Maths + English

'Maths And English' is the third album from UK grime heavyweight Dizzee Rascal. The trademark abrasive beats and inspired lyrical reportage are still present, but this time the beats and the rhymes are bolstered by collaborations with artists as diverse as Shy FX and Lily Allen, making this album his strongest yet. 14 tracks. TRACK LISTING:1. World Outside / 2. Pussly'ole (Old Skool) / 3. Sirens / 4. Where's Da G's / 5. Paranoid / 6. Suck My Dick / 7. Flex / 8. Da Feelin' / 9. Bubbles / 10. Excuse Me Please / 11. Hard Back (Industry) / 12. Temptation / 13. Wanna Be / 14. You Can't Tell Me Nuffin' Product Description

Best yet

This record is Dizzee's best yet. This record has the unique speed and word choice in the rhymes like his first record but the music is more approachable. Its not americanized like Showtime was but it is better produced than the first. It has his true style like the first album but the music is more upbeat, danceable, and repeatable. His best to date. Although he has since released a US version with 3 additional tracks. June 1, 2008

Wait for the U.S. release on 4-29-08 and get 3 additional tracks

Just as Dizzee did with his 2004 release of "Boy In Da Corner" he will also add bonus tracks exclusive to the U.S. market for "Maths + English". The import that is available now becomes immediately inferior and will fall three tracks short of the much anticipated 4-29-08 Def Jux version of "Maths + English". The bonus tracks are "G.H.E.T.T.O.", "Driving", and "Where's Da G's [El-P Remix]". Two new songs plus a remix is just enough for me to forgive Dizzee Rascal for waiting so long to release this here. My advice is to be patient, get your bonus tracks, and save some serious cash (this should retail for less than half the price of the import). March 11, 2008

A must have.

Dizzee's latest album is definitely more polished than it's predecessors, but this by no means reduces it's quality. Grime has never sounded so easy to listen to.

This album is a must have for all hip-hip fans. I don't think it came to the States this time around, but for fans of his last records, it should definitely be checked out. Every song on this album had my head bobbing, and while he may have become a tad more mainstream, every last bit of Dizzee is still in this album, and his amazingly well thought out lyrics and addictive beats will have everyone nodding away. February 28, 2008

3-1/2 stars -- Good luck trying to find this

Back in 2004, when MTV2 actually played videos from TALENTED rappers, they were all about an explosion of grime artists (for further information on what exactly that entails, refer to my review for Lady Sovereign's album); one of which was Dizzee Rascal. Back then I couldn't really get into him, but I still decided to check out his latest offering, Maths + English.

One good thing about this album is that the production is much more accessible than what was found on Boy in da Corner. But the thing is, this album isn't for everyone not only because it's grime, but because Dizzee's accent is so thick that even his speaking voice has an acquired taste. Speaking of that, he has the habit of talking for about twenty to thirty seconds at the end and/or between the second and third verses of songs, which tends to get a little annoying after a while.

There are still some good songs on here though, like "Temptation", "Hardback (Industry)" and "U Can't Tell Me Nuffin'" (the song that inspired the album's title). Also stellar is "Wanna Be", which features help from fellow Brit Lily Allen. However, another guest spot, UGK on "Where's da G's", is ironic because everyone sounds dope EXCEPT Dizzee (and it's not because it's hard to measure up to Bun and Pimp C; Dizzee's verse is confusing anyway).

And there are a few additional missteps, like the failed club-rocker "Flex", the childish "Suk My D", and the obligatory sound about bling, "Bubbles". I also wonder what version of the album I have because I don't see "P***yole" on here (but I'm not sure I want to know what that means). Maths + English isn't a bad album, but as I said before, it's definitely not for the average listener. You might want to stream it first -- in fact, that's probably the ONLY way to get it, as it doesn't seem to be available anywhere.

Anthony Rupert January 24, 2008

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