Dizzee Rascal
Dylan Mills, known professionally as
Dizzee Rascal, is a solo artist who grew out of the UK Garage music scene - although he has been known to distance himself from this scene - and on pirate radio. His music is a novel mixture of garage and hip-hop beats topped with his own unmistakable style of rapping. This music style is referred to as grime. His album "Boy in Da Corner" was released to critical acclaim in 2003, preceded by the single "I Luv U" - a tale of accidental teenage pregnancy. In the same year the rapper was stabbed in Ayia Napa, and tabloids tried to link this to a feud between Dizzee and UK Top 40-topping garage act
So Solid Crew. Unlike many rappers, Dizzee does not glorify gun culture in his music, but reflects it along with other grim realities of urban life. He has been described as "the vital unvarnished voice of modern-day inner-city UK", and a social element is usually present in most of his tracks. However Dizzee proves that social comment does not necessarily have to be scathing or boring and often there is a humorous element to his lyrics, some might find this (very British) humour similar to that of Mike Skinner of
The Streets. Album track "Hold Ya Mouf" contains Dizzee's most quotable line - "I'm a problem for Anthony Blair". In September 2003 Dizzee scooped the Mercury Music Prize for best album, simultaneously the first rapper and youngest person (at 19) to do so.
In 2003 he also collaborated on Basement Jaxx's third album "Kish Kash" on the track "Lucky Star".
In 2004 Dizzee Rascal won The NME award for Innovation.
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