Boy In Da Corner

Lmao, the opening track "Sittin' here" is awesome. There's nothing here that speaks to me

first of all I don't like the genre in general, but this is such a no for me

I like the fusion between hip hop and EDM. I enjoyed it but only as background music. If I was off my head on pingers, then it would probably be a 5!

It got a bit repetitive, but I didn’t mind it. I enjoy a bit of grime and love an accent

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

2.8

на любителя.

No, there was nothing I enjoyed; skipped around a few songs, didn't finish.

ok! not my fav (a bit much at 6am) but nevertheless happy i listened.

Honestly not a big fan. Have been trying to get more into hip-hop, but this album just doesn’t do it for me. Some ideas are cool, but songs don’t make me want to listen again. I see how some people could like it and would be cool for its time

This seems like middle-of-the-road hip-hop. Some of the beats/loops are pretty interesting, but overall there was nothing that really did much for me. 2.5 stars.

Let's be honest, unless you had a similar background to mine (born in the 90s in the UK) you might find it odd that this album has made the list. I hate to be that guy but... you had to be there. It's not THE Grime album but it definitely brought it to the mainstream and served as a gateway for lots of british kids to garage, dubstep and drum n bass, while it was looked over on the radio, it was playing from the motorola or LG chocolate mobile phone on the back of the bus. I remember very distinctly getting "I Luv U" sent to me via bluetooth at the time and wondering what I was listening to. Listening to it today, it's amazing how many sounds and elements are still prevalent in UK EDM to this day. Truly influential and made even crazier when you realise Dizzee was 17-18 when he was recording this album.

nope

Meh

Not for me

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

Don't think DR will be too upset that doesn't float my boat,

No thank you

I knew Fix Up, Look Sharp and Jus' A Rascal before going into this and that Dizzee was precociously young when this came out. It's sonically inventive and more interesting than most grime I've heard but over the course of 15 tracks it is a bit jarring and cold. I did like there's a bit of heart and positivitiy to end on with Do It! but overall I wasn't bonkers about it.

My ears just not in tune with how the beats are produced. Good rap but sounds like noise to my ears.

Not really a great album. I think I preferred his later stuff where he brings more dance elements into his music.

Music for chavs, I guess chavs are an important enough sector in society to have representation. This has personality though, I will say 21st century British rap gets much worse and it’s just a genre America has always done so much better

liked this more than i thought i would

okay. expectations shattered.

Not my favorite.. I like the beat though.. so 3 stars

It's got some energy which I can appreciate Will I listen to again: 2%

Boring and too long

Highlight: Fix Up, Look Sharp. In a nutshell: grime boy. Anyone remember the track "Bonkers" from the late 2000's? Same bloke, different albums. Skepta's album came up on the generator a few weeks ago and it gave me an idea of what grime is. I really don't like the genre. Boy in da Corner is lyrically okay in parts but the loops and beats were irritating on most tracks. It's deliberately brash. That said, just because I hated it doesn't mean it doesn't belong on a "must hear" list. There is a place for it. Overall: 2/10

Used to love it. Half the song are actually a bit crap

Very bad, did not like at all. Would prefer to never hear again.

Initially was really into this, but each song ended up overstaying its welcome. Ended up being good, not great, because of that. 3/5

To be honest, I was disappointed by this album. "Stop Dat" is my favourite track by a country mile. I was wondering when this album would end. There are so much better British rap records out there. I do commend Dizzee Rascal's beatmaking skills. 2 stars for "Boy in da Corner".

This is really not my thing.

I will admit that this is the first British hip hop I’ve been able to listen to without imaging everyone with pinkies up sipping tea between takes and I respect the mark it made, but no thanks!

no-no

Just another 2 star or D album that doesn't belong on this list.

Liked it at the beginning. Overstays its welcome.

British "hip-hop" is so bad. So many other hip-hop records deserve a space on this list over this. That said, it was better than The Streets, so it has that going for it.

Do not like rap

Впечатляющий продакшн, до сих пор звучит очень интересно. Большой альбом в мире ю-кей грайма, который дал дорогу многим замечательным людям. Моя претензия к альбому - в какой-то затянутости что ли. Всего треклиста, так и отдельных песен. Лучшая песня - Jus' a Rascal.

Good example of rap but not my thing

2.5/5

What an annoying sounding rapper. I think the problem is his delivery. Most songs also had very annoying bass sounds. The best song by far was Do It! followed by Jezebel.

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.

I actually liked some of this. Some of the beats were cool. Some of it was annoying.

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.

Did not like

Doesn't hit me the way the critical acclaim made me think it would.

