Dylan Mills aka Dizzee Rascal has left a legacy over the UK urban scene. The 28 year-old rapper from Bow (East London) is arguably the most successful British urban artist to make it internationally, which is a big statement when talking about a grime MC. He has become a role model for young urban artists and with his level of talent and drive, it’s not hard to see why. In the lead to the release of his fifth studio album ‘The Fifth‘, we thought it no time better to add the Rascal to our Grime Royalty Hall of Fame.
In his early days, Dizzee was a disruptive and hyperactive kid, being kicked out of 4 of the 5 schools he attended, and in one, being excluded from all classes besides music. The ‘Rascal‘ (as named by one of his teachers) started DJing, and soon got taken under the wing of his former mentor Wiley, the ‘Godfather of Grime‘. With tuition from the best in the game, Dizzee quickly started making appearances on local pirate radio stations, and joined the Roll Deep Crew. Around the same time, at the age of 16 Dizzee self-produced his first single ‘I Luv U‘, a raw, aggressive and bang-in-your-face tune which stamped his arrival in the grime scene.
Dizzee‘s sharp and aggressive sound fit him right at home with the grime MCs of East London, the area in which the genre was born. The very nature of grime demands a fierce and fast-paced flow, something Dizzee instantly seemed a natural at. It wasn’t just that, the dexterity behind his lyrics and the passion in which he spat them instantly conveyed that there was a rising star in the game.
Grime was originally a genre driven by competition between young black males in an aggressive nature, so his growing presence and respect was always going to rub some artists up the wrong way. Dizzee had an ongoing feud from 2002 with fellow underground grime MC Crazy Titch, also known as one of grime’s greats, something you’ll remember us covering in HTF Grime Weekly: Grime Beef. Titch called Dizzee out on how he took the mainstream route to stardom without helping pull through the grime scene in the his area, something to which Dizzee responded by saying: “I’m an individual. I’m doing it for myself aswell as road (my area), I’m from where I’m from“, and he was right in thinking that. His debut album ‘Boy In Da Corner‘ won him the 2003 Mercury Prize.
From that point onwards, Dizzee‘s reputation exploded. After the rocketing success of his first album, he proceeded to produce a second. 2004‘s ‘Showtime‘ received massive critical acclaim, achieving a rating of 87 out of a possible 100 on Metacritic. The album featured the hit singles ‘Stand Up Tall‘ and ‘Dream‘. Three years later came 2007‘s ‘Maths + English‘. Dizzee put a twist on his style this time, incorporating melodies and lyrics to make his songs appeal to larger audience than just his grime supporters.
With 2009‘s ‘Tounge N’ Cheek‘, Dizzee followed this same method, which further boosted his recognition internationally. The enormous collective of artists Dizzee has now collaborated with conveys his appeal in a vast range of music markets. The list features: Arctic Monkeys, Calvin Harris, Robbie Williams, Florence & The Machine, Will.I.Am and American rapper Bun B, as well as keeping it real with his fellow Dirtee Stank associates Newham Generals, consisting of Footsie and the grime legend D Double E. At 3:19 in the Dirtee Stank Westwood freestyle video below, Dizzee showcases one of illest verses in grime EVER.
It’s fair to say Dizzee Rascal is one of grime’s finest. The thought process behind that goes far deeper that just his commercial success; we’ve all seen how unjustified the charts tables can be… The way in which he has fought through the haters, and has strived to truly put the UK urban scene on the map is inspiring, and is a struggle for even the most talented of artists. The fame Dizzee now bathes in, as well as the mainstream tracks you’re likely to hear him on these days must never hide the fact that he’s an incredible wordsmith with the ability to spit fire over pretty much anything. Acapella, he’ll still amaze anyone who’ll take the time to listen. At the end of the day, Dizzee Rascal is a grime MC – one that will go down in history.
What are your thoughts on Dizzee Rascal? How long have you been a fan? Leave a comment with your thoughts below and make sure you check out ‘The Fifth‘, but before doing so, check out Scrufizzer‘s tribute to the legend below:
