Boy In Da Corner

Great mellow rap/beats, some Jay-Z vibes, very enjoyable

Loved this album back when I discovered it online in the mid-2000s. 20 years or so later and it still bangs.

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I don't generally comment on album covers, as I don't really care...but this is a particularly good one. This album sounds like it is made by a teenager, just an incredibly talented and confident one. Over a dozen hip hop albums in and I think Beastie Boys and Public Enemy are the only artists I have gotten with comparable energy. I may never listen to another grime album in my life but I am delighted to have heard this one, it is great.

Defined an era, defined a sound. One of the most English sounding albums ever. It’s so good, the beats are all insane and he is well funny. Best track: fix up look sharp

surprising how modern this still sounds for a 22 year old album. good stuff

One of the UK's greatest contributions to the arts in the last quarter century.

Love it

This is the kind of music I didn't think much of in my youth but came to appreciate in time. Dizzee Rascal basically pioneered an entire genre and this album is a lot of fun to listen to.

I was not expecting to enjoy this nearly as much as I do going into it. AMAZING album, feels like an earlier version of a lot of later experimental hiphop, beats are so good, and vocals sound good in this context. Will relisten, genuine 10/10 album, my 10th or so Favorite: Stop Dat Least Favorite: Jezebel

I like it! 4.5/5

Really surprised me

This album is like a piece of art you invested in, but didn't really like. it would be of more value in years to come. A one-off

First listen

I am having a brand new musical experience I am at least somewhat mesmerized

Cool

okay. expectations shattered.

Grimey

Fun bouncy sounds, early 2000’s rapper

Af en toe verrast de lijst mij positief. Dizzee had ik hier niet verwacht. Als je doorklikt, schrijft het internet van alles over hem vanuit het hiphop perspectief. Dat is natuurlijk een belangrijk deel van Dizzee. Maar het internet doet hem daarmee ook te kort. Het onderscheidt zich toch duidelijk van andere hiphop in de lijst. Het meest opvallende zijn de krachtige bassdrums. Wellicht omdat die daarmee zo opvallen, vallen de gekozen ritmes ook op. Hier zijn we toch getuige van creativiteit. En daarmee bracht Dizzee toch vrij vroeg een soort dubstep-achtige plaat. Het gaat echt niet zo ver als bijvoorbeeld een Skrillex. Maar het is toch een soort voorloper. Dit is een prima plaat, maat niet het beste uit die hoek. Dizzee zelf heeft zich veel verder ontwikkeld. Al een jaar later kwam bijvoorbeeld Stand up Tall uit. Alweer net iets fijner. En stiekem vind ik het radio-hitje Bonkers ook wel geinig. Maar ik verwacht, mede doordat de lijst gewoon al wat ouder is, niets veel vergelijkbaars. Ik relateer de sterren daarom niet aan concurrenten en waardeer met de sterren ook een genre.

Wow

I really liked this one

It’s too damn long!! Really, that’s my biggest nitpick with this album. Beyond that, it’s a great listen. Dizzee does a great job of addressing some deep, universally frustrating issues such as racism, police brutality, UK immigration policy, etc., but in an engaging way that’s pretty uplifting if anything. That, and the musical landscapes utilized that covers a wide range of styles keeps things fun and interesting. I could hear so many musical touchpoints done tastefully that ranged from early Run-D.M.C. to Parliament Funkadelic and so many other influences that worked well. Overall, a surprisingly fun album!

Es TAN diferente de absolutamente todo lo que he oído hasta ahora en la lista que he tenido que oírlo dos veces para plantarle estas 5 estrellas. Antes de empezar veo la portada y el nombre, pensando "bueno, un álbum de hip hop que podría estar bien". Pero al ponerlo escucho toques de hip hop, sí, pero hay algo más. Las bases juguetonas, más EDM que hip hop, y con rap, sí, pero no lo es todo aquí. Cada canción parece un viaje nuevo, como si estuviera paseando por un barro londinense en el que nunca he estado (muy top el acento la verdad). ¿Es esto para todo el mundo? Para nada, solo hay que ver que en esta web, que tiene un usuario medio más fan del rock popular que de las cosas experimentales de la lista (Dub Housing, por ejemplo), tiene una media cercana a un 5 pelao. Pero para mi es mi mierda absolutamente. Más álbumes que se alejan de la norma y los géneros típicos y menos rock facilón en la lista, por favor y gracias.

Holy fuck. This is a revelation. I can't believe I've overlooked and been unaware of grime music overall. As I stuff my conscience with humble pie and my ears with these sounds, I feel like a kid again. This is fresh and dirty , and strums something primal and electric in my soul. This album is genius...and my life from now on will be different and significantly more textured and flavored as i fall down this grimy rabbit hole universe!

Somehow never heard of this guy so this album was a fun discovery.

Nostalgic

My sweet cuppin’ cakes - I haven’t even finished the album and I’m already giving it 5 stars. The sheer pace of rhyming makes me want to bounce around the room like a lotto ball. And then the world-weary lyrics make me wonder where Eminem was when he first heard it. It’s like his spiritual UK brother.

With Boy In Da Corner Dizzee Rascal defined a whole new music genre: Grime. Great songs with deep bass instrumentation, all lot of variation. Amazing!

I'd consider this more of a Punk album than Hip Hop, not even to mention Grime to which this album codified that entire genre. However it's very "howl of disaffected youth" with it's abrasive style much more in line with Punk just with an urban slant. Certain tunes( "I luv u") haven't aged that well but Dizzee's vocals are so powerful and speak directly to the days of mobile credit and downloadable ringtones. Overall a great listen and important album at the time, still stands up compared to the overproduced sterile tunes.

Giving this 5 because I love it, but it's mainly fun to piss off boomers and yanks

Fire. I do feel that grime as a genre is somewhat unique in that it started at the high point, rather than building to it. When this came out, it really was a breath of fresh air. There was nothing out there that sounded like it and it wasn't merely aping the American sound.

Boy knows how to do it

This album gave me so much as a teenager. I loved hip hop and rap, but was only really exposed to American artists. Suddenly I Luv U started being played on the radio and it blew my mind. It's not that the life it was describing was mine - I was from a small village more akin to Ambridge than London - but the sounds and the slang. Really fun, raw beats - so stark that not even any Americans on this website have managed to describe it as Brit Pop. The whole thing is just a pleasure to listen to again.

Bäm 💯

One of my all time favourite album

Total banger. What a massive sound for 2003.

Still slaps

Banger beats

Do try it. Quite some playful brilliance worth listening to here. Inventive and unexpectedly dynamic, right down to the phrasing or lyricism. To my inexpert ear, UK rappers made sweetly fun and catchy/enjoyable tracks for about decade after this came out. oh yeah sure, admitedly, I had to resort to my huge headphones as I di' no' wan'na shake der whole HOOD with my massif speakas playing dis up loud bruv. (Yes, there is a lot of intense rolling bass, which I enjoyed, as its well placed, but no need disturbing the neighbours). I can give this some respect, its thoroughly built, entertaining in its dynamic inventiveness, (and no, not disturbing as I didnt detect the threats of territorial violence or posing of gang oriented American rap, here the bravado just makes me smile - maybe its a young boy crying out his anfems in false Jamaican/east ender accent with extra atittude on it. It just sounds so playful form this distance. At times the lyrics turn confessional; almost reflective, a poetry of urban boy trying to rise from a gritty malaise, and then boom - "Jus a Rascal" really adds rapid dynamism which I found irrisistable. He calls on a lot of musical tropes without getting too obvious, whcih is particularly admirable for the genre. Big, out there, but not clicheed or too overplayed. (I confess, i knew track 1 "Sittin' here" already - I have no idea how I knew it, but it was fairly chill...) so, for most lsiteniners all they will hear is Sploom & an unintelligible blender of London attitude, but I get touching humour and social odcument. and the final track is a fitting bookend to that; uplifting song. I hope they hear it. I will listen to this again. (all of this is all the more surprising as I dont listen to urban music much)

This is excellent and I need to come back to it when I have more brain space/processing abilities. 5/5 stars for now.