24 hours later, I can't remember a single song.

Had never heard of the musical genre “grime”. After listening to this mess, hopefully will never hear it again

Turns out I like grime a lot more than I do your typical Kanye or Eminem. think I'd need to be in the right mood for this, but fortunately I was today.

How is this 22 years old now, that can't be right?? I remember being a kid in secondary school when Dizzee Rascal first hit the charts, and boy did I not like it then. I don't know if time has mellowed me or if nostalgia is playing a part, but this honestly wasn't as bad as I remember - still not my thing, but I respect the art and what he's doing. This is not something I'd go back to, but it's not awful.

Grime British mandem rap - Beats are decent and sound modern - Songs get boring fast, monotone rapping

didn't mind his rapping but the beats were bad. I mean the rhythms are fine or whatever but the sound was not good

Uk Grime. It's a tad annoying at times but it still sounds fresh and different. Not my genre by you have to admire the gusto.

# 442 : 24/03/2025 : Can't listen to it, don't like it, - must be a Rap thing. Repetitive and annoying with zero edge. Some songs In the middle were a bit better but still awful. I can't comprehend how people would pay money for this and even harder to believe that someone paid for it to be made. Another album which makes you reconsider whether there are as many as 1,001 albums you must listen to before you die.

Can't stand grime at all A couple of tracks were ok, but everything else was pure shite

Не очень

I was dreading this, but it ended up being kinda alright/average-ish and I didn’t hate everything.

Something about the accent just wouldn’t let me get into this.

This just isn’t something I’d listen to.

Argh, this was really annoying to listen to

first listen i'm not sold on grime yet

Not a fan of British rap in general.

4/5

Couldn’t get through it all, just wasn’t a fan of the beats at all. His flow wasn’t great either, I just don’t think British ppl should rap all that much tbh. 1.7/5

Bad

This wasn't awful, but some of the songs got a little too Bri-ish for me. Definitely not the worst music I've heard, but I didn't love it. 2.7/5

It's a pretty cool record and, honestly, quite ahead of its time in many ways. And maybe it's because I associate "UK Rap" with its more recent 2010s boom, but I found Dizzee's rapping style to be quite innovative, especially for 2003. The other visionary aspect has got to be the house-tinted production here, which, on songs like 'Wot U On?', sounds like the popular industrial rap of the 2010s. 'Stop Dat' has some horror-core elements and is easily the most insane production here, firing on all cylinders with those constant switch-ups. I also really enjoyed the following 'I Luv U', with that petty back-and-forth between the two MCs - it was satisfying to listen to. Unfortunately, it was the album's length that bothered me the most. There are satisfying braggadocious rhymes for days, like on 'Fix Up, Look Sharp', but it seems like every song here had Dizzee airing his grievances about a significant other or friends he deems to be fake. On some songs, it works, but nearing the end, it gets redundant and tiresome. 'Jezebel', while somewhat insensitive, serves a decent cautionary tale and lyrical switch-up nearing the end of the record. I feel similarly about the introspective closer 'Do It!'. And while I think the production on this album was ahead of its time in many ways, its clunkiness and rudimentary nature bleed through on many of these songs. The closer 'Do It!' was amazing though, with its gorgeous and almost proto-cloud-rap beat. The hooks were occasionally annoying - but certain ones grew on me like the back-and-forth of 'Wot u On?'. And I just couldn't hate the hook of 'Jus' a Rascal' considering just how ridiculous it was. The album aged both well and poorly at the same time. While there were some enjoyable moments, and the rapping was genuinely solid, its length ultimately wore me out. There just wasn't enough variety in the beats and lyrical themes to justify its nearly hour-long runtime. Sorry.

The very simple and repetitive electronic beats made this very difficult to listen to.

Annoying

Different Rap.

Fun and interesting

Shit

1/5

Not for me

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.

Es interesante el grime cómo subgénero, aunque al menos en este disco puede ser un tanto tedioso. Por otro lado, es gracioso leer a los gringos quejarse por la influencia del hip-hop.

Didn't work for me. Definitely a distinct style but not one I found interesting or successful.

Grimey

Some bangers but quite repetitive for me.

Is this British rap? I look at this the way Europeans look at Americans playing soccer. Cute. If we did the 1000 greatest hip Hop albums how long until we got to England ? This sounds like the Top Boy soundtrack. Fine but probably not good, certainly not above average and just feels kinda silly.

