Album Reviews |

Dizzee Rascal

Boy In Da Corner 9 ( 2003 )
Sittin' Here / Stop Dat / I Luv U / Brand New Day / 2 Far / Fix Up, Look Sharp / Cut Em Off / Hold Ya Mouf / Round We Go / Jus A Rascal / Wot U On? / Jezebel / Seems 2 Be / Live O / Do It

Grime is an underground music scene that's evolved out of garage and drum n bass. It exists largely outside of the music business, preferring to organize for itself late night raves, broadcast over numerous London pirate radio stations, etc. The music represents the mobile phone and playstation generation, bringing in sounds true to real life today. Grime is so real and upto date as far as what's happening in London and England, that existing rules are being broken. Dizzee Rascal is 'the name' from this scene that's made it into the mainstream. More will surely follow, as true as some other cliche that I could have followed that one with. I was listening to the 1400 hours of music I have on my computer. Well, not all at once, obviously! I had the thing on random play. I suddenly felt very old, even though the music I have spans the 50s onwards, with a good 50% coming from the 90s onwards. Yet, I felt very old. New bands sounding like old bands, a mainstream music scene berift of new, challenging ideas. Berift of originality. Dizzee Rascal comes to us via 'Boy In Da Corner' saying he doesn't care HOW music is made, or at least, or it's 'supposed' to be made. He just knows what he wants to acheive. London calling?? The easy comparison to make using mainstream ears is to recognize a certain shared music spirit between Dizzee and Mike Skinner of The Streets. That's hugely simplistic, although does capture some of the essence of what musically is going on here. A return to freshness, to basics. Utilizing sounds such as ringtones, beeps, traffic, etc.

Lyrically, the young Mr Rascal does stream of conciousness, makes social observations and critiscms. The album varies between humour and anger, and states inbetween. 'I Luv U' is a case in point, opening with sampled female computerized "I love you" then turning into an absolute lyrical onslaught that goes through teenage pregnancy, social attitudes and beyond. The music represents metal and machinery, it represents 'grime' as well as, oh..... 'punk' represented Punk. The word is appropriate. 'Fix Up Look Sharp' opens with a hugely loud and pounding drum beat, a Led Zeppelin type of drum beat. It's a track utilizing garage, drum 'n' bass, hip hop and rap 'technologies', a track with a vocal right out there and meaning it, real. It's a song that will appeal to a far wider audience than dance/hip hop bods. It's has the spirit. 'Jus' A Rascal' is delicious and i'm running out of things to say, because it isn't actually easy to describe this album. The words are worth listening to, speedy vocal delivery in the middle of intelligent use of samples and sounds not usually employed in garage/hip-hop music. The entire album lacks any weak link, apart from possibly beating your head into the ground through its sheer relentless assault. A new scene is coming, it's thoroughly English. We've waited a long time for the UK to produce its own urban music in response to the US Hip-Hop onslaught. Perhaps we've now got it.

Add A Comment?

this page last updated 14/10/08