Classic

amazing

Wagwan?! Can’t believe I haven’t heard this yet. Good grimey fun

Really impressive diversity of beats. Unique to anything else I've heard. Fun, clever, slice of life lyrics. Good stuff!

Wow, this album was fucking fantastic. Love love love love.

classic

Un rap rafraichissant tres tres bon qui m’a secoue par rapport a ce que je connaissais. 5

Need to revisit, but interesting mix of rap with some English downtempo elements.

Already listened before, instant classic. Can't beat it

I love this album and always have and for me all but one track are really strong 2 far is a track I dont remember with any fondness and i dont think it has improved but that is one track of an album of great tracks with some real stand out classics of the genre

La prima volta che ho sentito questo disco anni fa quando vivevo a Londra mi è esplosa la testa e sentirlo anche oggi mi fa lo stesso effetto. Dizzie ha uno stile unico e ha influenzato me e tantissima musica che mi piace, gran disco. Non ho altro da dire.

Great album

5/5. Legendary

CLASSIC

7/10 Best songs: Round We Go, Wot U On? What an interesting choice of an album for this list. It's representative of such a specific genre of British music in the early 2000s (grime/hip-hop) that I'm honestly surprised to hear it here. The production is incredibly out of the box, so much so that I can overlook the lackluster recording (the album was very clearly recorded in a bedroom). The rapping is great and the sounds are really, really special - it's very unique stuff that sounds like the future even today. The album is bursting with ideas and creativity. That being said... the album is a little too long (an hour is FAR too long - 30-35 minutes would be perfect) and even though none of the songs sound alike, they do start to blur together due to similar producing choices being made a little too often - sparse, toned-back music with an emphasis on synths and a single drum beat. Also, the lyrics are... interesting: Dizzee Rascal was 15 when he released this record, and some of the lyrics make this very, very obvious. But this isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Holy shit this project is something else, somehow Dizzee Rascal was able to make this project back in 2003 and it sounds like something that would have came out today if not in the near future of where Rap as a whole is right now. If you are a fan of anything in the underground Rap scene that was made in the last 5 years then this project will feel like seeing into the future in terms of production. None of the beats here should work as they are hellish creations curtesy of Wiley and Dizzee's insane ideas and yet it all works spectacularly. You can practically hear Danny Brown with the vocals, Jpegmafia with the insane sampling and production structure, and SOPHIE with the bass heavy borderline club music beats. My one complaint with this album if I had to pick any is the pacing, with this album clocking in at 57 minutes it can seem a bit long winded by the time you hit Jus' a Rascal. The back half of this album still has some pretty cool moments but it is not nearly as exciting as the first half of this album by any means. This is an insane project well worth anyones time who is looking for something refreshing, exciting, and challenging. Definitely will need to check out more Dizzee Rascal in the future because there is no way he just made this and fell off the face of the earth.

Man... I don't know what the FUCK you just said, Little Kid, but you're special man, you reached out, and you touch a brother's heart. -Pumpkin Escobar. Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back. 4

Good rap album! I've always loved British rappers and the way they are like different than Americans, and this was quite a good one!

I hadn't heard of this before. Another UK based rapper. Honestly it wasn't bad. I kind of appreciate his beats and rhythms. I could definitely see putting this on again. It was a bit of fresh air from current US based rap of the same time period.

Good.

Early 21st century rap really is a hiatus in my musical knowledge. What a great album. The beats are refreshing, love Dizzees flow.

I like this. Lots of creative energy. Good ideas.

Incredible production. 'I Love U' is an all time classic .

Grimey

Really dig the weird stuttering beats and the synths. I hope my wife doesn’t turn out to be a Jezzie.

Harde beats, gitaarriffs her en der zijn erg dope. Daarnaast heeft die een deel van dit album gemaakt toen die net 16 was, wat het mogelijk ook nog cooler maakt

Throughout listening to this album, I kept ping-ponging between being wide awake and struggling to keep my eyes open, despite my intake of caffeine and taking a walk. While it's not a portion of my music taste which I am often aware of, this album did remind me of the nostalgic place I hold in my heart for British rappers like Dizzee Rascal. I immediately clocked Dizzee as a major inspiration on slowthai, not only in terms of delivery and production styles, but even in both artists delivering really bizarre intro songs which feel somewhat disconnected from the rest of the project (slowthai even shouts out this specific Dizzee Rascal album within the first verse of his debut album). The heavy industrial beats and grime production give this album so much life, with the absolutely massive drums and chaotic samples keeping up the momentum (the drums and beat on Fix Up, Loom Sharp are particularly insane). I end up feeling less compelled by the songs which are mostly about him as a rapper as opposed to grander societal ideas, but the whole album continues to be a charged and powerful experience the whole time. Highlights: Stop Dat, I Luv U, Brand New Day, Fix Up, Look Sharp, Cut 'Em Off, Hold Ya Mouf, Round We Go, Do It!

no le sé al grime así que no puedo hablar de qué tan particular era este sonido en 2003 o qué tanta es su influencia en lo que vino después en el género, pero lo poco que conozco, de 15 o 20 años después, ya estaba aquí

I like grime in general and this felt like a starting point to where grime went later on. I cannot say I liked all of it. Some parts I found childish and purposefully low quality made. I'm taking about all the froggy and child voices. But some songs were actually really good: - Stop Dat - I Luv U - Seems 2 Be

Un álbum interesante con dub, un poc old school

Not normally my thing but quite liked some tracks

All the album in one key, bores at one point. Still a groovy one

This fucken slaps

I know almost nothing about grime as a genre, so I didn't really know what to expect, but I am very positively surprised. Creative, incredibly fun beats, paired with some very unique flow. It does overstay its welcome by just a bit, though. Favourite track: Fix Up, Look Sharp

HE'S JUS' A RASCAL, HE'S JUS' A RASCAL, HE'S JUS' A RASCAL, DIZZEE RASCAL Cracks me up every time. I didn't mind this. Took a couple of goes to get myself in the right mood for it, but definitely some worthwhile stuff on here. Not my bag, but good quality nonetheless. Grime is a tricky genre and Mr. Rascal does it well. If you like this kind of music, you should probably listen to the song "Selekta" by Kyle Gordon feat. Albie Wobble, Trixie B & SIDEQUEST, and if you hate this kind of music you should DEFINITELY listen to it. (It's comedy, trust me) Genuinely, I didn't hate this. It won't go into my regular rotation, and I wouldn't seek it out often... but the odd song here or there would be fine.

I remember being very excited by this album when it came out -- it just sounded so *different* from all the other hip hop that was popular at the time. More than 20 years later, this album holds up. Everything about it is so strange, from the beats to the lyrics to the flow.

Liked this.

A millennial voice that crashed the era.

Brilliant.

I very much enjoyed this debut album from Rascal! I haven’t listened to much British rap/grime music so this album was very exciting to listen to and I had a great time with it. Overall, I dug this album listen and I would definitely listen to this album again!

