Dylan Kwabena Mills better known by his
stage nameA stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Dizzee Rascal, is a Ghanaian British
rapperRapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
, songwriter and record producer. His music is a blend of
garageUK garage is a genre of electronic dance music originating from the United Kingdom in the early-1990s. UK garage is a descendant of house music which originated in Chicago and New York, United States. UK garage usually features a distinctive syncopated 4/4 percussive rhythm with 'shuffling'...
,
hip hopHip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
,
grimeGrime is a style of music that emerged from Bow, East London, England in the early 2000s, primarily as a development of UK garage, dancehall, and hip hop...
,
ragga-Origins:Ragga originated in Jamaica during the 1980s, at the same time that electronic dance music's popularity was increasing globally. One of the reasons for ragga's swift propagation is that it is generally easier and less expensive to produce than reggae performed on traditional musical...
, pop and
electronic musicElectronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, with eclectic samples and more exotic styles. Best known for his number-one hits "
Dance wiv MeDance wiv Me is a single by Ghanaian British rapper Dizzee Rascal, from his fourth studio album Tongue n' Cheek. It was released on 22 June 2008 and features guest vocals from Scottish DJ Calvin Harris and English R&B singer Chrome...
", "
Bonkers"Bonkers" is a song by British rapper Dizzee Rascal and American producer Armand Van Helden. It is the first single released from Rascal's fourth album, Tongue n' Cheek. Rascal released the track under his own record label, Dirtee Stank Recordings on 17 May 2009 in the United Kingdom; where it...
", "
Holiday"Holiday" is a song by Ghanaian British rapper Dizzee Rascal, released as the third single from his fourth studio album Tongue n' Cheek. It was produced by Calvin Harris, with chorus vocals by R&B singer Chrome. Harris originally wrote the song for girl group, The Saturdays, but it was rejected...
", "
Dirtee Disco"Dirtee Disco" is the fifth single from Ghanaian British rapper Dizzee Rascal's fourth studio album Tongue n' Cheek, although the song only appears in the deluxe edition of the album. It features background vocals from former One True Voice member Daniel Pearce and samples The Staple Singers' 1972...
" & "
Shout"Shout" is 2010 single by Shout for England, an ensemble featuring Dizzee Rascal and James Corden. It was an unofficial anthem of the England football team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The song contains extracts from the Tears for Fears song "Shout" and "No Diggity" by Blackstreet...
", his debut album,
Boy in da CornerBoy in da Corner is the debut album of British grime MC Dizzee Rascal, released on 21 July 2003 by XL Recordings in the United Kingdom and Matador Records in the United States...
, won him the 2003
Mercury PrizeThe Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
. Follow-up albums
Showtime,
Maths + English- Track listing :*1 Samples Lyn Collins' "Think " and Galactic Force Band's "Space Dust Gurnhill EZI".*2 Co-mixed by Shy FX.*3 Samples "So You Wanna Be a Boxer" from the film musical Bugsy Malone.*4 Omitted from US version.-Charts:...
and
Tongue n' CheekTongue n' Cheek is the fourth studio album by British rapper Dizzee Rascal. The album was released on 20 September 2009 and includes the number one singles, "Dance wiv Me", "Bonkers", "Holiday" and "Dirtee Disco"...
have all been critically acclaimed and certified gold, the last going platinum for sales exceeding 300,000 units.
Early life
Mills'
NigeriaNigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n father died when he was young, and he was raised in
BowBow is an area of London, England, United Kingdom in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a built-up, mostly residential district located east of Charing Cross, and is a part of the East End.-Bridges at Bowe:...
, in the
East End of LondonThe East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
, for most of his life in a single-parent family by his
GhanaGhana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
ian mother Priscilla, about whom he says: "I had issues as a kid. I was violent and disruptive. The way my mum helped was by finding me a different school every time I got kicked out, always fighting to keep me in the school system".
He attended a series of schools in East London, expelled from four secondary schools in four years – it was a teacher who first called him "Rascal". Cagey about exactly what his youthful "madnesses" entailed, in early interviews he mentioned fighting with teachers, stealing cars and robbing pizza delivery men. In the fifth school,
Langdon ParkLangdon Park may refer to:*Langdon, Washington, D.C., an area of Washington, D.C. in the United States*Langdon Park DLR station, a Docklands Light Railway station in London, United Kingdom...
in
PoplarPoplar is a historic, mainly residential area of the East End of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is about east of Charing Cross. Historically a hamlet in the parish of Stepney, Middlesex, in 1817 Poplar became a civil parish. In 1855 the Poplar District of the Metropolis was...
, he was excluded from most classes except music. He also used to attend YATI (Young Actors Theatre Islington)
He began making music on the school's computer, encouraged by a music teacher, Mr Smith, and during the summer holidays attended a music workshop organised by
Tower Hamlets Summer UniversityTower Hamlets Summer University is a British charity in the Tower Hamlets area of London which offers independent learning programs for people from 11 to 25 years of age...
of which he is now a patron. His mother bought him his first turntables.
