Artist: Dizzee Rascal Album: Boy in da Corner

Year: 2003
Duration: 0:0-1

A Critical Look at Dizzee Rascal's Album Boy in da Corner

Dizzee Rascal's debut album Boy in da Corner changed the UK music scene when it was released in 2003. The album, which brought and showcased the rawness and grittiness of the East London Grime culture, won the Mercury Prize and set Dizzee Rascal as one of the leading voices in the Grime music genre. In this post, we will take a critical look at the album, its most innovative parts, the best songs, and provide a brief history of Dizzee Rascal himself.

Dizzee Rascal, also known as Dylan Kwabena Mills, was born in London in 1985. He was introduced to music at a young age and started making music in his early teens. He then shifted to Grime music, a genre that originated from the UK garage scene in the early 2000s. Boy in da Corner was released when Dizzee Rascal was just 19 years old, making him one of the youngest musicians to win the Mercury Prize.

The album is a blend of grime, garage, and hip hop with a raw and choppy style that reflects the environment from which the artist grew up. It is a narrative of his upbringing in Bow, East London, and portrays the struggles, hopes, and dreams of a young man growing up in his neighbourhood.

Fix Up, Look Sharp, the first single released from the album, became an instant hit with lines like they tried to steal my flow, I'm not a fan, which addressed the appropriation of the Grime music genre by other artists outside of the UK. Other standout songs on the album are I Luv U, a love song that speaks of a relationship that Dizzee had witnessed between two friends, and Jus' a Rascal, which expresses the idea of not giving up in the face of adversity.

The album also features innovative tracks such as Hold Ya Mouf, which is built around a haunting Sitar loop and sparse percussion, and Brand New Day, a track that presents a message of hope and belief in the future against all odds. Dizzee Rascal's delivery on these tracks is a mixture of poetic verses and harsh sounds and voices that evoke a feeling of uneasiness.

Critically speaking, the album is a creative and fearless dive into a music genre that had little commercial success at the time. Dizzee Rascal's lyrics, delivery, and production are outstanding, making Boy in da Corner an essential Grime album that has stood the test of time.

In conclusion, Dizzee Rascal's Boy in da Corner is an album that captures the raw energy and grit of the Grime music genre. The album has influenced and paved the way for the growth of the UK Grime music scene, and its impact can still be seen to this day. As a critic and music lover, I highly recommend the album to anyone looking to dive into the world of Grime music and witness the rise of one of the UK's most esteemed musicians.