Dizzee RascalWhen Dizzee Rascal first graced our ears nearly 15 years ago, he was a breath of change: not American, but still authentic; street smarts and pop sensibilities (after all, your older brother can still rap all the verses of Fix Up, Look Sharp).
That he has matured into a Calvin Harris courting, Ibiza holidaymaker is a disappointment to some. Raskit proves this is lazy criticism.
Space is a tour de force: a reminder about Dizzee's technical aptitude, charisma and ability to bottle fury. Wot U Gonna Do? is big, unbridled braggadocio. The Other Side and Slow Your Roll are similarly monstrous, products of the Dizzee we came to know and love. This is the era of Bugzy Malone, Stormzy, Skepta, Little Simz - rappers who came up looking up to Dizzee; he was never a youngster to them, but an elder statesman. It's striking that it took the arrival of these new, hungrier youngsters to shake Dizzee from his torpor and leave the laziness to the others. Here, Dizzee's back. It's a refreshing thought.
"Everybody wanna take shots at the king," our host mourns. Well, yes. He sits on a throne these days, sights trained on his head. But now that he's back to making records like this, they're less likely to hit.