He was childhood friends with
NigerianThe Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
footballer
Danny ShittuDaniel Olusola "Danny" Shittu is a Nigerian footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers."Olusola" is a nickname for the Yoruba name "Oluwanisola" .-Early career:...
when growing up, whom Mills described as 'like a big brother'.
Mills supports
West Ham UnitedWest Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
.
Music and style
Dizzee Rascal once told author Ben Thompson in an interview with the Sunday's
Observer magazineThe Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
that “everything I do is for the music – I want to master it like
Bruce LeeBruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
mastered martial arts."
His music is a mixture of
UK GarageUK garage is a genre of electronic dance music originating from the United Kingdom in the early-1990s. UK garage is a descendant of house music which originated in Chicago and New York, United States. UK garage usually features a distinctive syncopated 4/4 percussive rhythm with 'shuffling'...
and
hip-hopHip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
beats with an extremely broad palette of influences, ranging from metal guitars to drill and bass synth lines,
eclectic samplesEclecticism is used to describe a composer's conscious use of styles alien to his nature, or from one or more historical styles. The term is also used pejoratively to describe music whose composer, thought to be lacking originality, appears to have freely drawn on other models .-Sources:* Kennedy,...
and even Japanese court music. Dizzee Rascal also makes extensive use of un-coupled octuplets and double and triple couplets in his machine-gun-paced staccato lyrics. Like most
grimeGrime is a style of music that emerged from Bow, East London, England in the early 2000s, primarily as a development of UK garage, dancehall, and hip hop...
artists, he uses "beats born of ringtones, video games and staticky
pirate-radioPirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation...
sounds" Dizzee's tracks are traditional grime in that the beats are often asymmetrical and make it difficult to dance to his music. His vocal performance is also distinctive; he uses a fast style of rapping which blends elements from garage MCing, conventional rap, grime and
ragga-Origins:Ragga originated in Jamaica during the 1980s, at the same time that electronic dance music's popularity was increasing globally. One of the reasons for ragga's swift propagation is that it is generally easier and less expensive to produce than reggae performed on traditional musical...
. He raps about the same issues a confused generation of youth tends to; broken family, faithless mentors and a lack of support. Dizzee's videos are similar to many grime and garage artists in the UK. They are frenetic and fast, often matching the speed of the rapping; this is especially visible in the videos to "
Fix Up, Look Sharp"Fix Up, Look Sharp" is the second single by British rapper Dizzee Rascal and second from his debut album Boy in da Corner. The single became his second top forty hit and his first to peak inside the top twenty. "Fix Up, Look Sharp" peaked at number seventeen and spent three weeks inside the top...
" and "
I Luv U"I Luv U" is the debut single by British rapper Dizzee Rascal and the lead single from his debut album Boy in da Corner. The single became Dizzee Rascal's first top forty hit, peaking at number twenty-nine and spending three weeks inside the top seventy-five...
". Although his fast style of rapping and his subject matter are nothing more than ordinary in the UK, Dizzee Rascal's diversity nonetheless separates him from other UK rappers. In his song "
Brand New DayThe discography of Dizzee Rascal, a Ghanaian British rapper, includes four studio albums, fifteen singles, two charity releases and four singles as a featured artist....
", Dizzee Rascal used "flat, punching out riddims into cheap PC software, beats born of ringtones, video games, and staticky pirate-radio sounds". He is able to change his sound of music completely, by using a different processor. In "
Jus' a Rascal"Jus' a Rascal" is the third single by British rapper, Dizzee Rascal, and third and final single from his debut album, Boy in da Corner. The single became his third top forty hit, peaking at number thirty and spending three weeks inside the top seventy-five of the UK Singles Chart."Jus' a Rascal"...
", he uses "
T.O.K.T.O.K. is a dancehall group hailing from Kingston, Jamaica. The group consists of Alistaire "Alex" McCalla, Roshaun "Bay-C" Clarke, Craig "Craigy T" Thompson, and Xavier "Flexx" Davidson...
's hysterical dancehall harmonies, a synthesised guitar line halfway between death metal and English Beat, stuttering Southern hi-hats and a kick drum retarded to a crawl".
Dizzee Rascal worked closely with his mentor
WileyRichard Kylea Cowie , better known by his stage name Wiley is a prolific British music producer, MC and recording artist, and rapper with roots from Trinidad...
, who created one of the first grime tracks, called "
EskimoThe discography of Dizzee Rascal, a Ghanaian British rapper, includes four studio albums, fifteen singles, two charity releases and four singles as a featured artist....
". Grime is today still considered underground, despite Dizzee's large mainstream exposure. Dizzee's DJ, DJ Semtex, says, "the biggest conflict I have is with major labels because they still don’t get it."
