. In 2009, he returned with Tongue N Cheek, which featured the U.K. number one singles "Bonkers" (with Armand Van Helden), "Dance wiv Me," "Holiday," and "Dirtee Disco." One year later, Dizzee Rascal won the Brit Award for Best British Male Artist, while a collaboration with Shakira for the single "Loca" saw him enter the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for the first time. Jessie Ware, Robbie Williams, will.i.am, and others landed on 2013s The Fifth, a more pop-infused album that featured the single "Superman." The next few years were relatively quiet for Mills until 2016, when his estranged friend and fellow rapper Wiley disclosed what happened all those years ago in Ayia Napa. Wiley attributed some of the blame for Mills stabbing to his own behavior, and unsurprisingly, Dizzee Rascal hit the headlines again. By the summer of 2017, the focus had turned back to Dizzees music rather than his back-story; he released the single "Space" and announced his first record in four years. His sixth studio album, Raskit, was released that same summer through Dirtee Stank Recordings and Island Records. In stark contrast to his previous pop-focused full-lengths, Raskit was a return to the hardcore sound of Boy in da Corner. The 2018 single, "Money Right," saw Dizzee collaborating with Skepta. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 10 Title: Boy in da Corner Released: 2003-07-21 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:01:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sittin’ Here (04:05) 2 Stop Dat (03:40) 3 I Luv U (04:05) 4 Brand New Day (03:59) 5 2 Far (03:07) 6 Fix Up, Look Sharp (03:45) 7 Cut ’Em Off (03:54) 8 Hold Ya Mouf (02:53) 9 Round We Go (04:13) 10 Jus a Rascal (03:28) 11 Wot U On (04:50) 12 Jezebel (03:36) 13 Seems 2 Be (03:46) 14 Live O (03:34) 15 Do It (04:05) 16 Vexed (04:09) |
| Boy in da Corner : Allmusic album Review : Often teetering on the brink of either cracking a smile or bursting into tears while delivering his boastful, wistful, and dread-filled rhymes, the hormonally charged voice of East Londons Dizzee Rascal can be instantly singled out after the first introduction. Birthed by U.K. garage and seasoned through pirate radio, the terrain Dizzee carves out remains worlds apart from that of Ms. Dynamite and the Streets, two MCs who have come from a fractious-as-ever scene -- one that Dizzees apart from as much as hes a part of -- with similar fanfare. And despite comparisons to 2Pac and 50 Cent that wont cease at any point in the foreseeable future, the parallels drawn to stateside rappers havent often looked beneath the surface. If he were (mis)placed in a pool of U.S. MCs, thered be few comparisons that would make full sense. The fact that Dizzees from England is an obvious factor; his accent and own cultural slang will be an instant deal-breaker for most of those who have hunted for Makaveli bootlegs. From a production standpoint, were talking about splayed-out beats and deflated basslines that, heard through a state-of-the-art stereo, might as well be blaring from the ravaged stock system of a 1974 Dodge Dart. If there are any likenesses, the dense production work -- carried out mostly by the MC on his own -- is somewhat akin to prime Bomb Squad, if only because no level of familiarity can acclimate the ears completely. Get lost in the swaying chime melody of "Brand New Day," the low-slung industrial-punk grind of "Jus a Rascal," or the stunted gait of "Do It," and risk missing out on all of the deeply hidden inflections that help make the whole album so unique. Despite the grime, the violence, the conflicted romantic entanglements, and the jagged productions that characterize the album, the moment that hits hardest is also the most fragile: "Do It," with a resigned line that goes "If I had the guts to end it all, believe -- I would," begs for misinterpretation, so it should be pointed out that it (and the album as well) draws to a close with "You can do anything," an encouragement that holds much weight in its context. Startling, tirelessly powerful, and full of unlimited dimensions, nothing could truly weigh down this debut -- not even a Mercury Prize. [The U.S. version, released through Matador half a year after the original XL U.K. release, wisely added the B-side "Vexed."] | ||