I couldn't tell you anything about what grime is or why this album just works for me, but it does. I love that dirty, lo-fi type of electronic beat, I guess? I didn't even care that it was almost an hour long!

bello, diverso dal solito

An album I totally missed at the time, but very solid throughout. Favourite track: Stop Dat

I must say… freaking awesome

one of the coolest albums ever!! it's so formed and amazing, crazy he wrote a bunch of these songs as a teenager... what the heck

My first experience with grime. It's definitely something, when the first song was going I thought it wasn't too aggressive, then the next song turned the aggressiveness up like 20 notches. I wasn't too receptive to it within the first couple tracks, but gradually the aggressive production started to grow on me. The rapping was quite well done. This was one of those albums that is between a 3 and 4, if there were half stars, this would be easy 3.5/5.0. But alas there isn't so I'll round up to 4.0 as I feel it's more accurate than a 3. Highlight Song/s: "Sittin Here" and "2 Far"

Fire beats

I liked this one. It wasn't quite sticking at first, but it's endearing overall and worth a star more than my initial feeling.

Not my usual, but liked the British vibes.

Excellent album, I havent listened to much Grime but really enjoyed this.

This was my first exposure to grime, and I fucking loved it.

7/10… grime / uk hip hop / *2007

8 / 10

Back when Dizzee Rascal actually made interesting music.

British rap

Boy in da Corner was my first grime album and I enjoyed it a fair bit! I was on the fence at first, but Dizee Rascal just kept reeling me in with solid flows and unique beats. I was surprised to find several proto-dubstep tracks (such as “Stop Dat,” “I Luv U” and “Seems 2 Be”), many of which could honestly hold their ground next to any number of UK revival tunes being released today. There were a couple of notable stinkers (“Jezebel” certainly hasn’t aged well) and the LP felt slightly bloated, but I’d say most of the tracks that I didn’t consider to be highlights were still perfectly listenable. Overall, Boy in da Corner is a worthy addition to my four star club and just might be one that I look out for at record stores to potentially add to my CD collection! Highlights: Stop Dat, I Luv U, Hold Ya Mouf, Round We Go, Jus’ a Rascal, Wot U On, Seems 2 Be, Live O

Very cool album--a bit too unnecessarily heavy on violence, but the fact these tracks started when he was 14 years old is wild. Has a real knack for planned rhymes and the synth and beats are unlike a lot of rap I've heard. All around dope.

Is it groundbreaking? No. But Dizzee Rascal has enough rizz to convince me that 3,5/5 is 4.

Ülimalt põnev kõla. Ma kujutan ette, et sellist Grimes räppi ma väga pikalt ei saa kuulata, aga ühe albumi kaupa oli see päris hea kogemus. Revolutsiooniline saund.

Not that up on my British rap but this was enjoyable.

Boyyy, chum us dim corner und zeig dich! Hemmer alli freud! Perfekti fliisarbeit-musig mit motivation boost. Gibi gern vierizzle puntizzles vom Timonizzel

‘Queen Elizabeth don't know me, so how can she control me, when I live street and she lives neat?’ Wow, a lot of hate here for poor Dizzee Rascal. I’d never heard of him before, but this totally amped up my morning.

If you can't find this album fun, then you must have a big 'ol dump in your pants because this is so damn fun Best Song: Jus'a Rascal Rating: 7.5/10 Stars: 4

I enjoyed this one. British hip-hop certainly has its own sound, and it was fascinating to hear one of the early progenitors of that sound. Not all of the tracks hit for me, but I enjoyed the ones that did. The samples are for the most part very sparse and focused on the rhythms, which feel aggressive and choppy.

So much modern UK Rap/Grime etc can be linked to this album and the scen it helped birth. It’s so modern british/dare i say english in such a great way. Remember finding it so interesting when i first heard it, which wouldn’t have been when it actually released but was soon after. A great album. 4.8/5.0 Best Song: Wot U On?

I surprised myself by actually kind of enjoying this! It's a different sound than what I'm used to in hip hop

Wow, I didn't think I'd like a Grime album but here it is. Hard to believe that Dizzee started recording this album when he was just 15. This project is just full of energy, every song is a hard hitter. Sometimes the songs start out with a gentler sample or beat but there's always a big beat and some quick, almost shouty deliveried verses in there. I really like just how bombastic and energetic it is. This album also sounds way ahead of it's time, 10-15 years later and this sounds seemed to be everywhere. Pleasant surprise. Biggest British rap artist since Slick Rick as well.

Favorite Track: Fix Up, Look Sharp

Awesome Standout songs: Stop Dat Fix up, look sharp Do it!

Some truly original music full of clockwork synths, bangin' beats and infectious storytelling. If I had one criticism, it's all a bit overwhelming, like it's too much to take in. Take a breath mate!

Quite abbrasive and a bit grumpy still some good tunes like thr sparse brutal soundscapes he creates. He definitly cheered up after this album.

Pretty solid

Good but british rap is fine

This is a brilliant album and people need to hear this regardless if whether they like it. Why? I hear you ask. Well, here goes. Uk Rap before this was piss poor, it imitated american rap but worse, had no identity and never made it anywhere near relevance. The boy in the corner changed that. He gave voice to London's streets in a unique and original way. You cant say he invented grime and uk rap, but he is the 'jesus' who brought it to the masses compared to the predecessors who were more 'john the baptist'. Regardless of his seminal cultural impact, this album still slaps and displays talent coming out of every pore. The production is top tier with scuzzy crunchy bass and beats, beautiful string arrangements and delicious pop hooks as well. My only complaint is it could be 20% shorter but who am i to argue. While most boys (including this writer) were doing nothing more than furious wanking in their bedrooms at 15, it is nothing more than spectacular that Dizzee produced this album in his bedroom that spawned a whole genre and still sounds fresh today.

hard

Why isn’t there more UK rap. I likee.

DIzzee’s debut marked a critical moment for grime, helping catapult it into the mainstream. I remember this album coming out and the crossover success he achieved with the singles from this album. He’d later go on to have bigger, more pop-pronated hits but this still stands as a classic of the genre and arguably one of the great British rap albums.

This was good! Not my wheelhouse, but I do massively enjoy the craft in this - it feels like its own universe thingy

Tuff. I actually really fucked with the first track. So cool he was 19. I really liked this, dude. Downloaded a few. “Sittin Here” is permanent, “I Luv U,” “Brand New Day,” “Round We Go,” were tight. “Jezebel” and “Do It!” Idk if I’ll keep but like, all of these felt strong. I think it’s really good music. Bumping beats, engaging lyrics, I get why he achieved escape velocity. Makes one proud to be British, frankly. Stays synthesizing and influencing world music.

I wasn't expecting Boy In Da Corner to be as a good album as it was but that is what it ended up being. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of Prince's 1999 in that it just throws everything it can at the wall. It really makes use of it's grime label with all the electronic sounds. And just like with 1999, there are points where it does and doesn't work. Some of the sounds did get annoying with how they were used but the good majority of them sounded really cool as they could be very serious but still incredibly catchy and having that typical 2000s hip-hop flair. I think that if some of the worse parts were smoothed out, this would be an easy 5 star album. It failed to hit that mark but it is still a great album. Best Song: Stop Dat Worst Song: 2 Far Side note: I also think its impressive that Dizzee started recording this album at the age of 17

I Luv U Fix Up, Look Sharp

Honestly quite enjoyed this one, very fun and cool. 4 stars

Dizzee is one of the artists who introduced me to UK Grime, and boy is this record a textbook for Grime.