Career
Experimenting with his decks and styles, he became an amateur DJ, making occasional appearances on a local
pirate radioPirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation...
station. Aged 16, he self-produced his first single, "
I Luv U"I Luv U" is the debut single by British rapper Dizzee Rascal and the lead single from his debut album Boy in da Corner. The single became Dizzee Rascal's first top forty hit, peaking at number twenty-nine and spending three weeks inside the top seventy-five...
". In 2002, he jointly formed the Roll Deep Crew, a 13-piece garage collective, with former school friends. Signed by the
XLXL Recordings is a British independent record label owned by Richard Russell. It originated as a 1989 offshoot of Beggars Banquet Records.Though only releasing an average of six albums a year, XL Recordings has worked with The Prodigy, Radiohead, The White Stripes, Dizzee Rascal, M.I.A., Vampire...
record labelIn the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, he signed an additional solo deal.
During his early career, Dizzee worked with his mentor
WileyRichard Kylea Cowie , better known by his stage name Wiley is a prolific British music producer, MC and recording artist, and rapper with roots from Trinidad...
to create the song 'We Ain't Having It' (which never got released on any albums) and also rapped on some 'Sidewinder' recordings. He made some instrumentals including 'Go' and 'Ho' and 'Streetfighter' which used some music from a video game.
Dizzee had beef with fellow grime MC,
Crazy TitchCarl Dobson , known by his stage name Crazy Titch, is an English grime Mc Having previously spent five years in Aylesbury for robbery, handling stolen goods, theft, burglary and criminal damage; Dobson turned his attention to music, and secured a support role with D12...
, which never really came to an official end. Titch however is now serving life for murder.
After winning a Sidewinder Award for Best Newcomer MC in 2002, in June 2003 the re-recorded and re-produced by Jacob Freitt single
I Luv U was released, becoming a Top 30 hit single.
Dizzee was a judge in the Sky1 show
Must Be The MusicMust Be the Music was a British television musical talent competition contested by aspiring singers and musicians drawn from public auditions. The show was a music competition and reality show that was broadcast in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Auditions were held in Edinburgh,...
.
2003–2004: Boy in da Corner
Dizzee's first solo album,
Boy in da CornerBoy in da Corner is the debut album of British grime MC Dizzee Rascal, released on 21 July 2003 by XL Recordings in the United Kingdom and Matador Records in the United States...
, was released to universal critical acclaim in August 2003, entering the UK Top 40 at #40. The album would peak at #23. In the same week the album was released, while performing with Roll Deep Crew, the rapper was stabbed six times in
Ayia NapaAyia Napa is a resort at the far eastern end of the southern coast of Cyprus, famous for its sandy beaches. In recent years, apart from being a family holiday destination, it has become a 'party capital' together with Ibiza, Rimini and Mykonos...
. Many tabloids suggested that this event was connected to an apparent feud between Dizzee and garage act
So Solid CrewSo Solid Crew is an electronic and urban musical collective from South London, England, whose hits include "Oh No " and "21 Seconds", the latter reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart in August 2001. Another hit, "They Don't Know", reached number three in November 2001 and "Haters" got to...
, and his pinching
Lisa MaffiaLisa Finch Maffia is a platinum selling English singer-songwriter, musician, fashion designer, model and presenter, who originally came to the public's attention as the main female member of So Solid Crew...
's bottom. After Dizzee was hospitalised, So Solid Crew member "Megaman" – real name Dwayne Vincent – was later questioned about the incident, but was immediately released by Cypriot police.
Following the success of single "I Luv U" and the album, the second single from
Boy in da Corner was "
Fix Up, Look Sharp"Fix Up, Look Sharp" is the second single by British rapper Dizzee Rascal and second from his debut album Boy in da Corner. The single became his second top forty hit and his first to peak inside the top twenty. "Fix Up, Look Sharp" peaked at number seventeen and spent three weeks inside the top...
". The single, released in August 2003, gave Dizzee his first UK
Top 2020 #1's Now is a 2007 compilation album by various artists and presented by reggaeton production duo Luny Tunes, released on November 20, 2007, by Machete Music.-Tracklist:# Welcome to My Crib – Randy "Nota Loka"...
single and also became the biggest hit from his debut album. In September, Dizzee was awarded the prestigious
Mercury PrizeThe Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
for the best album of 2003. He was the youngest person (at 19) to do so and the second rapper (after
Ms. Dynamite Niomi Arleen McLean-Daley , who performs as Ms. Dynamite, is a double BRIT Award and three time MOBO Awards winning UK garage, R&B and hip hop singer and rapper.-Biography:...
the previous year). The album was also chosen as the #1 album of the year by
Planet SoundPlanet Sound was a Teletext music page on ITV and Channel 4 in the UK. It was broadcast on analogue Teletext from page 340, and on digital Teletext from page 820. From May 24, 2007, Planet Sound was also available to read online via the Teletext website...