Lots of bops, quite long tho

Some absolute bangers on here

Grime klinkt als een smeltkroes van dubstep, drum 'n bass en rap. Ik vind het zelf dan ook elke keer weer verbazingwekkend hoe weinig ik met grime kan, terwijl ik al die stijlen enorm waardeer. Zo ook dit album. Ik vind het album een beetje goedkoop en amateuristisch klinken, terwijl Duizelig z'n vak echt wel verstaat. Veel tracks zijn vervelend kaal, de raps zijn wat weggemoffeld, die plucky strings geluiden heb je na drie keer ook wel gezien. Ik verveel me over het algemeen genomen gewoon de tering eigenlijk. Je kunt beter een album aanzetten waar onze eigen Kubus de beats heeft verzorgd. Zo'n track als 'I Luv U' vind ik dan wel vet, met die vieze distorted 808 kick die wij Hollanders vooral kennen uit de gabbertijd, maar het is een uitzondering op dit album. 'Jus a Rascal' is ook wel leuk. Als ik in 2003 een jaar of 14 was en in Londen had gewoond dan was het waarschijnlijk een heel ander verhaal geweest, maar nu hou ik het op een 2.

Nah…

Not sure how this managed to make it into the list, but I will admit it did sound fresh and different in 2003. I Luv U, Fix Up Look Sharp, and Jus a Rascal are excellent, yes they are, and there are others that would rate above average too. But a Top 1001 album? I doubt it.

I remember hearing dizzee rascal when this album was new and loving the beats… the beat still sound futuristic and the flow is fine but boy is this Alain just exhausting to me today, especially at 15 tracks long.

Just have to skip it when anything rap or hip hop pops up and unfortunately they pop up too often. Starting to think that this site might be bot generated 🤔 because I fail to see why these pop up so much when thinking about all the great albums that have been made. Don't get it. So wish there was a zero starred rating but as there isn't that option, reluctantly it gets one 😕

this project often makes me feel like i dislike uk hiphop but i don't really know why i like it less than american hiphop. genuinely i think a lot of it is the beats and the flows of the rappers, which i find lackluster. that being said, this album was a bit different from the others i've heard on this list. i was a bit conflicted about this one. sometimes i think it's pretty cool. the beats are really unconventional and dizzee's rapping is off kilter. it definitely feels different. that being said, the uniqueness and unconventionality often approaches the level of annoying to me. it's kind of neat, but it also makes me cringe a lot. i'm not sure what to make of this. it's interesting but i don't know if i really like it.

Bass and lasers let The accented assassin Straight murder the tracks

Liked it

Rap In Da Yookay

I didn't hate this as much as everyone else on here

Sure, let's load this list with 20 different UK rappers but there's still no Madvillainy or Lemonade.

no, tyvm. i hate being dizzy and i’m def not a rascal.

Overall: 6/10 Starts off strong but this is a pretty long album and his style gets old pretty fast. Still glad I listened to it cause the good songs are awesome! Fav Song: Stop Dat Least Fav Song: Wot U On?

The Good: Nice album art! The Bad: Grime… The Ugly: Still not understanding how to get rid of grime… WTF? The bad string of luck of the past week continues, worse, I am now on a 3-day run of 1* albums… How I wish that this app would stick to the original 1001 list which ran through the 1990’s and doesn’t include this modern crap. Also, I feel bad about my snobbery, as I fully understand that the young kids these days eat this shit up… Still… 1*

5/5. Awesome beats with some videogame style sounds and heavy bass driving the melody. His rapping is fast and with the British accent, it is hard to understand honestly, but it's just enough to get the energy you rocking to it. Each song just offers some unique and fun sounds and engaging rapping. The inclusion of a female background singer, or matching vocals on some songs, really keeps the songs present and interesting. Honestly hard to find a bad song on here, each one offers something unique. Best Song: Fix Up - Look Sharp, Stop Dat, I Luv U

This was a rough one for me. When the opening track has a refrain of “just sittin here” you know you’re in for something impressive. But, it only takes one track that I like to save an album from the dumpster of a 1 rating and I did actually like “Fix Up, Look Sharp”.

Fun bouncy sounds, early 2000’s rapper

Een ieder weet dat dit mijn genre niet is, en dat ik allang blij ben als ik de plaat kan uitluisteren zonder al te veel irritaties. Dat laatste is hier gelukkig het geval. Maar ik hoor ook weinig interessants en het nasale stemmetje werkt op de zenuwen. Dus geen hoogvlieger voor mij.

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.

Ergens vind ik het accent en zijn stem wel grappig, maar de beat flowt niet altijd even lekker. Op een gegeven moment lijkt het allemaal weer op elkaar. En dan duurt zo'n album toch lang. Ik had eigenlijk gehoopt dat er meer bigbeat in zat, omdat uit deze tijd ook acts als Audio Bullys kwamen. Misschien had ik er daarom meer van verwacht. Ik vind het nu saai, een magere 2 voor Duizelige Raaskaller.