Parfois, ce projet « 1001 Albums » me fait l’effet d’une randonnée en terrain connu. On revisite des classiques, on hoche la tête avec un air entendu, on confirme ce qu’on savait déjà. Et puis, il y a les autres fois… Celles où le sentier balisé disparaît pour te jeter dans une jungle urbaine inconnue, hostile, mais follement excitante. Celles où tu te prends une claque monumentale, une décharge électrique qui te rappelle pourquoi tu aimes la musique à ce point. Dizzee Rascal, avec son « Boy in da Corner », fait partie de cette deuxième catégorie, et pas qu’un peu. Il y a quelques temps, nous avions abordé l’excellent « GREY Area » de Little Simz. J’avais été séduit, intrigué, et j’avais senti qu’il se passait quelque chose de puissant dans ce rap britannique, si différent de ses cousins américains. Little Simz avait ouvert une porte, Dizzee Rascal, lui, l’a défoncée à coups de pied, a arraché les gonds et a foutu le feu à la baraque. Disons-le tout net : c’est un très solide 4 sur 5. Un album qui frôle le chef-d’œuvre et qui marque son époque au fer rouge. Soyons honnête, moi, le vieux briscard né en 1970, biberonné au post-punk, à l’indie-rock et aux expérimentations les plus sombres des années 90, j’aurais pu passer à côté. Le « Grime » ? Encore un nouveau genre pour les kids, une énième micro-niche destinée à s’éteindre aussi vite qu’elle s’est allumée. C’est ce que mon cynisme de quadra (maintenant quinqua, ahem) aurait pu me souffler. Quelle erreur monumentale ça aurait été. « Boy in da Corner » est un séisme, c’est l’acte de naissance brutal et sans concession d’un genre qui a redéfini le son de la rue en Angleterre. Le Grime, ce n’est pas du hip-hop, c’est son bâtard énervé, son cousin germain nourri au UK Garage, au ragga, et à l’urgence du punk. C’est la bande-son du béton, des tours d’habitation de l’Est londonien, de l’ennui poisseux et de la paranoïa adolescente. Dès les premières secondes de « Sittin’ Here », on découvre une production squelettique, agressive, métallique. Une production à des années-lumière des samples soul chaleureux du rap US de l’époque. Ici, les beats sont décharnés, anguleux, les infrabasses te retournent les tripes et les sons synthétiques sonnent comme des alarmes de bagnoles ou des néons qui grésillent. C’est un son froid, clinique, mais paradoxalement plein d’une vitalité rageuse. Et puis, il y a la voix de Dizzee, un flow mitraillette, une voix de gamin pas encore muée mais déjà chargée de toute la frustration du monde. Il ne rappe pas, il crache. Il a 18 ans au moment de l’enregistrement, et ça s’entend. C’est l’urgence absolue, le son d’un adolescent au bord de la crise de nerfs, qui voit le monde comme une menace permanente. Ça parle de bagarres de rue (« I Luv U »), de l’attente interminable dans un cabinet médical (« Jus’ A Rascal »), de la pression sociale, de la tentation de la délinquance. Ce disque est incroyablement claustrophobe. On a l’impression d’être enfermé avec lui dans une chambre d’ado trop petite, dans une cage d’escalier qui pue l’urine, dans un bus de nuit qui traverse des quartiers sans âme. Il n’y a pas d’échappatoire, pas d’espoir de « s’en sortir » à l’américaine en devenant millionnaire. Le seul exutoire, c’est cette musique, cette rage canalisée dans des rythmes syncopés et des rimes acérées. En écoutant « Boy in da Corner », j’ai ressenti un truc que je n’avais pas ressenti avec cette force depuis longtemps. C’est une musique qui ne triche pas, qui ne cherche pas à plaire. C’est une musique qui s’impose, elle ne te caresse pas dans le sens du poil, elle te prend à la gorge. Ce qui est fascinant, c’est que malgré sa radicalité, l’album est truffé de « tubes » improbables. « Fix Up, Look Sharp », avec son sample de « The Big Beat » de Billy Squier, est d’une efficacité redoutable. « I Luv U » est un hymne générationnel tordu et agressif. Chaque morceau est une décharge d’adrénaline pure. C’est un disque qui a défini une décennie et qui, encore aujourd’hui, sonne incroyablement moderne et pertinent. C’est un document, un instantané d’une jeunesse, d’une ville, d’une époque. C’est l’un des albums les plus importants sortis au Royaume-Uni au 21ème siècle. Alors pourquoi pas 5/5 ? Peut-être parce que sa radicalité et son agressivité constantes peuvent finir par être un peu éprouvantes sur la longueur, manquant parfois de la nuance qui transforme un grand album en chef-d’œuvre intemporel. L’impact est si frontal qu’il laisse peu de place à la respiration. Mais ne boudons pas notre plaisir, c’est de la haute voltige.

The jump off for UK Grime! Bold, brash, energetic, and a bit chaotic but always entertaining. It goes a bit long but overall a good listen.

Haven't heard this album in like 20 years... It's cool

This was pretty good!

Really like this. Each song feels unique. Can see the influence of Dub, DnB and electronic on the production. You don't find rap like this very often stateside.

Extremely weird. Sounds like an alien made this. Still better than modern rap music.

Love this - it's energetic, it's unapologetic, it's just a great time

I saw him once at a petrol station near Coulsdon. I didn't want to say hello cos I was wearing a suit and I was worried he might think I was the enemy. It was like the film Crash (not the wound-fucking one) played out over the course of thirty seconds. 'Boy in Da Corner' is hyper minimalist with the industrial bass sounds of UK Garage, mashed with hip-hop and given a London accent (and apparently that's called 'grime'). Dizzee was only 18 when he made this, and as a result his breadth of life experience is as minimal as the beats. Maybe these days he's rapping about his holidays in the Med and his favourite coffee blend, but this is all about beef with street rivals and the police. That's literally it. It makes 'Sittin' Here' pretty funny given he's reminiscing about how things were back in the day, at 18 years old. It also draws a clear distinction between the American preoccupation with bragadoccio, whilst old Dizzee has gone full British and moaning about how shit everything is these days. It's probably the birth of credible British rap, although I'm no musicologist. Who else did the Brits have at this point - Daz Sampson from Bus Stop, that's who! At times it flies, like '2 Far' which is paced like a machine-gun, or 'Jus a Rascal' which is a frenetic masterclass. 'Seems 2 Be' has a huge garage bassline. Sweet as a nut. The whole album packs a real punch. It is too long, but this is the real deal.

Dizzee Rascal was just a kid but, on Boy in da Corner, he was already a man of the world. Across fifteen tracks and nearly an hour, Dizzee takes us on a kaleidoscopic trail to what life was like for young Britons in the early 2000s, soundtracked by the nascent grime genre that bridged the gap between England and rap at the time. Dizzee Rascal takes on varying disguises on here, from cocky troubadour to someone who's dismissive yet lovesick to someone trapped in circumstances not of his making. Whomever, whatever, the fact is that Dizzee is in a world of his own, one which needed no effort to catch up to. Favorites: Sittin' Here, Stop Dat, I Luv U, Brand New Day, 2 Far, Fix Up, Look Sharp, Jus a Rascal, Live O.

Yeah.

I Luv U // Brand New Day // Fix Up, Look Sharp // Jus’ a Rascal // 3.5/5

From the US alt hip-hop of **The Pharcyde** to the UK alt hip-hop of **Dizzee Rascal** whose beats on here are brilliantly original, take the breakthrough single _Fix Up, Look Sharp_ sampling the intro drums and vocal of**Billy Squier's** _The Big Beat_. He was just 19 when he released this and some of the songs, notably his first single _I Luv U_ date back to when he was just 16. It had an undoubted influence on UK grime; the album winning him the Mercury prize in the process as well as making him a global name, perhaps the first UK rap artist to get success on that scale. I know other's haven't gotten on with this, and whilst it's not my fave, I do think it's great and come back to it every so often. It's too long, as many hip hop albums are but with so many great tracks, I'll forgive it. Love for _Stop Dat_, _I Luv U_, _2 Far_ and _Jus' A Rascal_, but due to its originality....

