[Review] Dizzee Rascal - Tongue N' Cheek

Artist: Dizzee Rascal
Album: Tongue N' Cheek
Label: Dirtee Skank
Release Date: 21st September 2009
Guests: Armand Van Helden, Chrome & Calvin Harris
Producers: Armand Van Helden, Calvin Harris, Shy FX, Cage, Footsie, Dizzee Rascal, Tiesto, Aaron Lacrate

When So Solid Crew's '21 Seconds' reached number 1 in the UK singles chart, I was firmly under the illusion that UK Hip Hop and Grime was to be a force to be reckoned with. As a nation, the UK has a strong Rock and Indie scene, a strong dance scene, and a relativly strong urban scene, despite most of it coming from overseas. However, we seemed to lack in the Hip Hop department, and that was the reason I was disappointed when So Solid Crew could not maintain a strong hold on mainstream success.

However, Eight years on, and our urban scene still only consists of a hand full of mainstream rappers, although I must admit, I can say for sure, it is on the increase.

Dizzee Rascal first came to my attention around 2002, long before any of the studio albums and chart success, when he was a young boy from Bow, in East London making a name for himself on the mixtapes and pirate radio stations. I knew he had potential to make good music, but I lacked confidence is the mainstream radio stations such as BBC Radio 1, Galexy, and Metro taking a risk by playing tracks from a Grime artist. Grime is still considered to be an underground only genre of music, and this was long before the days of 1Xtra.

However, Dizzee was able to deliver, much due to the buzz created on the underground scene. Songs such as 'I Luv U' and 'Flex' have become well accepted on the UK music scene, and not just with the urban fans. This became so much so, that Dizzee was even featured on a charity single 'Do They Know Its Christmas'.

But four albums into his career, Dizzee has cemented his place at the top of the UK scene, and with hot new artists such as Tinchy Stryder, Master Shortee, and Wretch 32, to add to a growing list of mainstream UK rappers such as Kano, Wiley, Skepta, Scorcha and Bashy, it is now becoming a question of when the UK Hip Hop scene can grow into America.

With a two year break from his last album, Dizzee is now ready to go at the charts again, but with a new style - dance. 'Dance Wiv Me' became in instant club success thanks to a collaboration with DJ Calvin Harris, and that was soon followed by 'Bonkers' - an unlikely catchy tune made huge thanks to Armand Van Helden. And with Wiley also making dance tracks, such as 'Wearing My Rolex', I was wondering what direction the UK Hip Hop scene was travelling in.

There was also a point when I was worried the new album was going to become a CD of dance songs, written specially for a new breed of fans - the clubbers. I was wondering if I would ever hear Dizzee spit over a grime beat, or I'd hear another 'Sirens'. But I was happily corrected when I first skipped through the album. I tried the 'five second rule' for each of the songs (as you do) before going back and listening to the album in full, and it became clear to me, that the man I once qued a couple of hours to buy a ticket for to see live was still the same man rapping on the new CD.

The CD opened with 'Bonkers', which I soon skipped to track two, a song called 'Road Rage' which instantly became attatched to my taste, and has since become my favourite song on the album. It is a certain classic with the car fanatics, as it deals with general road user frustrations. Track four, 'Freaky Freaky' is another great song, depicting explicit sex ventures the stereotypical young male from East London may encounter.

In fact, by the end of the album, I was genuinly enjoying it. 'Holiday' became an annoyance to me, as I thought it would only appeal to holidayers on Islands in the Med, but I was soon absorbed into it, and out of the three singles from the CD, that one became my favourite.

There is also an additional CD called 'Foot N' Mouth' which has interviews, promos, and other tracks from artists on Dizzee's 'Dirtee Skank' records. Since I saw the Newham Generals live when they supported Dizzee, I made sure these were soon uploaded onto my iPod.

So overall, I would say this is a great album, but far from Dizzee's best. For me, it would have to go a long way to top the last album, 'Maths + English'. For me, that was Dizzee at his peak, and I am not sure whether he has it to be able to go one better. Songs like 'Flex' , 'P***yhole' and 'Sirens' are classics, and are much better than the dance tracks he is producing for the radio and clubs these days, but dont get me wrong, this is still a good buy.

7/10