Not for me, didn’t enjoy at the time, still don’t. Not an awful listen 2.25/5

This was a lot of grime. Had its moments though and just snuck a 3

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.

Noooooooo, por favor. Eso NO es MUSICA, digan lo que quieran, pero eso es ...

Not my thing.

The Brits do it again by needlessly slaughtering another beloved genre.

Hey I like Fix Up Look Sharp but I could not stomach a whole album of this

The beat on “jus’ a rascal” sounded familiar but I couldn’t place it. Sorry but that accent is horrible for rapping. The beats were good.

Yeah no

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.

Pretty good, I liked the first half more than the second. Kind of odd to see this in the list, I wouldn't have rated it as that good / significant. I suspect it might be cut in future editions of the book, we'll see. Still, I had fund listening to it.

Not for me unfortunately

Some good tracks, some filler. Hasn't aged that well. Some of the DnB remixes if his tracks are way better than the originals, he should have collaborated with a DnB DJ.

I thought i liked Dizzee Rascal. Turns out i just like a couple of the popular tracks. The album is a grind. Very repetitive

One or two OK tracks in here, rest is filler

Not enjoying this one

Truly might be one of the most godawful things I have ever heard in my whole entire life. Terrible, grating beats, with the worst flow and lyrics. If this isn't one of the lowest rated albums on this list I will be pissed.

One good track, another fair track, mostly annoying - 1.5 stars

I don’t like his voice, but it’s alright overall.

I tried

Hahhahaahah what is this crap? Sorry, dude, it's fine if you push the mediocre British pop rock bands on us, but this is, what do you English call it? SHITE. Listen to US rap more and you'll see why this is a complete joke. 0/5, even the god awful Krautrock was better than this.

ok, stay where you are and don't disturb my circles.

I want to give it 4* to spite the confused Yanks but realistically I won't be back so it doesn't hit the threshold. It's not my music but an excellent example of grime and does have tracks I'd save even if I'm not inclined to hear the entire thing again

Now I know where Die Antword got their sound. Danced to so many of his songs in the early 2000s.

Garbage.

This was terrible. I suffered through 5 songs before I gave up though. Hot garbage!

Not my fave

Good beats and smooth synthizer grooves. Not as earthy as Sly & Robbie dubs, but still okay

Delightfully jarring and glitchy and unpretentious, like an old Grand Theft Auto game. Didn’t care for it at first but liked it by the end. I haven't heard anything quite like it before, but if you asked me to imagine rap music of the future, even today, I might have imagined a less cohesive version of this. I can't believe it came out in 2003, but I was an American kid listening to indie rock so this wasn’t really on my radar. Jus' A Rascal and Brand New Day are great.

I liked the middle portion of this but thought the beginning and end dragged a bit. Interesting samples and cool energy, but not sure I'd return to the whole album. 3 stars.

Boo.

Terrible.

A very raw album with only samples as backing, which allows you to extra concentrate on Dizzy’s high pitched, gasping flow.

Nope, rap is not music. 1/5 It may be poetry but I don’t enjoy listening to poetry

Wow - ischmer doch sehr fremd. Eigentlich sehr kreativi Samples, aber nüd mies.

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

Good but a bit much

Favorite Track: Stop Dat

There are interesting pieces to this musically, but each song gets monotonous quickly. Ok, a couple more songs in and I’ve realized every song starts with a new idea. And each one is good. But then it never develops. It’s like spinning in a circle so you can’t tell where you are. “Look sharp” is my favorite song so far. There was more variety in it.

I liked one song

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

01) Sittin' Here - 7,0 02) Stop Dat - 5,5 03) I Luv U - 6,5 04) Brand New Day - 6,0 05) 2 Far - 5,5 06) Fix Up, Look Sharp - 7,0 07) Cut 'Em Off - 5,5 08) Hold Ya Mouf - 5,5 09) Round We Go - 5,5 10) Jus' a Rascal - 7,0 11) Wot U On? - 5,0 12) Jezebel - 5,0 13) Seems 2 Be - 5,0 14) Live O - 4,0 15) Do It! - 5,0 TOTAL: 5,67 (57/100) Current ranking: 354/418

This whole album was so fun to listen to. Very upbeat and gets you hyped

This album grew on me. Weird at first but started vibe with it after a few tracks. I had only every heard some of his newer stuff so it's cool to see where he started.

Utter garbage

Drek

More Hip Hop Trash. 1/5

heinous

Couple of decent tracks but overall the beats aren't there and the feel isn't right. Couldn't get into it. Not terrible but not great either.