 | Album: 2 of 10 Title: Showtime Released: 2004-09-06 Tracks: 15 Duration: 51:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Showtime (02:13) 2 Stand Up Tall (03:10) 3 Everywhere (03:46) 4 Graftin’ (03:25) 5 Learn (03:21) 6 Hype Talk (03:05) 7 Face (03:39) 8 Respect Me (04:45) 9 Get By (03:25) 10 Knock, Knock (03:27) 11 Dream (03:19) 12 Girls (03:32) 13 Imagine (02:54) 14 Flyin’ (03:27) 15 Fickle (03:58) |
| Showtime : Allmusic album Review : There are a couple possibly distressing things about Dizzee Rascals second album, released almost exactly a year after his breakthrough debut. In the wake of the Streets ambitious A Grand Dont Come for Free, its title -- Showtime -- conjures frights about a concept record strangled by ruminations on newfound fame and all the accompanying trappings. Dizzee being such a product of his environment, as Boy in da Corner conveyed with stark original clarity, itd be a shame to see the producer/MC stagger down the trodden-flat route of the average lyricist who has tasted a smidgen of glory, real or make-believe: how many people crave another slew of verses about gold-digging women and crew members who have morphed into greedy coattail riders? This paranoia is compounded by pre-release rumors of Dizzee American-izing his sound, sacrificing individuality for the sake of widespread appeal. Thankfully, it turns out that there really isnt much worth worrying about. If Showtime isnt the equal artistic success of Boy in da Corner, its slightly superior, stunning for the facts that it arrives so swiftly after the debut and is far from a retread. At the risk of backpedaling ever so slightly, it is troubling that the female-male politics of Boy in da Corners "I Luv U" are replaced with the slightly noxious lechery of "Girls," and a few too many rhymes about his past year in the spotlight are simple-minded and needlessly defensive. However, the negative aspects are few and fleeting, typically swallowed whole by the streams of surrounding positives. For instance, the pungent "Girls" is trailed by the poignant "Imagine," in which Dizzee reflects in heart-stopping form amid string swoops, synth flutters, and rhythm splutters. And during those short moments spent in lame-brain braggart mode, you can still get lost in the pure sound of his voice -- an attraction as serious as his production prowess. As a beatmaker, Dizzee now ranks near the top, entire planet considered, whether hes dishing out a crowd-hyping batter-bounce or crafting something more intricate, where synthetic approximations of exotic instrumentation -- Oriental melodies, African percussion -- are pitted against ballast-blasting beats. Needless to say, the novelty status once accorded to this maverick by shortsighted cynics has now been obliterated by a shower of genius juice. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 10 Title: Live at Radio Ones Big Weekend Released: 2007-06-03 Tracks: 6 Duration: 21:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Jus a Rascal (03:43) 2 Luv U (02:42) 3 Stop Dat (03:33) 4 Sirens (03:37) 5 Fix Up, Look Sharp (03:49) 6 Stand Up Tall (03:43) |
 | Album: 4 of 10 Title: Maths + English Released: 2007-06-04 Tracks: 14 Duration: 48:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover | 1 World Outside (03:08) 2 Pussyole (Old Skool) (03:28) 3 Sirens (03:30) 4 Wheres da Gs (04:54) 5 Paranoid (02:37) 6 Suk My Dick (02:59) 7 Flex (03:31) 1 Da Feelin’ (03:56) 2 Bubbles (03:29) 3 Excuse Me Please (03:40) 4 Hard Back (Industry) (04:11) 5 Temptation (02:34) 6 Wanna Be (03:24) 7 U Cant Tell Me Nuffin (03:31) |
 | Album: 5 of 10 Title: iTunes Live: London Festival 08 Released: 2008-07-20 Tracks: 6 Duration: 20:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Sittin Here (live) (01:44) 2 Jezebel (live) (03:42) 3 Sirens (live) (03:38) 4 Stop Dat (live) (03:38) 5 Fix Up, Look Sharp (live) (03:46) 6 Old Skool (live) (03:44) |
