Home > Music > CD Review > Dizzee Rascal, 'Maths + English'

Dizzee Rascal, 'Maths + English'

Nimble Brit rapper branches out beyond grime

By Adam McKibbin

Special to Metromix
April 28, 2008

Critic's Rating:

• Email
• Print View
• Share
  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Furl
  • Google
  • Reddit
  • Mixx
  • Mister Wong
  • Yahoo Buzz
  • Yahoo
• Add To Favorites
• Add to playlist

Backstory: At 19, Dizzee Rascal won the U.K.’s prestigious Mercury Prize for his debut album, “Boy in Da Corner,” which helped popularize the choppy, aggressive “grime” style of British hip-hop. He flaunted his gritty upbringing, showed off his stab wounds, and was predictably hailed as the British answer to 50 Cent.

Why you should care: Dizzee’s churlish cockney flow certainly stands out from the crowd, and his rapid-fire delivery helps compensate for some very tired lyrics. “Maths + English” also presents some of his most direct, party-oriented pop writing to date: the frantic dance jam “Flex,” the summertime celebration “Da Feelin’” and the breezy “Wanna Be” (featuring Lily Allen).
 
Verdict: “Maths + English” suggests continued growth for Dizzee, and an admirable willingness to go beyond his usual comfort zones—even to grab guitars or Arctic Monkeys samples. And he remains a compelling narrator, particularly at his angriest. But the beats sometimes sound like afterthoughts and the endless self-aggrandizement quickly grows wearisome (Dizzee Rascal seems almost pathologically obsessed with proving that he is more street than you).

X-Factor: While courting an American fan base, Dizzee busts out one of the strangest samples of the year: a brief blast of “Yankee Doodle Dandy” in the juvenile “Suk My Dick.”

You will be prompted to register or log in when posting.

Comment

Please note that by clicking on "Post Comment" you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Service. Be polite. Inappropriate posts may be removed by the moderator.