G'wan roodboi! Taking the most basic beats I might have ever come across and turning them into actual alchemy gold with some of the most unintelligible lyrical flow i've heard... Just a rascal, a dizzy rascal....

Unique flow, unique beats.

Hectic scattered and awesome

omg thats the guy who did the song with arctic monkeys. pretty good. i liked it. 4/5

Some fun anarchic, bouncy, squelchy, slapping sounds

Favorite songs: Sittin' Here, Jezebel, Stop Dat, I Luv U, Jus' a Rascal, Wot U On?, Seems 2 Be, Live O Least favorite songs: 2 Far, Cut 'Em Off 4/5

The his was unexpectedly excellent. It’s a definite difference from American hip hop, and the beats were abrupt, hit hard, and keep the song poppin’. The writing was also excellent, painting a picture of British projects that aren’t, maybe, as culturally ubiquitous as the American ghetto, but the artists stories show that while we may be separated by thousands of miles and an ocean, we’re not so different.

the beats!!! sittin here and seem 2 be were my favorite. this was very good.

More unusual than a lot of hip-hop I have listened to. Some days, I would find the irregular beats and flows annoying. But it struck me just right today. Really enjoyed this!

Originally really didn't like it, until i gave it a couple More listens. This album is surprisingly experimental for the time and I can definitely imagine this being the start of a genre. Still not my favorite album ever, but definitely enjoyable and some sold tracks here

Noen gøye, likte I Luv U best

Naprosto sam obožavao ovaj album kad je izašao ipak malo mi je izgubio na snazi nakon dvadeset i dvi godine

Reminiscent of early 2000s day browsing my computer or playing bideo games. 7/10

This was revolutionary as a teenager and hit the note of angst-ridden faux gangster 16 year old me. Still has strong vibes.

This was an interesting listening. It reminds me a lot to Danny Brown, but, since this came first, it should be the way around. So, this album feels a bit goofy, but with charm. The voice feels exagerated and the british accent is very present in it. The beats also contribute, since they're really different from what I was expecting from an album that came out in 2003. Talking about the beats, something that I have to mention is the fact that I feel this album had an important impact in the rap scene. As I stated, he reminds me of Danny Brown, but the production did also make me think about the modern drill scene, and how similar they sound. I liked this album, but it is kind of loud and long. From 2 of 3 times that I listened to it, I ended up feeling ear fatigue, so I'd appreciate it if the record was a bit shorter.

This is the best british rap I have heard on this list so far. Is it perfect? NOPE. But it is so much better than some of the other offerings. This is a perfectly reasonable example of the genre.

4/5

Fun and interesting

This is the kind of album that makes you lose track of time while you're jamming. Might just be the week I've had but whatever. I never thought I'd like rap so much.

Lots of bops, quite long tho

Some absolute bangers on here

Bass and lasers let The accented assassin Straight murder the tracks

Liked it

Early grime rap. Not my typical listening choice, but I do have a soft spot for it. The industrial elements in the production and dissonant melodic elements with slightly off kilter beats give the whole thing a cool sound. The delivery of the rap is full of energy and it’s a good listen overall.

i felt like i was being personally attacked whenever this man said a word

Рэп и рэп. Биты классные, как будто альбом Chaise &Status послушал.

The beats on here are absolutely insane. I read that Danny Brown considers this an inspiration and I understand why. This is barely hip-hop. I would say it’s much closer to big beat using the vocals as another texture in the instrumentals. Favorite songs were I Luv U, Brand New Day, Fix Up, Look Sharp, Hold Ya Mouf, and Seems 2 Be.

sittin here hani recht nervig gfunde aber uuultra moderne beat für 2003. stop dat gad au, finds etz nöd soo geil aber s slappt scho. lieb de furzbass uf i luv u. s isch uhuuuere aggressiv. irgendwie passt de london englisch akzent zu so aggressivem rap? bi brand new day fallt mer uf dass glaub bis etz alles atonal gsi isch? aso es het etz do scho e melodie im beat aber sie isch so de tuned dass mer sie nöd würkli chönt singe oder so. de 808 bass het en ton i guess aber de isch z tüüf. 2 far funny strings bassline. ich checks huere. finds reeeecht geil. fix up look sharp seehr geili pause im beat. fühls recht frfr. haha hold ya mouf mega funny gschriebe. bin etz bi round we go und ich checks uhuere. s isch super funny und macht spass zum lose just a rascal huuuere geil mit de giti. und funny gsang haha wot u on mega 808 rick rubin time aber nervösi hihats sind halt andersch als de seb stuff. jezenel findi chli weniger fun, sochli trurigs storytelling pber STDs halt?

hans gfühl das chönnt sehr gut oder arsch werde ohh also s gfalltmer jz nöd mega hahaha aber finds sehr spannend hahaha omg isch das fucking nervös aber ich lieb s chaos au wennis jz nöd als "guet" würd bezeichne tbh das duett bi I luv u findi sehr cool ja also wnl ich wird die lieder glaub niemeh wieder lose aber so als erfahrig findis würkli haaammer ahahah hold ya mouf isch fucking geil hahahah s featuring hani s gfühl kenni, bzw. tönt wir öpper woni kenne hahah ahh er isch eichtig für grime!!! aso wnl jus a rascal und round we go hani recht cool gfunde seems 2 be gaht absolut dumm hahahah fuck das git echt es herts 4i, hett ich niiiieee erwartet

Boy in da Corner still sounds fresh today. To read more copy/paste the link: https://tinyurl.com/uj3bb7b6

I enjoyed parts of this. Their rap style reminded me of Danny Brown and recommended this album to a friend that links his music.

Classic -1 for domestic abuse though

The album that started it all. Unique, and uniquely British. Not the most relaxing listen in places, but there's enough bounce - Fix Up and Rascal especially - to keep things moving along. Loved this at the time, and still sounds fresh now. Simple and effective.

I've heard this before, but today was the first day I was able to get through the whole thing. I totally dug it. It's wacky and wild and playful, and I feel like about halfway through I actually understood some of the slang. Back in 2003, this sounded like the future of hip-hop. It still does today.

Boy In Da Corner is really really good up until Round We Go, then there's a definite drop off even though it's still mostly decent. First six tracks are quality, big beats, enough flair that doesn't come across as trying to add variety for the sake of it, and a proper edge to the delivery which already has a stellar flow. Often feel Dizzee has been softened by the fact he got breakthrough mainstream appeal and tbf he often leant into that, but this is a reminder of the heart of where he comes from and the quality he was putting out there. A good 4.

I kinda liked it, first three songs hit for me. Highlights: I Luv U, Fix Up Look Sharp, Cut 'em off, Jus' a Rascal & Jezebel

My 7th most favourite album of 2003 according the Google doc where I write down my end-of-year lists. Between the Fiery Furnaces and, ehm, Fannypack. I have not recollection of a Fannypack album at all. Number one was Mates of State. 2003 was a good year for music.

Synes stadig den lyder godt og opfindsomt i dag. Største problem er at den er for lang, men der er virkelig mange gode numre på så jeg synes heller ikke den er nem at korte ned

Grime is a weird genre, but this is probably the most accessible grime album and I respect that he created this so young, superb talent.

