Dizzee Rascal
Maths & English
(XL Recordings)
Five years after Dizzee Rascal emerged from London's grime scene to win the Mercury Music Prize, the bright hope of Britain's rap scene appears to be taking aim at the mainstream. Taking his two biggest hit singles, Fix Up Look Sharp and Stand Up Tall, as his cue for his third album, Maths & English is a more upbeat, slick and at times almost poppy affair than his first two releases. It will likely make him a fixture on the radio throughout the summer.
On Maths & English ('Maths' apparently refers to producing and 'English' to writing lyrics) Dizzee ups the fun level and tones down the rants, although he still deftly mixes humour and social commentary about his east London youth into his usually clever lyrics.
His delivery is as sharp and arresting as ever, and he remains fiercely inventive - who else would cast Lily Allen as the gangsta's moll rapping over a Bugsy Malone sample? He pushes his own boundaries musically, effortlessly weaving his way through genres from classic two-step UK garage beats on Flex, to full-on drum and bass on Da Feelin' and G-funk on Where's Da G's.