 | Album: 6 of 10 Title: Tongue n’ Cheek Released: 2009-09-21 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:27:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Bonkers (02:57) 2 Road Rage (03:14) 3 Dance Wiv Me (03:24) 4 Freaky Freaky (03:42) 5 Can’t Tek No More (03:28) 6 Chillin’ Wiv da Man Dem (04:39) 7 Dirtee Cash (04:21) 8 Money, Money (03:23) 9 Leisure (04:13) 10 Holiday (03:40) 11 Bad Behaviour (04:31) 1 Dirtee Disco (04:00) 2 Nuffin Long (04:09) 3 Marks Outta Ten (03:57) 4 Heavy (03:37) 5 Doin It Big (04:07) 6 You’ve Got the Dirtee Love (live, 2010: Brit Awards) (03:41) 7 Brand New Day (BBC Electric Proms 2009) (04:55) 8 Fix Up Look Sharp (BBC Electric Proms 2009) (05:49) 9 Bonkers (Doorly remix) (04:34) 10 Holiday (Laidback Luke remix) (07:10) |
| Tongue n’ Cheek : Allmusic album Review : Previously the darling of the British hip-hop scene, 23-year-old Dizzee Rascal has come under fire more than anyone for selling out to the masses. His English World Cup duet with a tubby comedian put together by Simon Cowell, and a TV talent show judge alongside Jamie Cullum and Sharleen Spiteri, dont exactly scream "ghetto." But his critics seem to have forgotten that given the harsh grimey beats and lyrical intensity of his Mercury Music Prize-winning debut. Dizzee has also sampled Captain Sensibles novelty 80s singalong "Happy Talk," and provided the cringe-worthy rap on the ill-advised Band Aid 20 project, not exactly the actions of an artist afraid of embracing the mainstream. His fourth studio album, TongueNCheek, continues to straddle the fine line between voice of the street and voice of the Top 40-buying public. There are undeniably catchy pop hooks galore, particularly on the breakthrough single "Dance wiv Me," an intoxicating blend of spacy synths, disco-pop, and deadpan vocals from Calvin Harris, who also produces the cheeky, summery electro of "Holiday." Theres "Dirtee Cash," a carnival-esque reworking of the Adventures of Stevie Vs late-80s club classic, and the seductive G-funk-inspired "Chillin Wav da Man Dem," where Dizzee reveals a previously unheard smooth, sensitive side. But his council-estate rap sensibilities also filter through on the frenetic dirty beats of "Road Rage," the ska-fused, Aswad-sampling "Cant Tek No More," and the brooding, dubby "Leisure," while the chart-topping success of the Armand Van Helden-produced "Bonkers" seems to have overshadowed the fact that its an unsettling combination of waling sirens, acidic techno basslines, and clattering rhythms which would have fit easily on any of his previous three releases. Slickly produced and relentlessly infectious, but still offering only glimpses of his edgier beginnings, TongueNCheek will only further Dizzees remarkable and seemingly unstoppable rise from the underground. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 10 Title: The Fifth Released: 2013-09-27 Tracks: 16 Duration: 56:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Superman (04:31) 2 I Dont Need a Reason (03:16) 3 We Dont Play Around (03:07) 4 Good (03:59) 5 Spend Some Money (03:31) 6 Arse Like That (03:53) 7 Something Really Bad (03:39) 8 Goin Crazy (03:23) 9 Bang Bang (03:06) 10 Love This Town (03:59) 11 H-Town (03:38) 12 Heart of a Warrior (03:13) 13 Life Keeps Moving On (03:52) 14 Here 2 China (02:32) 15 Bassline Junkie (03:23) 16 Watch Your Back (03:50) |
| The Fifth : Allmusic album Review : While the press declared The Fifth the album where Dizzee Rascal played for America, the kinetic U.K. rapper told a different story, focusing on the production and how much he enjoyed rapping over these vibrant beats. "Having fun" is what they call it, and when The Fifth hits on all cylinders, Dizzees explanation fits, as amusement overflows while delivered in the slickest manner possible in 2013. Looping a bit of Laurie Andersons "O Superman," the opening "Superman" gets crass with the avant-garde hit and twists it into an EDM-fueled, crotch-grabbing swaggerfest, while "I Dont Need a Reason" gives up "All I do is flex, I dont need a reason/All I want is sex, I dont need a reason" and suddenly the album has its credo. The polished disco cut "Goin Crazy" is no "Bonkers," but both "Been around the world and never even left the room" and "Every single mornin, wake up in the