After the first listen, the whole thing seems a puzzle. How could this bizarre, offsetting hip-hop album, Dizzee Rascal's "Boy In Da Corner," have become such a phenomenon? How could it have sold 200,000 copies in England, blasted its 19 year-old MC to stardom, and won the Mercury Prize? How come everybody is going nuts about this album? Is this even hip-hop? And what the heck is he saying?
Take a second listen: it all becomes clear. Even the accent.
This is because Dizzee Rascal is so foreign, so different from mainstream hip-hop as to be completely jarring on a first listen. Those Basement Jaxx fans who think they know him from his appearance on "Kish Kash" are also misled; the Indian beats and female vocalists on "Lucky Star" do a lot to soften and familiarize Dizzee's style.
It's probably wrong to even categorize Rascal as hip-hop, as he is much more two-step British garage than American hip-hop. But in that vein, it's unfair to relate him to The Streets' Mike Skinner, even though they've both exploded from the British MC scene and doubtlessly millions of people will make this comparison. But songs like "Stop Dat" downright make some of "Original Pirate Material" sound close to pop. And don't think it's anything like Ms. Dynamite: The violent lyrics of Dizzee are a far cry from everything Dynamite was praised for.
Challenging hip-hop is a rather elusive idea here in the land of P. Diddy and 50 Cent. But Dizzee is separated from the American scene, and not just by his accent, which is definitely London, but decidedly not BBC.
So, what exactly is "Boy In Da Corner?" It's a fantastic album that will cause your friends to look at you funny the first time you play it for them. The vocal repetition at the beginning of "I Luv U" and the silly chorus of "Jus' A Rascal" sound ridiculous until you figure out just how well they work with the music. The electronic pulses sometimes sound like a short-circuiting Atari or like Mario jumping on the heads of a continuous stream of goombas. The rough-edged vocals are at once hard pounding and strangely lyrical. And the bass 'n' drum influence is interesting in a hip-hop album. But all put together, it sounds terrific.
The album opens with one of its finest tracks, "Sitting Here." It immediately awakens the listener to the brutal and foreboding style of Dizzee's music. The production is not overdone and the lyrics flow smoothly. Sadly such a great opening is followed by the most jarring track on the album, "Stop Dat," which is the only one that seems too harsh for its own good. It's difficult to listen to and lacking in the lyricism that strangely characterizes the other songs.
But, luckily, the third track is the highlight of the album. The droning, emotionless voice at the beginning of "I Luv U" that repeats the titular phrase underscores the irony of the song, which is really about a loveless fitfully scary relationship. But the voice fluctuates in tone and bounces with the pumping beat perfectly. And, although this tactic fails in most hip hop and pop songs, the give-and-go between Dizzee and the female vocalist works perfectly -- the tension between the two is evident in every word. And the synth tune set behind the chorus is downright eerie- following the aforementioned video game theme, it sounds strangely reminiscent of the Bowser's castle theme from Mario Kart. But unsettlingly so.
In contrast to these, "Brand New Day" finds Dizzee brooding about the situation around him, and reflecting on his upbringing in London's rough Bow neighborhood. Starting the song off by urging MCs to "start talking about what's really 'appening" and later wondering about what life will be like "when we ain't kids no more" while still admitting that "now eight millimeters settle debates," Dizzee is honestly pensive, without being at all saccharine or asking for pity. Similarly the background chimes are full of emotion without being cloying. Again Dizzee strikes a balance that few hip-hop artists are ever able to achieve.
Other highlights of the album include the infectious "Fix Up, Look Sharp" with its fast-cut, witty lyrics and its bizarre chorus that sounds almost like something off a Queen record ("I hear the big beat. I get on down."). Also, the operatic entrance to "Jus' A Rascal" is as amazing as it is amusing, and "Round We Go," although entirely different from its Jaxx-style incarnation, is a chilling, pumping look at a broken love triangle from a outsider who seems to know how it hurts.
One listen through isn't enough for this album, but even that one listen shows that this surely isn't "the same old story." "Boy In Da Corner" is a fresh, fast and cocky album that exposes the United States to a new side of British two-step. With a debut as self-assured and original as this, we can only pray for even better things to come for Dizzee in the future.