.
Along with being picked as the #1 album of the year by Planet Sound,
Boy in da Corner was also chosen as one of the top 50 albums of the year by
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, joining the likes of
Kanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
,
Mos DefDante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...
,
EminemMarshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
, and
JadakissJason Phillips , better known as Jadakiss, is an American rapper. He is a member of the group The LOX. Jadakiss is one of the three owners of the imprint known as D-Block. In early 2007, Jadakiss signed to Roc-a-Fella Records / Def Jam Records.-Early life:By the age of 16, Jadakiss was a freestyle...
for 2004. His unique style, as "words pour out at a high pitch and pace, as if syllables are the only thing that can hold back a scream," have given him a sound that hip hop heads can embrace as something new and original in the hip hop scene. Later in the year he collaborated with the
Basement JaxxBasement Jaxx are a British electronic dance music duo from London, England consisting of Felix Buxton born 1971 and Simon Ratcliffe born 1 December 1969. They first rose to popularity in the late 1990s...
on their third album,
Kish KashKish Kash is the third studio album by English electronic dance music duo Basement Jaxx. It reached number 17 on the UK Albums Chart and won the Grammy for Best Electronic/Dance Album in 2005.- Track listing :- Singles :...
on the track "Lucky Star". The track was released as a single in November 2003 and gave Dizzee his third top 30 hit. The third and final single, taken from his debut album, was "
Jus' a RascalThe discography of Dizzee Rascal, a Ghanaian British rapper, includes four studio albums, fifteen singles, two charity releases and four singles as a featured artist....
", which became his fourth top 30 success. The song was also featured in the film "
KidulthoodKidulthood is a 2006 British drama film about the life of several teenagers in Ladbroke Grove and Latimer Road area of inner west London. It was directed by Menhaj Huda and written by Noel Clarke, who also stars in the film and directed the sequel, Adulthood...
", released in 2006.
"
JezebelThe discography of Dizzee Rascal, a Ghanaian British rapper, includes four studio albums, fifteen singles, two charity releases and four singles as a featured artist....
" was never released from the album, but was well received nonetheless, gaining exposure and popularity on the underground scene. The song told the tale of a young London girl, who through years of going to parties, getting drunk, doing drugs and having sex earned herself the title
JezebelJezebel was a princess, identified in the Hebrew Book of Kings as the daughter of Ethbaal, King of Tyre and the wife of Ahab, king of north Israel. According to genealogies given in Josephus and other classical sources, she was the great-aunt of Dido, Queen of Carthage.The Hebrew text portrays...
. He made his US concert debut on 7 February 2004 at
VolumeVolume is the quantity of three-dimensional space enclosed by some closed boundary, for example, the space that a substance or shape occupies or contains....
in the
WilliamsburgWilliamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint to the north, Bedford-Stuyvesant to the south, Bushwick to the east and the East River to the west. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 1. The neighborhood is served by the NYPD's 90th ...
section of
BrooklynBrooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York.
2004–2007: Showtime
In 2004, Dizzee Rascal won the
NME Award for InnovationThe NME Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine, NME .The first awards show was held in 1953 as the NME Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding of the magazine....
. His second album,
Showtime, was released in September of the same year, eclipsing the peak of his debut album by entering the
UK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
at #8. The first single from the album, released two weeks earlier in August 2004, was titled
Stand Up TallThe discography of Dizzee Rascal, a Ghanaian British rapper, includes four studio albums, fifteen singles, two charity releases and four singles as a featured artist....
; it was written and produced by grime producer DJ Youngstar of Pulse-X notoriety.
The second single "
Dream"Dream" is the fifth single from British rapper Dizzee Rascal and the second from his second album Showtime. The single became his fifth top forty hit and second consecutive top twenty hit in the UK Singles Chart peaking at number fourteen, his second highest charting single...
", another top 20 hit, was released in November 2004. It sampled (and used the chorus of)
Captain SensibleCaptain Sensible is a singer, songwriter, guitarist who grew up in Croydon, England, and co-founded the punk rock band The Damned in 1976. After leaving the band, he reinvented himself as an alternative pop singer with a rebellious, self-conscious image...
's song "Happy Talk", originally from the makers of
Rodgers and HammersteinRichard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were a well-known American songwriting duo, usually referred to as Rodgers and Hammerstein. They created a string of popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered the golden age of the medium...
musical,
South PacificSouth Pacific is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The story draws from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific, weaving together characters and elements from several of its...
. The "Dream" music video consisted of a mock 1950s style children's
marionetteA marionette is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations. A marionette's puppeteer is called a manipulator. Marionettes are operated with the puppeteer hidden or revealed to an audience by using a vertical or horizontal control bar in different forms...
show depicting scenes corresponding to the lyrics about Dizzee's youth; street culture, crime, single teenage mothers, pirate radio and garage clubs.