Geistesgestörtes Geheule aus UK mit unverständlichen Rap und Hip Hop Elementen. Dies ist keine Musik, das war Folter und verstösst gegen die Charta der Menchenrechte.

He’s not untalented but as an album this was severely grating, repetitive and exhausting to listen to.

I got this album when it came out because I loved the lead single 'Fix Up Look Sharp', and because I thought it might prove an accessible intro to grime. I have subsequently become a little more grime savvy, but I still have a soft spot for much of this album. 'I Luv U' is the kind of song that annoys with its nagging hook, but subsequently sticks in the memory. Boy In Da Corner is full of such moments. It's not all fantastic listening, but Rascal's flow is solid and there are some tasty beats here. Not bad at all.

Pretty good album by my Bonkers guy. Honestly, I had no idea he had any other songs than Bonkers, actually. Boy In Da Corner is a nice example of british rap being at the same level as american (although few years too late).

Thoughts before listening: British hip-hop from the early 00s. I remember this being a big deal but it was never really my thing. Review: This reminds me quite a bit of the Streets who I believe came from the same scene and who I did actually listen to quite a bit. The British accent lets Dizzee Rascal distinguish from other rappers and the music has a different vibe than what US rappers were doing at the same time. Not necessarily my favorite thing ever but I like it fine. 3-stars

I enjoyed the beats of the first few but that enjoyment fell off for me after that. It wasn’t too bad, though some songs were Rating: 3.2

Couldn’t make it through this one. Too much EDM combined with bad rhymes.

The production is pretty amateur sounding which makes the album somewhat unlistenable to me. He is talented as a rapper so I still think it is 'fine' overall

I've been playing this for a bit and wondering if I'm going crazy. This sounds like a terrible mix with some weird interference going on. I listened to a few other records on Spotify using the same headphones and different styles of music to confirm it's just this record. It's really off putting. The beats are cool and all but it's driving me crazy.

Whatever this was I hated it.

Wow

Boy In Da Corner certainly is outside my element. Rap with a British accent is strange to me. It is impressive how distinct sound in this is. 5.6/10

Nope

Got through maybe 2 songs. Maybe the rest were bangers?

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

An assault on the ears, in kind of a good way. Not sure I'll look for it again, since it seems weird for the sake of being weird.

3.5 It was a love hate thing lol

I’ve never properly listened to drill, and I don’t regularly listen to hip hop, but I can see the appeal. It’s for sure showing its age, but at the time it was a burgeoning genre.

Would like to try some of what the Mercury Prize panel were smoking in 2003

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.

Enjoying this--cuz I'm just sittin' here, lis'nin' here (lol).. Hard though to get past that first cut (skipped the second). Back on track with I Luv U, dizzyingly twisting around that techno beat. The eerie bells ringing through Brand New Day are hypnotic. The rest is pretty hypnotic too and grabs me. Pulls some beats out of the bottom of the bag you thought must be empty.

I really didn’t like Dizzee Rascal when he first came on the scene. And I was convinced I didn’t like this album. Then I listened and was a bit confused because it wasn’t how I remembered it. I remember listening to bits of it during the mercury song prize and it wasn’t the same. It seemed quite hypnotic and and easy to listen to. I managed to get through the whole thing without spewing. And then I realised I’ve been listening to the wrong album. I had listened to the completely instrumental version. That was hypnotic and quite fun. When I listen to the correct version with Dizzee rascal’s vocals, then I reverted to my original opinion. I obviously like the tunes but those vocals are just horrible.

Rick Ward (a friend to some of us in the group) introduced me to this when it first came out. Fix Up Look Sharp is still a favorite. And I like the album fine. It’s a solid 3.

I can hear the artistry in this. But god damn, if there were a situation where someone was trying to get information out of me that I didn't want to reveal, you could tie me to a chair and blast this at unspeakable volume and I'd tell you everything by the third track. It was unbearable. I tried on three different occasions and failed to get through more than two tracks at any given time.

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.

I just couldn't get Inyo this

British hip-hop with its own recognisable sound. Not bad, but it doesn't really click with me. I think I'm more into Oldskool hip-hop, and less the kind you hear emanating from lowered Toyota Celicas. I can see it's well made, bonus point for that.

I listened to it. I can't remember anything worthwhile.

I never listen to hip hop. But through this initiative I have discovered some albums and songs that are worth it. They have some melodic rhythm and lyrics that are important. I am not a hip hop historian, but this is where everything went wrong in my opinion - around this time. This is an atrocity. I managed to finish it, but it was horrible.

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.

