On his seventh album the East London grime legend showcases what he’s accomplished, whilst also reminding us that he is still one of the best MC’s in the game today.
The grime scene has been heavily dominated by the likes of Skepta and Stormzy over the last few years. But arguably the first artist to bring grime music into the mainstream was Dizzee Rascal.
Tongue N’ Cheek- Dizzee’s fourth and highly critically acclaimed album which was released in 2011 featured the huge hits Dance Wiv Me, Bonkers and Holiday, all of which skyrocketed him to the top of the UK charts and made him one of the biggest musicians within the UK.
Dizzee enjoyed his success at the top for a few years, but then went on a slight hiatus for a couple of years, which was when the grime scene then got a major rebirth and artists like Skepta, Stormzy and Chip began to take the genre to even greater heights.
However, on E3 AF, Dizzee’s first album in three years, he sounds full of energy as he delivers phenomenal lyrics, quick witty one-liners over some incredible beats.
The opening track, God Knows begins with the lyrics: “chapter one, verse one, god knows”, it almost feels like we’re beginning the start of a journey. And that is exactly how the rest of the album plays out, each track allows Dizzee to remind us that he is still one of the best grime artists in the game today.
God Knows features a very fast paced beat, which also blends in a drum and bass style with it too. Every line Rascal throws out sounds explosive: “god knows I’m a pain in the neck, you better watch your step.”
Across the whole album, Dizzee pays homage to his roots, therefore making the album feel like a homecoming of sorts. On L.L.L.L (Love Life Live Large) he teams up with Chip to deliver a sensational track that’s all about motivating yourself to keep going.
However, Dizzee is still not afraid to show off his cheeky side as he delivers strong and funny one-liners across the club-heavy track Body Loose. Lyrics like: “Peng one asked me what do I require, I said baby shake your batty like it’s on fire, then you drop it down low like a flat tire”, allows Dizzee to step away from the serious side of the album and just let go and go back to his original sound that allowed him to make a name for himself.
Arguably the best track on the album goes to Don’t Be Dumb, which features North London rapper Ocean Wisdom. The track adopts a heavy beat which sets the tone for the intense race that we get between the two MC’s as they both trade double-time bars.
On E3 AF, Dizzee certainly marks his territory as he tells us that he’s truly far from done.
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