Later in 2004, Dizzee Rascal was part of
Band Aid 20Band Aid was a charity supergroup featuring British and Irish musicians and recording artists. It was founded in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia by releasing the song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" for the Christmas market that year. The single...
, a group of British musicians who re-recorded "
Do They Know It's Christmas?"Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a song written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 to raise money for relief of the 1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The original version was produced by Midge Ure and released by Band Aid on 29 November 1984....
" He did not sing in the song; rather, he rapped two lines of it ("
Spare a thought this yuletide for the deprived, if the table was turned would you survive?" and "
You ain't gotta feel guilt just selfless, give a little help to the helpless"). Dizzee Rascal was the first person to add to the song since the original was released; this would mark the first time that Dizzee reached the number one spot in the
UK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, albeit as part of the ensemble.
In 2004, Dizzee Rascal made an international endorsement deal with urban brand
EckōEckō unltd. is a brand of urban lifestyle clothing founded by fashion designer Marc Ecko, that has been popular since the late 1990s, and moved into the mainstream urban culture in the early 2000s. It is most often associated with hip-hop people. The style is based on graffiti art.The creation of...
and designed his own shoe with
NikeNike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
in 2005.
In March 2005, the Double A-side single "
Off 2 WorkThe discography of Dizzee Rascal, a Ghanaian British rapper, includes four studio albums, fifteen singles, two charity releases and four singles as a featured artist....
" / "
Graftin'The discography of Dizzee Rascal, a Ghanaian British rapper, includes four studio albums, fifteen singles, two charity releases and four singles as a featured artist....
" was released. "Graftin'" was the third and final single from the
Showtime album, whilst "Off 2 Work" was a new track that did not appear on either of his albums. The accompanying music video featured Rascal in various ordinary workplace situations (as a policeman, a fast food vendor, a businessman, etc.) and as
Prime MinisterThe Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
, announcing his engagement to
Cherie BlairCherie Blair , known professionally as Cherie Booth QC, is a British barrister working in the legal system of England and Wales. She is married to the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair; the couple have three sons and one daughter...
. It would prove to be Dizzee's lowest charting single to date, peaking outside the Top 40 at #44.
2007–2009: Maths + English
Dizzee's third album,
Maths + English- Track listing :*1 Samples Lyn Collins' "Think " and Galactic Force Band's "Space Dust Gurnhill EZI".*2 Co-mixed by Shy FX.*3 Samples "So You Wanna Be a Boxer" from the film musical Bugsy Malone.*4 Omitted from US version.-Charts:...
, was released on 4 June 2007. He stated in an interview before the album's release that "Maths" refers to producing, in terms of beats, deals and money and "English" to writing lyrics. The first single off this album,
SirensThe discography of Dizzee Rascal, a Ghanaian British rapper, includes four studio albums, fifteen singles, two charity releases and four singles as a featured artist....
, was released on 21 May.
The album was one of the 12 nominees for the 2007
Mercury PrizeThe Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
, which ultimately went to
The KlaxonsThe Klaxons were a Belgian accordion based band who had a minor UK hit in 1983 with "The Clap Clap Sound", which reached number 45 in the UK charts...
' album
Myths of the Near FutureKlaxons' French label Because released "As Above, So Below" as a limited edition clear vinyl 12" in November 2007. The 12" features two versions of the track, a French language version and a remix by Justice....
. During the year, Dizzee worked with cross-genre artist
BeckBeck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
on a remix of the song "Hell Yes", and provided guest vocals on an
Arctic MonkeysArctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...
track, the B-Side to their single "
Brianstorm-Chart positions:It reached number one on the UK indie chart. Also the three other tracks from this single charted in the UK single chart on 28 April 2007. "Temptation Greets You Like Your Naughty Friend" was number 77, "What If You Were Right the First Time?" was number 114 and "If You Found This...
" named "
Temptation Greets You Like Your Naughty FriendThe discography of Arctic Monkeys, a British indie rock band, currently consists of four studio albums, two extended plays and twelve singles....
". Dizzee's version of the same song was featured as "Temptation" on his third album.
The official US album was released on 29 April 2008; it contained two tracks not on the European release, but it did not include the track "
Pussyole'The discography of Dizzee Rascal, a Ghanaian British rapper, includes four studio albums, fifteen singles, two charity releases and four singles as a featured artist....
". It was Dizzee's first album to be released under the
Definitive JuxDefinitive Jux is an independent record label based in New York City, United States. It was co-founded in 1999 by Jaime Meline and Amaechi Uzoigwe. The label was initially known simply as Def Jux, but in 2001, popular hip hop label Def Jam Recordings sued Def Jux over the name similarity...
label.
In 2008, Dizzee Rascal recorded a song for suicide charity
CALMCALM, or the Campaign Against Living Miserably, is a registered charity based in England. It was launched in March 2006 as a campaign aimed at bringing the suicide rate down among men aged 15–35....
