Across the Pond: UK Raps by Dizzee Rascal

I have listened to a lot of rap in the past...mostly the rappers and rap groups of the late 1980's and all of the 1990's, so my knowledge of rap in the new millennium is small at best. When I listened back then, there weren't many rappers, if any, that I knew were from the UK. Yet, here in the new millennium there are numerous UK rappers and rappers from other countries that have made dramatic global statements that have crossed over. Such is the case with Boy in da Corner by Dizzee Rascal.

Dizzee Rascal (aka Dylan Mills) is an English rapper from East London. His style/flow is quite a bit faster than the Streets’ Mike Skinner, but not as fast as Ludacris. He brings a different vibe to his songs, too.

Boy in da Corner was released in 2003 when Mills was 18. Dizzee won a Mercury Prize in 2003 for the album. The album has been associated with a genre called “grime”, which is supposedly a mix of hip hop, UK garage, dancehall, and drum & bass. All of these styles are apparent, but let’s just call it rap. Dizzee has even shunned the categorization of his music.

#11 – Dizzee Rascal, Boy in da Corner (Metascore = 92)

The first sounds right off the bat (“Sittin’ Here”) sound like they were pulled straight from an Atari game. Someone I read described some of the songs as containing “ringtone-style tones”, and that is apparent with “Sittin’ Here” and a few other tracks on the album. But maybe this is the point—instead of focusing on the music in the background, he wants you to focus on the raps. Granted, that makes listening to certain songs more of a challenge, but at least I’m not overwhelmed by the digital sounds.

What is interesting in listening to him rap is that his rhymes are well-crafted. His stories (not linked by theme necessarily) are well enunciated and give you a good visual of what is going on. I felt like I was standing next to him while he’s arguing with this girl in “I Luv U”. Most likely he’s referencing his life in his songs, and he speaks about life on the streets, in the home, and just around him. I really like “Fix Up, Look Sharp” (great beat and sample), “Brand New Day”, “Hold Ya Mouf”, “Jus a Rascal”, and others. One thing I have to remember is Rascal was 18 at the time this album was created, so there are elements of being young in every rap, too.

Do I think this album deserves one of the highest scores on the Metacritic list? No. There are some songs where I just did not get what was going on. Rascal’s lyrics and flow may be very interesting overall, but some songs just didn’t work for me. However, I can appreciate why the record received such critical praise. His flow is very good, and he’s able to put together his rhymes in a very creative way.