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Boy in Da Corner Album ReviewWhy Dizzee Rascal's debut could show most U.S. emcees a thing or two
With the widespread success garnered throughout his career, this is a look at the album that crowned Dizzee Rascal as the king of grime.
The fact that Dizzee Rascal is one of the UK's greatest hip-hop exports is no secret. Don't forget how much he's accomplished either. At 19, while most teenagers are still trying to figure out what they want to do with their lives, Dizzee won the 2003 Mercury Music Prize. Getting to that spot, though, was more of a task than it may seem. Expelled from school four times, it was music that- according to Rascal- kept him away from a life of crime¹. Good thing for us that he turned his life around because his debut album Boy in Da Corner is definitely a cool breeze on a sweltering summer afternoon. Sounds Like...Boy in Da Corner is such a great album because it doesn't sound like anything else. Chipmunk soul samples? Nope. Try dark electronic sounds instead. Trigger happy usage of vocoders a la "Teddy Bend-her-ass?" More like hard, harsh and relentless synth/drum combos. Sure, he may not be "underground" enough for all the backpackers out there (well, depending on how tight their Jansport straps are), but he is definitely a versatile emcee. Things begin with a rather reflective piece on "Sittin' Here." Laced with crisp snares, mild bass and plucky strings, Dizzee touches upon childhood memories and other experiences that are gladly behind him. Immediately following is the track "Stop Dat;" a strangely aggressive track. It has hard rhymes and pretty menacing strings while the chorus goes into party mode lyrically. Strangely enough, it's carried out flawlessly, without the awkwardness predicted for such a transition. The amount of variety on the album doesn't end there. "I Luv U" is an ode to the overprotective, super-paranoid significant other while "Brand New Day" is a ringing, winding road down the questions people ask about their lives and the future. Besides such gems as these, Boy in Da Corner explores such topics as not believing in love, materialistic girls, not being somebody to mess with, and a young girl who, through oblivious behaviour and foolishness, contracts an STD and even becomes a young mother of two. Perhaps the most well known song on the album is Dizzee's "Fix Up, Look Sharp." Brilliantly constructed with a little help of Billy Squire's "The Big Beat," this big beat knocks harder than a man being chased by a pike-equipped village. Of course, the young Brit delivers lyrically as well. As if to only intensify the seriously vicious break, Rascal utters such lines as, "Don't be dazed when I catch you by your J's. Chump! Best to act like Forest Gump. Best to run!" The VerdictWhile the thick accent might be a little hard for us "Yanks" to understand at first, there is no need to refuse it; listening will adjust the ears accordingly. Besides, the music just wouldn't be as good without it. While listening to this brilliant debut, it's pretty evident that Dizzee Rascal is really the only one who could do what he does. With a voice that is as eager and sharp as it is unique, this young emcee has managed to sculpt a sound that is absolutely one of a kind. Whether looking for something new or a fan of traditional hip-hop, Boy in Da Corner is highly, highly recommended. ¹http://www.dizzeerascal.net/biography.shtml
The copyright of the article Boy in Da Corner Album Review in Grime Music is owned by James Chapman Shahan . Permission to republish Boy in Da Corner Album Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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