; the song "
DeanThe discography of Dizzee Rascal, a Ghanaian British rapper, includes four studio albums, fifteen singles, two charity releases and four singles as a featured artist....
" was about a friend of Dizzee's who took his own life. In December of that year, he was arrested following an alleged incident involving a baseball bat in southeast London. He was released on bail to return to a police station later in December.
2009–present: Tongue N' Cheek
Dizzee Rascal released his fourth studio album,
Tongue N' CheekTongue n' Cheek is the fourth studio album by British rapper Dizzee Rascal. The album was released on 20 September 2009 and includes the number one singles, "Dance wiv Me", "Bonkers", "Holiday" and "Dirtee Disco"...
, on 21 September 2009. It included his four number-one hits "
Dance Wiv MeDance wiv Me is a single by Ghanaian British rapper Dizzee Rascal, from his fourth studio album Tongue n' Cheek. It was released on 22 June 2008 and features guest vocals from Scottish DJ Calvin Harris and English R&B singer Chrome...
", "
Holiday"Holiday" is a song by Ghanaian British rapper Dizzee Rascal, released as the third single from his fourth studio album Tongue n' Cheek. It was produced by Calvin Harris, with chorus vocals by R&B singer Chrome. Harris originally wrote the song for girl group, The Saturdays, but it was rejected...
", "
Bonkers"Bonkers" is a song by British rapper Dizzee Rascal and American producer Armand Van Helden. It is the first single released from Rascal's fourth album, Tongue n' Cheek. Rascal released the track under his own record label, Dirtee Stank Recordings on 17 May 2009 in the United Kingdom; where it...
" and "
Dirtee Disco"Dirtee Disco" is the fifth single from Ghanaian British rapper Dizzee Rascal's fourth studio album Tongue n' Cheek, although the song only appears in the deluxe edition of the album. It features background vocals from former One True Voice member Daniel Pearce and samples The Staple Singers' 1972...
". Its release was announced on
Friday Night with Jonathan RossFriday Night with Jonathan Ross was a British comedy chat show presented by Jonathan Ross. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 2 November 2001. The programme featured Ross's take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews and live music from both a guest music group and the house band...
, where Dizzee Rascal revealed some details about the album, including track information and production. Dizzee recently confirmed in an interview on Radio One, that he would be leaving his grime roots behind, in favour of more mainstream pop; however a new collaboration with drum and bass artists "
Chase & StatusChase & Status are an electronic music production duo from London consisting of Saul Milton and Will Kennard. MC Rage & Andy Gangadeen also make up the live band.-2003-2005:...
" titled, "Heavy" begs to differ. In the track Dizzee himself says, "Grime had a little time without me still no grime without me, No life without me, no risky roads, no grime daily" assuring his return to grime. On 23 May 2008,
Calvin HarrisCalvin Harris is a Scottish singer-songwriter, record producer and DJ. His gold-selling debut album, I Created Disco, was released in 2007 and contained the top ten singles "Acceptable in the 80s" and "The Girls"...
, whom he collaborated with on the number-one smash "Dance Wiv Me", revealed on his Twitter that he was producing a Dizzee track; at the
Evolution FestivalThe Evolution Festival is an Italian metal festival, held annually since 2005. It is organized by the Loud Session agency. The 2007 edition took place on July 7.-July 11:*Cavalera Conspiracy*Sonata Arctica*Dark Tranquillity*Evergrey*Korpiklaani...
,
NewcastleNewcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, and when on tour supporting
The ProdigyThe Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
, he confirmed that two new singles called "
Road RageThe discography of Dizzee Rascal, a Ghanaian British rapper, includes four studio albums, fifteen singles, two charity releases and four singles as a featured artist....
" and "
Dirtee Cash"Dirtee Cash" is a song recorded by British rapper Dizzee Rascal and was released as the fourth single from his fourth studio album Tongue N' Cheek. It was released digitally on 21 September 2009 and follows his number-one hits "Holiday" and "Bonkers"...
", both of which featured on the album, would be released. "Dirtee Cash" peaked at #10 and Road Rage was never released as a single.
On the 16th February at the 30th annual
Brit AwardsThe Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
Dizzee Rascal won the award for Best British Male. He later performed a mash-up entitled "You Got the Dirtee Love" with
Florence and the MachineFlorence and the Machine is the recording name of English musician Florence Welch and a collaboration of other artists who provide music for her voice. Florence and the Machine's sound has been described as a combination of various genres, including rock and soul...
. This collaboration was released as a charity single the following day and peaked at number 2 in the UK charts.
On the 31st May 2010 Dizzee re-released the album
Tongue N' Cheek with a few new tracks on including a song called "
Dirtee Disco"Dirtee Disco" is the fifth single from Ghanaian British rapper Dizzee Rascal's fourth studio album Tongue n' Cheek, although the song only appears in the deluxe edition of the album. It features background vocals from former One True Voice member Daniel Pearce and samples The Staple Singers' 1972...
