The TOC Blog
Posted on 10/27/2008
http://www3.timeoutny.com/chicago/blog/out-and-about/?p=5741
by JD
Dizzee Rascal: London’s best-known grime rapper Dizzee Rascal takes the stage with an extra taller MC and Baltimore’s Aaron LaCrate (wearing one of his own T-shirts) on the digital turntable. Dizzee immediately berates the guy doing monitors for not having his sound tight, and jokes about the “folk shit” that preceded him. Indeed, his “London city” attitude and crisp urban streetwear make a nice contrast to the mellow harmonies of Fleet Foxes. Rascal’s commanding ways extend to telling the crowd to get its own act together. “This is the home of hip-hop, I know you can get liver than that,” he says. “This ain’t no fucking picnic.” He raps about jezzies, getting our backs off the wall, grime hype and manages to get thousands of fists pumping. It’s a bit surprising to see a wall of kids who know Dizzee’s lyrics by heart. After a solid bounce-worthy set, many more know his name. Casually, he comes back for an encore—which just happens to be the number one song in England, an electro-pop club banger “Dance Wiv Me,” a massive departure from his dive-bombing bass tracks, but a catchy one at that. — JD