afternoon" are quite clever, and when the Texas-worshipping "H-Town" spits out "Naw I dont drink that purple juice/But DJ Screw got me feelin loose" the wacky meeting of U.K. and UGK goes legit. All of these lighthearted bangers come with massive hooks and cutting-edge production from the likes of RedOne, A-Track, and M.J. Cole, but when will.i.am shows up the electro-sexo song "Something Really Bad," its a Far East Movement-chasing, "Like a G6" number that stalls. The closing monster "Bassline Junkie" touches upon the underground sound that launched the rapper, and feels like sweet relief after so much glitz and gloss, but tucked at the end, its not much of an anchor. Carve out the ultimate party EP, or consider the highlights too high to miss, because this is Dizzee at his breeziest and is best taken in little bits. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 10 Title: Pagans EP Released: 2014-12-01 Tracks: 4 Duration: 11:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Couple of Stacks (02:46) 2 Pagans (03:05) 3 Couple of Stacks (instrumental) (02:45) 4 Pagans (instrumental) (03:00) |
 | Album: 9 of 10 Title: Raskit Released: 2017-07-21 Tracks: 16 Duration: 57:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Focus (03:25) 2 Wot U Gonna Do? (03:23) 3 Space (03:52) 4 I Ain’t Even Gonna Lie (03:28) 5 The Other Side (03:36) 6 Make It Last (03:14) 7 Ghost (02:59) 8 Business Man (03:13) 9 Bop n’ Keep It Dippin (04:25) 10 She Knows What She Wants (03:23) 11 Dummy (04:22) 12 Everything Must Go (03:21) 13 Slow Your Roll (03:50) 14 Sick a Dis (03:23) 15 The Way I Am (03:21) 16 Man of the Hour (03:54) |
| Raskit : Allmusic album Review : Following a series of increasingly pop-minded full-lengths and collaborations with everyone from Calvin Harris to Shakira to will.i.am, Dizzee Rascal did an about-face with his sixth album, returning to a more hardcore sound similar to his groundbreaking 2003 debut. Raskit contains no guest vocalists, no sugary pop hooks, no samples of past dance-pop hits, and no uptempo songs. Instead, it mainly consists of ominous tracks that fuse grime with trap, and laser-focused introspective lyricism from Rascal. Even with grime experiencing a renaissance, as both veterans like Skepta and newcomers such as Stormzy enjoy international success and acclaim, it never feels like Raskit is a retread or a desperate bid to stay relevant. Rascal isnt oblivious to his status as an elder statesman of the scene -- on early standout "Wot U Gonna Do?," he gets right to the point, questioning what happens when ones fan base moves on and the artist is no longer relevant. "The Other Side" is a furious reclaiming of the throne, with Rascal asserting that he has nothing to prove and that hes entirely disinterested in making amends with his former ally Wiley (who also released a strong back-to-basics LP in 2017). Rascal demonstrates his rhyming dexterity on tracks like "Ghost," where his fast, nimble rapping is matched by a jungle beat for a brief moment. As the album progresses, it does feature some lighter moments and a bit of the playfulness Rascal is often known for. A few tracks have a bit of a hazy G-funk groove to them, and they lighten the mood a bit before its back to hard bangers like "Everything Must Go" and the angular, buzzing "Sick a Dis." The album ends on a highly optimistic note with "Man of the Hour," where Rascal is amazed by his lifes achievements; the song ends with a message of "mak[ing] the world a better place by preaching positivity and encouraging the youth, because the youth is the future." Raskit is by far the most captivating, powerful release from Dizzee Rascal in at least a decade. It certainly wont spawn four number one U.K. pop hits the way his platinum-selling fourth album, Tongue N Cheek, did, but its a necessary re-evaluation and re-focus of his talents, and proves that hes far from finished. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 10 Title: Don’t Gas Me Released: 2018-09-14 Tracks: 5 Duration: 18:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Don’t Gas Me (03:47) 2 Quality (03:40) 3 Money Right (03:20) 4 Spin Ya (04:29) 5 Patterning Vibez (03:27) |