Bangers tbf, rotational for sure

Loved it. Somehow so fresh then and today!

Sick beats, I'll be coming back to this.

Encore irrévérencieux comme le old school, surtout dans les voix, plus innovateur sur le plan sonore et musical, l'utilisation des claviers. Ingénieux

I really enjoyed this album. My first real experience with British hip hop that isn't just drill artist stuff.

I've heard of Dizzee Rascal as a British rapper and MC, having listened to his song "Fix Up, Look Up" on this debut album. He's been credited as a pioneer of grime music which is electronic dance music with rapid syncopated breakbeats, an aggressive or jagged sound, and an emphasis on emceeing with lyrics revolving around gritty depictions of urban life. Boy in da Corner pretty much fits that description. These songs deliver fierce manic energy, as Dizzee spits bars out of necessity to shed light on the seeded underbelly of his upbringing and London neighborhood. Complementing him are the driving beats, guest performers, and electronic experimentation that give the music a heightened sense of immediacy. Sure, some of the lyrics are either dated such as bringing up the Nokia phone or Sean Diddy Combs on "Stop Dat" or tied to Dizzee's British dialect such as referring to drug dealers as "shotters" on "Brand New Day". But there's no denying he had hunger at a young age and that translated well into a commanding presence. In that regard, Boy in da Corner gets a solid recommendation for those curious.

Mother of God, It's all toilet sounds! (Just kidding, this album goes really damn hard, but the grime bass can be a little bit much at times. 4.5 down to 4.)

I feel like this list has a disproportionate amount of UK rap albums -- not complaining, but if I had to guess the author of this book is most likely from across the pond.. Sittin' Here is a confident strut over a repetitive plucky little synth line. Stop Dat flutters in with some instrumentals that remind me of Shlohmo before dropping into a dirty sliding dub-step instrumental. Fix Up, Look Sharp is a departure in tone from the rest of the album. The beat is built around an old-skool, stripped back, classic rock sample beat with a simple drum beat. Not my favorite song on here by a mile, but its guaranteed to get your head bobbing. Can certainly hear Dizzee's influence in other releases. Jus' a Rascal sounds a hell of a lot like a Tech N9ne song (Riot Maker, 2006) And part of the delivery on Live O is almost identical to ScHoolboy Q's Druggy WitH Hoes (2012). I love Grime as a genre. The fusion of UK garage / dubstep with rap and dancehall is fantastic. This album is a great display of all the things I enjoy about the genre. This is a solid 4 / 5 for me with plenty of replayability.

Soundtrack to me moving back to London in 2003. Grime/garage mainly underground before Dizzee released this album. Then it exploded. I love the energy and rawness of the music and of his voice. He put London mcs back on the map. I love u is one of my favourite tracks and brings me right back to living there…oh welw

I can't believe some of his biggest hits were made in his early teens. Massive talent.

Not a massive fan of grime but always made the expectation for Dizzie, this is a great album and ahead of its time,

Another good album.

Favourite tracks: juz a rascal; sitting here; fix up look sharp

When er'body else was in da club gettin' tipsy, it was time for a new sound. Hearing Fix Up Look Sharp on the radio was just what I needed back then. I can understand if it's a bit hard to get into, not all the songs work out, but that's no reason to discount Dizzee completely.

Very impressive start for a kid, but a tad too long.

Before Dizzee and the whole Grime thing it’s easy to forget that the even though the UK hip hop scene was a thing … it wasn’t truly our thing. It was an imitation of the US. There were some great UK acts doing their own thing in the late 90s that paved the way - Roots Manuva comes to mind - but the Grime sound took it to another level. A hodge podge of underground sounds from the UK rave, sound system and club scenes that came before it. Something that properly represented UK inner city youth. Anyway. This is quite an authentic representation of that. I actually prefer some his later, more mainstream stuff, but this is a great album that captures the spirit of the time.

I'm not usually into the UK rap/grime scene, but I have to say, this rules. The production especially stands out with only a few questionable beats. Dizzee's flows and lyrics hold up very well for the most part. It can get pretty misogynistic at times though.

There's a great 40 minute album in there. Unfortunately it's overgenerous, and feels like a slog interrupted by amazing tunes!!! It's still ace, but some editing would have saved everyone some time!!! X

Pretty fun album. Creative use of rhythm and electronic elements.

I liked this a lot more than I expected, as someone who doesn’t often enjoy hip hop. Maybe it’s the Britishness of it that presents some novelty.

21 years how did thay happen? I don't hear the repetitiveness others complain of. It's full of invention and ideas. I like how a lot of the tracks consist of only a few elements but seem fuller than that. A shame he curdled into a partner bashing middle aged man.

First time listening - dig it

Cool production. Love the English. Just shy of 5 I think (relatively)

Grime is to the 2000s what dubstep is to the 2010s. Quite polarising music that sounds quite different from what it is being compared to (in this case American hip hop). I quite like this album, it does get a bit samey but the attitude and style still feels fresh.

Ja fucking tak!! Elsker rigtig mange af sangene her på. Nogle af dem er knap så gode dog hehe. De gode sange trækker det MEGET op synes jeg. Har hørt det virkelig meget i gym og sabbatårene - på grund af det 3.5-4/5

Maybe the quintessential British rap album? Dizzee is on another level here, the beats are ridiculously hard, and it’s kind of mind blowing to find out he was only 17 - 18 when recording this. This album is 21 years old now and still sounds incredibly fresh and exciting

Starting off, I didn’t think I would like this based on my taste in music, but it had good complexity to it and didn’t seem to drag on

Surprisingly good

As an American, this felt so fresh when it dropped. I listened to this and lady sovereign a ton for a while there. It's aged okay I guess. But it's a little like being in the club with the lights on at this point. It was fun to hear this again.

Это очень необычная штука и меня ломало от бита. В том плане что я не понимал когда качнуть головой чтобы влиться и сбивался. Но это не отменяет шарма альбома, жанр грайм я не сильно слушал, поэтому прикольно Алкоальбом: томатный гозе

Today I learned that Dizzee Rascal's brand of Progressive Rap is called "Grime". I think I like Grime.

4.3/5 This is great? Best Track: Sittin' Here

The British accent sounds more musical than an American accent to me. I like it for a while, and then about half-way in, it becomes annoying. Favorite song: fix up look sharp

19/03/2024 - 21/11/2024

I think this is a fun pallet cleanser. 4s.

Dizzy has a lot of skill. It was great to hear this album and get the perspective

Legendary

The production on this borders on corny/annoying at points, but I thought it was largely fun and inventive with good energy, and the jittery breakbeats and primitive growls absolutely paved the way for Skrillex and others to popularize dubstep like... seven whole years later. I also enjoyed Dizzee's rap performances, and enjoyed the contrast between the dark/anxious lyrics and the crazy production. 4 stars.

I’m not well versed in the Grime time scene, but I enjoyed this a ton. Nasty productions, and killer lyrics. Good shit.

Hadn't listened to this before - good fun - my favourite I Luv U 'Oh well'!

Raw and unpolished, but remarkably creative for someone who produced when he was 17-19 years old. Not for everyone, and not totally for me, but Dizzee was pushing boundaries and shaping culture here. Could do with dropping a few tracks to make it a bit tighter, but like it or not, it's a British classic.