Just not my jam, really - obviously remember Fix Up Look Sharp and Jus' a Rascal because they were quite big at the time, but don't have any recollection of the rest and don't feel like I've missed out. Dizzee has a really distinctive voice, great flow, but it doesn't translate into great music imo, there's something missing that doesn't grab me. 3/5, can appreciate there's something there and it's the start of a much bigger movement, but not really a grime guy.

kind of too British…

I was expecting to enjoy this a lot more than I actually did. I think what killed it for me was the terrible beep and boop synths that were layered over everything and turned up to eleven. I've heard far better from Mr Rascal than anything on here. Not bad enough for 1 star, but certainly unworthy of 3.

I laughed when I saw this album on the list - didn't expect to see Dizzee Rascal here at all! I saw Dizzee at a festival in 2010 and ended up becoming a fan. Jus' A Rascal was stuck in my head for days afterwards! So I only really knew his later stuff. This however was very bad and very different to his later work It just felt a bit flat? 2 ⭐️

Hard to pinpoint why I don't love this - i just don't.

not my thing

I'm underwhelmed. Obviously care and time went into the production, and it's not utter crap, but I was disappointed. Lack of variety is a real problem on an album with 12+ tracks.

Not for me. I suspect there’s a reason no one outside of the UK gives a shit about grime. At least bonkers wasn’t on this one

Really wanted to like this album more, and Fix Up, Look Sharp is a good tune, but the rest of the album was just OK. When other Dizzee Rascal songs came on after the album finished, it really highlighted that he has better tunes out there.

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

British rap from 2003? I expected this to be shit, and it kinda was. But I can still dig it. A couple catchy tracks, but ultimately I finished my first listen with no desire/intention to give it another, which is rare for me. On the positive side, I learned what Grime is. 3/5 Highlights: I Luv U Brand New Day Jus’ a Rascal

Not my favourite grime album, but I wagwaned all over my chair when I saw it generated Heard it before, but a good ting about aging is you keep forgetting tings. I forgot what this album was like Nothing special except 2 Far

not my thing didnt like the beats, the flow, nothing really.

nah sorry echt nit..

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.

I really liked this one

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

Langt forud for sin tid, elsker den her produktionsstil. Men det bliver repetitivt, den her plade sku nok have været 20 minutter kortere

Great energy, but it's a bit long innit?

Not a fan.

i only really liked i love you, i like the uniqueness of this but im not a big fan of the grime genre 5/10

Fix up. Look sharp. Was never really my thing but the album is better than I remembered to be fair. I also feel the need to slightly round up here to counterbalance all the reviews claiming that UK hip-hop is shit. Firstly because it isn’t, but also because this ain’t it. This is grime. It’s like saying Blur proves that UK grunge was shit. I can’t really in good conscience go above 3 but happy to go that far. OOOOOOOOOYYYYY!!!

Something different but didn’t love the beats and found his voice annoying.

This was my third rap album in a row, and none of them were Jurassic 5.

Conceptually cool and feels like a missing step in rap history that helps explain Danny Brown (who I love), but I just don’t personally enjoy this one.

An hour of grime. Yaaaaay. Doesn't even have Bonkers on it.

Ég fékk tilfinninguna að þetta væri misheppnuð tilraun til þess að verða Die Antwoord af því að framburðurinn var svolítið sérstakur en auðvitað koma Dizzee Rascal á undan þeim. Mér fannst hann bara leiðinlegri en þau þannig að hann fær ekki frekari hlustun.

maybe not my thing but its creative and weird. some big hooks and wild beats. "jezebel" sucks tho

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.

#398. This is the second British rap album I've listened to on this list [and the second British rap album I've listened to in my life] and they've both been shit. At least the Little Simz one made me laugh, this one just makes me wish I was deaf. 1/5: leave the rap to the Americans, the British just don't know how to do it. Song added to playlist: I Luv U I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link

Bangers tbf, rotational for sure

Loved it. Somehow so fresh then and today!

Oh my god this is awful. This sounds like a YouTube rapper. The rap acts that aren't in this list is astonishing, but Dizzee Rascal makes the cut. This is like a cross between Azalea Banks and The Streets, both of whom are probably in the list too. The beat is distracting, the accent is annoying and seems almost comical when you think about British gangsters meeting up with, as Easy put it, Real Muthaphuckin' Gs. The voice distortion effects turn this from bad to bad and ridiculous. The delivery is so terrible. I bet MIA loves this album. This is considered "the greatest British hip hop record of all time", that's insane. They should stick to rock and roll. Jus' a Rascal is the best song except for the chorus. This is one of the worst rap albums I've ever heard. The robot filter on the vocals makes it sound like EV-99 from Jabba's palace is on the album. This is also a very long album. The UK bias of the editors are on full display with this absolutely terrible addition.