" which was released on 24 May 2010. The track went to number 1 on the
UK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
In August 2010, it was revealed that he was to collaborate with
ColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n popstar
ShakiraShakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
on the English version of "
Loca"Loca" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira. It was released as the lead single from her third bilingual and seventh studio album Sale el Sol. Two versions of the song were recorded, one in English, that features vocals from British rapper Dizzee Rascal, and one in Spanish that...
", the lead single of her album
Sale el SolSale el sol is the seventh studio album by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, released on October 19, 2010. The album cover was released on August 31, 2010...
. He stated that "I know it sounds a bit mad now, but you'll see it and see what's going on, it's me doing something different man, on a merengue tip." On the week of October 14, 2010, Dizzee made his first appearance on the US
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
after the song peaked number 32. However, The UK release was cancelled.
Personal life
In February 2008 Rascal's ex girlfriend, model Kaya Bousquet, whom he had dated for two years, died in a high speed crash on the
M1 motorwayThe M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
; Dizzee was said to be "devastated".
Rascal revealed in 2010 that he plans not to use drugs or alcohol at all in the future. He told
The IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
: "I'm not having any alcohol. No weed. I'm not doing anything – except some boxing to release energy."
Politics
Around 2004, UK newspapers were quoting one particular lyric by Dizzee Rascal – "I'm a problem for
Anthony BlairAnthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
".
During the
2008 US presidential electionsThe United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, Dizzee gave a live interview to
NewsnightNewsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades....
presenter
Jeremy PaxmanJeremy Dickson Paxman is a British journalist, author and television presenter. He has worked for the BBC since 1977. He is noted for a forthright and abrasive interviewing style, particularly when interrogating politicians...
, in which he described
Barack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
as "an immediate symbol of unity". Addressed by Paxman as "Mr Rascal" at one point, he suggested that hip-hop played an important part in encouraging young voters and humorously opined that he could well one day become
Prime MinisterThe Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
. In the same interview Rascal stated that, "If you believe you can achieve, innit," thus showing his agreement with Paxman's humorous remark.
Dirtee Stank
Dizzee Rascal has created his own record label, called Dirtee Stank. Dizzee Rascal's explanation of the name is, "The name came from one of the first lyrics I had: 'going on dirty/going on stank…' So I thought 'yeah fuck it, Dirtee Stank.'" Dizzee has stated "I had Dirtee Stank before I had my record deal." The first white label release of "I Luv U" was made on Dirtee Stank, released when he was 16, although both of his albums and their subsequent singles have been released under
XL RecordingsXL Recordings is a British independent record label owned by Richard Russell. It originated as a 1989 offshoot of Beggars Banquet Records.Though only releasing an average of six albums a year, XL Recordings has worked with The Prodigy, Radiohead, The White Stripes, Dizzee Rascal, M.I.A., Vampire...
. It was not until, 30 September 2005, that Dizzee Rascal 'revived' the label and made his first signings, Klass A, and Newham Generals. The label's MySpace page states that the ethos of the company is "about bridging the gap between indie, majors and the street. Stank is the way forwards". The label's alternative logo is a picture of flies circling faeces – when asked why this logo was chosen, Dizzee stated that it was the "streetest thing I could think of".
The label was formed and is owned by Dizzee Rascal, and is co-run by Dizzee's manager,
CageNick Denton, born August 24, 1966, is a British journalist and internet entrepreneur, the founder and proprietor of the blog collective Gawker Media, and the managing editor of the New York-based Gawker.com...
, Label Manager, Laurence Ezra & Tour Manager Paddy Stewart. According to Cage, Dirtee Stank exists to promote gifted artists with "social problems" that might scare off other labels. "People who, through the conditions they live in, might not be stable." The label should also help artists overcome hurdles such as access to studios that "take something from a raw demo to something people will get excited about on the street".
The single "
Dance Wiv MeDance wiv Me is a single by Ghanaian British rapper Dizzee Rascal, from his fourth studio album Tongue n' Cheek. It was released on 22 June 2008 and features guest vocals from Scottish DJ Calvin Harris and English R&B singer Chrome...
", featuring UK electro artist
Calvin HarrisCalvin Harris is a Scottish singer-songwriter, record producer and DJ. His gold-selling debut album, I Created Disco, was released in 2007 and contained the top ten singles "Acceptable in the 80s" and "The Girls"...
and
RnB artistRNB is a three-letter abbreviation with multiple meanings, as described below:* Nankai Broadcasting – , a broadcasting station in Ehime Prefecture, Japan* Rhythm and blues* Contemporary R&B* Russian National Library...