"Boy in Da Corner" is the debut album by English rapper and producer Dizzee Rascal. The music on this album is categorized as grime which is a sub-genre of electronic music with elements of hip hop, jungle and dancehall. Yeah, that fits as well as hip hop. The producers on the album were Dizzee, Chubby Dread, Moulders, Mr. Cage, Taz and Vanguard. The album had widespread critical acclaim including winning the Mercury Prize. Commercially, it hit #23 in the UK. Electronic beats and oriental-sounding synth keys open "Sittin' Here." Dizzee is rapping watching things happen in his neighborhood around him (East London) as gunshot and siren noises ring out in the background. We get the picture. "I Luv U" has a robotic female voice repeating I Luv U in the intro. More electronic beats and hypnotic synth sounds. Dizzee rapping about guys and girls going out with everyone. I think a comment on youth culture. It's been awhile since I came across the name Billy Squier. On "Fix Up, Look Sharp," the drum beat and vocals sample Squire's "The Big Beat." A good old fashion rap braggadocio song. "Jus' a Rascal" starts with a musical intro with the group of people singing "he's just a rascal." It continues as a chorus. It's pepped up. It's fun. Some more rap braggadocio. Things slow down on "Jezebal." Piano keys and what sounds like an actual drum. Dizzee tells the story of neighborhhod teenager Jezebal who sleeps around and had two girl babies whom he expects to repeat the cycle. The album comes full circle ending with some more oriental-sounding synth keys in "Do It!" At 18, Dizzee feels trapped as he'll never get out of his neighborhood but offers hope in "sleep tight and everything will be alright." This is a unique and very good album. It's both in the hip hop and electronic music genres. It's busy; there's multiple voices and sounds. The beats are varied. The synths are hypnotic at times. Overall, it's both a fun and a serious album. The underlying theme is being stuck in his East London neighborhood and all its issues. A solid recommendation.

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I like the raw energy and the DIY sound of this album. Dizzee is so young and hyped up, I don't think he can ever recapture that. Great artwork, too.

I've gotten a bunch of British rappers this far only about 50 in. I have been enjoying this one the most. It's funkier and more fun. I'm not devaluing Lil Simz because her music is purposefully aggressive to get her message across. I thought that was great too. But for everyday listening - this was fun.

The people who give this album 1 star reviews don’t understand how impressive an accomplishment it is, especially since he released it as his debut at only 18 years old. The album is unique and he sets himself out as a name in grime, with a sound and voice that can’t be replicated.

An hour before this generated, I used "Fix Up Look Sharp" in an Instagram story about sharpening my knives for Thanksgiving prep. Absolutely a wild coincidence! Excited to listen to this one now. Banger after banger! I love the drippy, trippy electronic beats and the real driving intensity of his rapping. It's wild that he self produced this between the ages of 16 and 19, it's sounds fantastic and the beats still feel very fresh.

Really enjoyed it, love the combination of hip hop and electronica. The sense of rhythm is much more varied than most traditional formulaic hip hop which makes for good listening.

One of the biggest surprises of this list is that it gave me not just one, but two surprisingly good grime albums. I always hated grime and UK garage and though it was a comercial trash trend from the 2000s. And yet here you have perhaps the most influential release that defined the genre, and I could completely see how it made it so big. The beats are sharp, dark, and futuristic, with clean techno effects that belong to a PS2 soundtrack. The vocal delivery is abrasive and fast, barely audible with multi-layered chamber filters that sounds like it's recorded in a tunnel. There's pain and distress in his voice as he raps about hardcore scenes. Highly impressed by the innovation and energy, especially since this has been single-handedly produced by the 17-year-old rapper. I think the biggest downside is there is considerable filler. He relies on repetition of his beats and samples, and often this shows. "Jezebal" is a good example of a song that follows the lead of the others but doesn't have anything to stand out on its own. As with most albums from the era, it is too long, and could cut the weaker tracks. On the upside, it's really consistent and has plenty of bangers, especially at the start.

Hella cool, unique beats and unique flow. Feels like a raw version of British rap like drill.

J'ai vraiment aimé le style plus aggresif et les beats sont différents de ce que je connais, j'ai trouvé ça très rafraichissant. Malheureusement je n'ai pas pu l'apprécier à sa juste valeur considérant le contexte dans lequel je l'ai écouté. Donc à revisiter, mais à première écoute c'est vraiment bon. 8/10

My guy

Album is a bit long, but there are some really nice tracks in here. Not a lot of exposure to grime or British rap, I was surprised by how much I liked this album.

A distinctly American art form flys across the pond. Chaotic, fresh and fun.

One of the most influential albums in British music Twenty years on and this album has aged a hell of a lot better than a lot of other 2000s hip-hop albums Favourite tracks: Sittin’ Here, Stop Dat, I Luv U, 2 Far, Fix Up Look Sharp’ Jus’ a Rascal, Jezebel

Really intense and engaging songs, and the energy stays high throughout. Nothing like some good quality British hip hop.

It was a bit much. It was hard to pick anything out from just the mad onslaught of sound. That said, the dialect and the momentum are stellar.

Dizzee has such a unique voice and style. I feel this album really paved the way for future Grime rappers...a genre I still enjoy to this day. 4/5

Fresh and fun beats from Dizzee Rascal, repping for east London!

Another one that didn't hit me at the time but sounds great with a bit of time between then and now - We know he went off into more pop afterwards (which I don't think was as controversial as lot of people do) but this is a great introduction to him - A fresh sound after the end of the 90s/first couple of years of the 00s. Launched a thousand imitations but this did it best.

My first impression was that I found it very interesting to listen to. I was anxious to listen again, and when I did, I liked it even more. Then on the third time, I found a few tracks actually unpleasant and it lost a star.

This music isn't pretty. Not even pleasant. And sometimes the sounds are what I'd call downright ugly. The lyrics are so rapid that I'm not sure of many of them. But this album is never boring. I was surprised at how much I liked it.

Sick, jättenice beats! Bra rappande oxxxå, mågra meh hooks men whatever, hela projektet låter jätteunikt och bra, fokuserat och fräscht. Och han var 18???

Great energy and some awesome beats, dizzy did something special with this.

Good hip hop! Songs feel distinct and the beats fresh

Always enjoy dizeee

Kind of grew on me. Some cool sounds.

This style is cool. Big boom grime and smooth english rap. Its a good combo that holds up even at a lower, more listenable volume. I Luv U is a standout track. Jus A Rascal is another banger.

As someone with little exposure to the UK hip-hop scene, this was a cool album to listen to. Full of energy and immaculately produced; doing this at 17/18 is incredible.

The production on this is wild to me. Sounds like the sort of stuff we're still hearing in Venue MOT. It zaps, tinkles and thumps. The tetchy backdrop creates a paranoid atmosphere that's matched by Dizzie's schizophrenic persona. He swings between jokes, rage, bravado and his own fears. You're left on edge, pumped up by streets encounters you'll never know. Jezebel was damning story. It's an East London electronic opera. 4.5

The birth of grime, although it never really got quite as good as on this record. Musically amazing, lyrically very introspective and sketches the dark times of the UK vividly. I have to say, the name always kind of looked uninteresting, but I'm glad this is in the 1001 albums and I finally gave it the proper spin it deserves! Favorite lyrics: - It was only yesterday, none of us could ever come to harm. It was only yesterday, life was a touch more sweet. - I call the shots like topcat. - Life ain't always nice, that's how shit goes - Looks like I'm losing sight 'cause I'm looking at the future, it ain't bright. - Looks like I'm losing hope, 'cause I climb this mountain without rope. - When the hammer hits, your head splits like banana - Don't know why you feel the need to talk to birds. But talk is dangerous, be careful with your words. - So don't keep talking like you're bright, I'll definitely get dark. - Sometimes I wake up wishing I could sleep for years. I've been through anger, pain, blood, sweat and tears. - Strong you gotta be it, if you wanna get through it. Stretch your mind to the limit, you could do it. Favorite tracks: - Sittin' Here - Stop Dat - I Luv U - Brand New Day - 2 Far - Fix Up, Look Sharp - Cut 'Em Off - Jus' A Rascal - Jezebel 8 out of 10

From someone who is not a rap-listener, I enjoyed the listen. I enjoyed the vocal prowess throughout and wasn't listening on low volume so my kids wouldn't hear cuss words. It was clean and strong. I wish more US Rap didn't have to rely on four letter words as much as it seems to. 4/5 for a clean and powerful rap album.

