Dizzee Rascal
Boy In Da Corner
2003
Dizzee has had a meteoric rise in the UK with this stellar debut. Boy In Da Corner won over a devout following in the UK underground. While he hasn’t been around as long, a friend of mine from London once told me that this album was what made many people claim that he would become the Jay-Z of grime. This definitely surprised me as I wouldn’t say Boy In Da Corner is necessarily that broadly appealing.
It took me several years to start listening to hip hop but when I finally did, this was my favorite record for quite some time. Dizzee may still have some of the swagger not uncommon in rappers, but he also can actually be self-degrading, self-reflective, and just plain goofy. What caught my attention most though, were the harsh, pounding, sharply cut breaks and beats. This was my first exposure to grime and I was stunned at how much it wasn’t focused on being fluid and smooth. Dizzee Rascal doesn’t want to give you a breath. While this is unfortunate given the album is a solid hour long, this may be the greatest endeavor in grime, and it’s from an 18 year old. -R.C.
Very impressive debut album. What particularly stands out to me is Dizzee Rascal’s incredible control using his complex beats to accentuate his lyrics as well as drive the mood of his songs. The result is a powerful and varied album that refuses to let the listener ignore it in the background. Highly recommended to anyone looking for a refreshing sound in the world of hip-hop. - Phil
What would you guys say is Dizzee's next best album. After "Boy in Da Corner" I definitely want to hear more of this Rascal!
ReplyDelete*album?
ReplyDeleteLol, that's a tough one. I wasn't that smitten with his latest release, Tongue 'N Cheek. I did really enjoy Showtime and Maths + English. I'm not sure I am able to choose which is the better one. If I had to guess, I might expect you to like Maths + English more.
ReplyDeleteCool, I'll have to check it out.
ReplyDeleteYeah, this was probably the first big surprise for me on your guys' list. When I looked at all your guys' albums, I was pretty sure this one would land in the upper-half, maybe even the teens. I'm really interested now to see which rap album you guys' proclaim the decade's greatest!
One to the two to the three to the four!
ReplyDelete