The sound that emanates from the windows (down of course to share) of a teenage dirtbag in his first car, 4am on a thursday.

British hip hop is always weird to me

Not sure how this made it on the list. Not one good track here.

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

I was exposed to grime a while back when I first started this challenge. Suffice to say that I did NOT enjoy what I listened to (it was Skepta). After listening to this specific record, I don't think my opinion has changed too much. This was a little more digestible than that Skepta record from earlier, but it's all still very abrasive and grating purely in terms of some of the samples used and breakbeat-style beats that one would expect to hear in grime music. There's definitely no shortage of energy in Rascal's lyricism, and he's pretty introspective throughout, so I'm certainly not slighting the man himself here. I can acknowledge the fact that Dizzee Rascal helped push grime to the mainstream (in England I assume) via the efforts of this record, and I will rate accordingly. I will probably never enjoy grime music as a concept though, and that's fine. It all seems very region-specific, as you rarely hear this type of music in America. This is for a very specific subset of people who equally enjoy jungle, drum and bass, and hip-hop.

I recently heard that musical genres have a 40 lifespan (rock: 1955-95; Jazz: 1925-65; etc). I felt like I was listening to the death rattle of rap here. First, I couldn’t understand what the fuck saying; and after reading the lyrics I quickly learned I didn’t care. Maybe I’m too biased having grown up in the Golden Age of Rap/Hip-Hop. The background beats/sounds became annoying enough to cause involuntarily spasms to the skip arrows and uncontrollable rocking and drooling in hopes the change of stimuli would make things better. It didn’t. Englishmen/women elevated rock; complimented blues; made some kick ass Indie/alt. But I have yet to hear British Rap that wasn’t an insult to the genre. Like Ariana Grande to every man ever: Thank You…Next!

I vaguely remember this one from the early 2000s. I see why critics liked it so much. It was just different and cool compared to popular rap at the time. I like Just a Rascal. It was a fine listen but I won’t be rushing back to this one.

noise: /noiz/ noun - a sound, especially one that is loud or unpleasant or that causes disturbance.

It’s not unlistenable, but it’s close. The beat is occasionally good, but it’s also often way too loud over the vocals. The whole thing is just too chaotic most of the time. I also personally just cannot make out a lot of the lyrics because of his blended accents. For people who like this, great. I will probably never be one of them.

Grime alltså. Visste inte att det kallades så. Det är helt klart värt det i en låt eller två. Sen börjar man känna att jag nej men nu kan jag det här. Förstår att jag inte är målgruppen. Men att lära sig nytt.

Jämfört med LL Cool J är ju det bättre. Överlag är det inte svinbra, men helt klart ett steg upp. Fix up, look sharp har jag på min hiphop-lista sen länge. Sen blir det en smula tjatigt detta grime-sound.

Jag kan uppskatta grime i lagom doser, men över nästan 60 min blir det lite för mycket. Bitvis är det dock bra, eller snarare coolt i sitt unika uttryck. Pluspoäng också för att Dizzee är en bra rappare. Tycker sista låten Do it! är bäst.

Not trying to gatekeep all things music, but I will definitely come down on anyone that thinks there is some sort of music in this. 1/5

I remember more richness to those songs. Still an original sound though.

Oh my. I fricken HATED this when it came out. Maybe I've mellowed, or never gave it space, but now I just don't really like it. Two stars, up from one.

bro crawled so jpegmafia could idk do his shi

Good

Where is the possibility to give a negative rating? Or at least a zero? Anything less than 1 would make me happy. What a terrible, terrible album!

En tykännyt.

Erilaista ja propsit siitä, mut biitit oli liian tökkiviä. Karvan yli kaks tähtee

I found out that aggrieved and bragadocious British rap isn't for me. Extremely repetitive rap without compelling flow or interesting lyrics. The pseudo-tough guy act was hard to swallow. ("I hit MCs like croquet." Hard core stuff there.) Somehow, both Dizzee and Billy Squire were improved on "Fix Up, Look Sharp," so cheers to that synergy. It was

Can’t do it.

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.

"one of the most acclaimed records of 2003 and went on to win the Mercury Prize for best album from the UK and Ireland". ARE YOU F'ING KIDDING ME .... It was painful , and NO ONE MUST HEAR this. STOP DAT!

I'm grateful to this project for giving me an album that I'd never listen to by an artist I've never heard of, in a genre that is brand new (to me). I didn't really like it but still, grateful.