There's some nostalgia tied to Dizzee Rascal, though I didn't know this album all that well - I know Dizzee Rascal for his later, more pop-oriented music. That was the real big thing around the time I was in secondary. But I thought this was quite great. An early album in the UK's massively popular grime theme, and a name that practically any millennial Brit is going to know, with the addition of being one of the first British rappers to see international recognition. There were a lot of great electronic elements and heavy basslines through the album, and Dizzee Rascal's rapping was quite impressive. Not every song was a hit to me, some of them were a bit strange, others were kinda repetitive, but there were some bangers here too. Favourite: Fix Up, Look Sharp

Can take appreciate Dizzee. Grimey, hard. Always enjoyed his music. 4/5

I completely expected to hate this, but it was real solid. Not my preference, and I can't pin any particular tracks I liked. I really loved the sound and vibe though. I had no urges to skip through the hour. This album feels super specific to a time and place. I felt like a tourist throughout, but I thoroughly enjoyed the visit.

7/10, it was a fun album and I liked the production (sounded like a bored 14 year old on garageband) but I can never unironically enjoy british rappers they sound like such a goofy novelty to me idk

I knew Dizzee Rascal by name only before the day, so I guess it was kinda cool discovery to learn that this record basically put grime on the map. And it’s a really cool record! The beats are insane throughout, and even though I did suffer some album fatigue towards the end, Dizzee’s performances are wild enough to keep it interesting. Very cool album.

The flows really well, if not feeling slightly dated now. Still most influential grime artist

I'm just a rascal, just a rascal. Classic album from college. Holds up!

I thought grime was a more recent genre, so it's interesting to listen to an early influential grime album. I really like the interesting rhythms, and his vocals complement it well

I love British rap. Lyrics were tight and the rhythm to each song was so catchy. Will return to this artist!

Great. I wish I had listened to this before.

The kind of hip-hop I like. So many bangers!

I'm surprised to be enjoying this album. It's just fun to listen to. Strongest in the first several tracks but entertaining throughout. I'm surprised to see how divisive it is in the ratings. 3.5 rounding up for the places where it made me laugh.

Intense - but the production awesome - even though it's skewed heavily on the rhythm and rather spare on the melody. Quite a few tracks are bangers here, and while it's not an album for all seasons because of it's intensity, it's a great one when the time and mood is right.

Welcome to London GLHF

Fix up, look sharp!

I've been known to be a bit of a dizzee rascal myself after a drink or 7, so I def vibe with the kid. I'M YOUR FITNESS INSTRACTAH...

Quite a long album, with normally is annoying, but despite the number of hip-hop albums on this list, "Boy In Da Corner" comes with fresh air (almost 20 years ago) and makes the time goes fast into a good listening session. Not the best hip-hop album of all time (maybe far from it), but it is one of the best on this list for sure. It deserves four stars for the nice job.

This one’s wild because it sounds like it could perfectly fit into that weirdo rap category like jpegmagia and be mistaken as something that just came out but this mfs 20 years old. Just awesome

Not for me

It's a very good album and has a sound that is unique even after being imitated since its release. 4/5

Incredible energy. Modern sounding vocals. Great production, feels dated now but it was 20years ago!

Pretty great, honestly.

Pretty groundbreaking if occasionally too much

hes just a rascal. dizzee rascal. love this album. have since i heard. was a fresh take on electro rap warble bass stuff. hes kind of a macho idiot, but many a man is. i like his high pitched affectations and that he raps so fast on one song i cant understand his accent. i think its a great album. its fucking great. bass boom bap shake shatter rattle. that one song thats just drums. that one where it sounds like squealing female voice sirens creaking. i like iiiiiitttt a lot.

Dizzee’s underground grime album made it to the overground and inspired plenty of think pieces in left leaning newspapers marvelling at his wordplay, real outlook on urban life and raw stripped back electro beats. I can’t really blame them - it’s a powerful Debut, he was just a kid and who had heard music like this before if you weren’t on the scene?

This slays from beginning to end

Oy, it's the boy in da corner, innit? Been waiting for a reason to check out Dizzee Rascal, glad to see this pop up on here. Some really fantastic tracks on here. I'm pretty sure this was one of the first big breakout albums from the grime scene, and it's crazy to hear how much this style still influences acts today, like Skepta. I hear a throughline from this to Konnichiwa for sure. Obsessed with the Billy Squier flip on "Fix Up Look Sharp," took me right back to that XXL freshman cypher with Kendrick and Lil B. Give me more grime! Favorite tracks: Fix Up Look Sharp, I Luv U, Stop Dat, Hold Ya Mouf. Album art: He really is a boy in da corner. Font, colors, even his pose is cool. Really like this one. 4/5

I'm usually not much into music like this, but I can vibe with this album very well. Especially the vocals are done skillfully and have me bopping my head a lot.

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Sittin here, I luv u, Fix up look sharp, Jus a rascal

Damn, this is still so cool

V v cool.

I only knew Dizzee from that one Basement Jaxx song, so this was a real treat!

Classic grime album. I haven't listened to this in a hot minute but it's so nostalgic for me.

Opening the book on the UK Grime scene with humour social commentary and a cast of diverse characters. Accessible and interesting to non-fans of the genre, especially hearing Grime emerge from DnB.

Ooooooi Some massive tracks on here. He’s got his own style and is doing his thing but I was never too into grime. Fix up still sounds huge and I’ll always turn that up as loud as I can go.

Wagman ma roadman tis album was peng blud don't Eva trust a wasteman innit 4/5

Interesting hip hop.

Flames. Shockingly modern.

So talented! Every song sounds like a blueprint for Bonkers, but without its overexposure and catchiness.

Jebote šta je ovaj album zanimljiv. Znam za ovaj album, za njega, al nikad nisam poslušao baš u cijelosti album i mog reći da me je zateklo. Stvarno odlično kreiranih pjesama, bass udara ko blesav, agresivan album. U nekima ima manjka melodičnosti, ali opet to nekako daje taj štih na pjesmu. Pa tako i cijeli album.

Un album de très très grande qualité que j'ai beaucoup apprécié. On notera cependant la présence excessive de morceaux intitulés "Dizzee Rascal Type Beat".

This works way better than it has any right to

Pretty good.

Very Good Album

false

Rap. Straight down danzable and catchy. Good enought, not perfect, repetivive on times.

so, it turns out i like grime a lot more than i thought i would. pretty nice.

Did not expect the heavy dub. I don't mind the strong reggaeton vibes, but would actually love to hear an instrumental version of this album as a personal preference. Where my Skream heads at??

Yes! Yes! Yes! Minus one star for the line “Lyrical clientele but I ain't a bocat, I don't like the smell”

This goes so hard at times!! Fire.

Liked this quite a bit! Very aggressive, old school UK rap. "I Luv U" was great. Will put this into the rotation.

I can see why it's called "grime," cuz this was grimy as hell

Quite like some of the songs.