ChromeDance wiv Me is a single by Ghanaian British rapper Dizzee Rascal, from his fourth studio album Tongue n' Cheek. It was released on 22 June 2008 and features guest vocals from Scottish DJ Calvin Harris and English R&B singer Chrome...
, was released through the label on 7 July 2008; the track became
Jo WhileyJohanne "Jo" Whiley is a British radio disc jockey and television presenter. She was the host of the long running weekday Jo Whiley Show on Radio 1.-Early life and education:...
's Pet Sound for the Week beginning 2 June 2008, thus gaining a large amount of radio airtime. The single charted at Number 1 on download sales alone, a week before its physical release. Dizzee's next two singles, "
Bonkers"Bonkers" is a song by British rapper Dizzee Rascal and American producer Armand Van Helden. It is the first single released from Rascal's fourth album, Tongue n' Cheek. Rascal released the track under his own record label, Dirtee Stank Recordings on 17 May 2009 in the United Kingdom; where it...
" and "
Holiday"Holiday" is a song by Ghanaian British rapper Dizzee Rascal, released as the third single from his fourth studio album Tongue n' Cheek. It was produced by Calvin Harris, with chorus vocals by R&B singer Chrome. Harris originally wrote the song for girl group, The Saturdays, but it was rejected...
", were also released under the record label, and these two again charted at Number 1. Dizzee then released his 4th album on the label (Tongue N' Cheek) which along with three number ones spawned the top 10 hit
Dirtee Cash"Dirtee Cash" is a song recorded by British rapper Dizzee Rascal and was released as the fourth single from his fourth studio album Tongue N' Cheek. It was released digitally on 21 September 2009 and follows his number-one hits "Holiday" and "Bonkers"...
.
As of August 2011 the Newham Generals (D Double E & Footsie), Smurfie Syco and Pepper are signed to the label.
Studio albums
- 2003: Boy in da Corner
Boy in da Corner is the debut album of British grime MC Dizzee Rascal, released on 21 July 2003 by XL Recordings in the United Kingdom and Matador Records in the United States...
- 2004: Showtime
- 2007: Maths + English
- Track listing :*1 Samples Lyn Collins' "Think " and Galactic Force Band's "Space Dust Gurnhill EZI".*2 Co-mixed by Shy FX.*3 Samples "So You Wanna Be a Boxer" from the film musical Bugsy Malone.*4 Omitted from US version.-Charts:...
- 2009: Tongue N' Cheek
Tongue n' Cheek is the fourth studio album by British rapper Dizzee Rascal. The album was released on 20 September 2009 and includes the number one singles, "Dance wiv Me", "Bonkers", "Holiday" and "Dirtee Disco"...
Awards and nominations
- Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
- NME Award
The NME Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine, NME .The first awards show was held in 1953 as the NME Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding of the magazine....
- Urban Music Awards
The Urban Music Awards is a HipHop, R&B, Dance and soul music awards ceremony launched in 2003 and now held in six countries annually.The awards ceremony is held annually by Invincible Media Group. The UMA's is now held in 6 countries annually...
- BRIT Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
- 2010, Best British Male (Won)
- BET Awards
The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
- 2010, Best International Act (Won)
In video games
In
PlayStation HomePlayStation Home is a virtual 3D social gaming network developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's London Studio for the PlayStation 3 on the PlayStation Network . It is available directly from the PlayStation 3 XrossMediaBar under PlayStation Network. Membership is free, and only requires a PSN...
, the
PlayStation 3The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
's online community-based service, there was an event dedicated for Dizzee Rascal in the VIP Room of the
SingStarSingStar is a competitive music video game series for PlayStation consoles, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. 23 English-language instalments of the series have been released for the PlayStation 2, and six versions for the PlayStation 3 have been released...
themed
game space that ran from 24 September 2009 to 9 October 2009. Dizzee performed for the PS Home/
SingStar community and answered questions for an hour after the performance. There were also limited time items at this space like a Dizzee Mask. This was available to the European and North American versions of PlayStation Home, however, Dizzee only appeared in the European version answering questions. There is also a SongPack on the SingStore for
SingStar that include six of Dizzee's tracks.
Dizzee's track "Fix Up, Look Sharp" is also featured in the video game DJ Hero released on October 27, 2009 in North America and on October 29, 2009 in Europe.
Dizzee's track "Fix Up, Look Sharp" is also featured in the United Kingdom version of the video game Def Jam Rapstar released in Europe on November 5, 2010
Dizzee's track "Bonkers" is featured in the video game DJ Hero 2.
Dizzee's track "Stand up tall" is also in the video game Fifa Street.
External links
- Dizzee Rascal News at the XL Recordings
XL Recordings is a British independent record label owned by Richard Russell. It originated as a 1989 offshoot of Beggars Banquet Records.Though only releasing an average of six albums a year, XL Recordings has worked with The Prodigy, Radiohead, The White Stripes, Dizzee Rascal, M.I.A., Vampire...
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