Started well but bit too grimy for me by the end

If you told me this album came out in 2016 and was very popular among white hip-hop nerds who watched Anthony Fantano religiously, I wouldn’t bat an eye. To say Boy In Da Corner was ahead of its time is an understatement. The beats feel so weird and off-kilter, purposefully cheap both for practical reasons and aesthetic ones, but they’re always still so fucking catchy. While there’s a few songs here that up the production value a smidge, namely “Fix Up, Look Sharp,” most of this album sounds literally unlike anything else. It certainly doesn’t sound commercial or mainstream. But still, it bangs the whole way through. The shtick of the aesthetic never gets boring. After 15 tracks and nearly an hour, I still want to hear where else this sound can go. But who gives a fuck if it sounds futuristic if the rapper can’t handle it, right? Well, that’s the thing…Dizzee Rascal *can* handle it. In some ways, I’d almost argue he’s too good for this, even at its most experimental sounding. His flow is INSANE, and is probably only dismissed because Grime was historically dismissed by American hip-hop heads until like, 5 years ago, maybe. I think Dizzee’s pen game from a rhyme-scheme perspective isn’t god-tier, but that weakness only strengthens his flow. Really, though, Boy In Da Corner is a masterpiece album because Dizzee is a story-teller. I’ve seen people online compare him to Nas, and I see it, really. Most of the songs here feel observational yet personal, like I can see Dizzee watching a scene play out and start to insert himself into the story even if he’s just the on-looker. It’s really smart, and sure, really similar to Nas, but also just a compelling way to write a song. There’s definitely more personal songs or songs about Dizzee on here, though, because the mode would get boring quick, but it’s not as frequent as I expected, and I find that fascinating. Boy In Da Corner is influential, important, and noteworthy for multiple different reasons, and all of those reasons are also why it still holds up today, they’re why it’s still fun to listen to for the first time today, and they’re why it could literally be released tomorrow and arguably still be ahead of its time. This is a one-of-a-kind, once-in-a-lifetime album.

Riding 'round in a Rover If I see opps then it's over I'll send man straight to Jehovah When I take shots like M. Sharapova Doing up tennis Call man Dennis, I'm a Menace Doing up olives in Venice Big man ting, I'm bigger than Ben-is

This might be brilliant and on a day with less grind I might have enjoyed it more. The unruly rubber-banding around the beat of Dizzee Rascal’s voice and the bracingly harsh electronic bangs and booms rub against his character-driven stories, earning the applause. But I’m not sure in what moods I could drink this in happily; certainly not today’s. And maybe this is a little too long. Brilliant, probably.

On average this was pretty terrible, although parts were done better than I expected. Easy to see why an NME journalist would wank himself into a dizzy stupor over its gritty urban Lahndahn affect; hard to understand why anyone else would listen to this irritating mess of their own volition.

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.

Sorry but no, thanks anyway

Once again crappy Brit gangster rap

In 2003, this album won the Mercury award--essentially, it'd been deemed the best album of 2003. This was a fact I'd stumbled across way back when my group had gotten Coldplay's A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD, where I discovered that it'd lost to this album. In fact, albums from Radiohead and The Darkness, and The Thrills' SO MUCH FOR THE CITY (which, hey, I like that album) had **all** lost to this album. This album, which--OK, I'm not British, and I was a little kid in 2003, so it's not like I would've known about this thing at its height. I can't throw the "Well, **I've** never heard of this album before" card at it. But I still hadda wonder the obvious--what **is** this thing's deal? What did British critics see in it? According to whoever wrote this album's Wikipedia page, it was its success that helped grime music gain mainstream exposure. So, hey, let's look at it like that--this is the album that brought grime to the common folk's attention. This album, more than any other, should explain the appeal of grime. And, honestly, it's because of this album I think I finally know why people don't like grime so much. In short: it can be pretty obnoxious. Every song this album is just... Loud. And kind of repetitive. I get the feeling that they were supposed to be "hype," but I don't get that feeling. I'm just... Kind of tired, honestly. And wondering, with every new song that pops up, how long it'll be 'til this album is over. Seriously, I do **not** think this thing needed to be just shy of an hour. The fact that way too many of the beats are kind of complete ass doesn't help. Seriously, the bass on some songs sounds like a bad, extended fart. Like, goodness, once I get over the novelty of this all being rapped in a Cockney accent... And, boy, don't even get me started on some of the obnoxious vocals and vocal effects sprinkled throughout this thing... What's funny to me is that this is actually the first UK rap album I can say I dislike. Like, A GRAND DON'T COME FOR FREE started out atrociously, but by the time it ended it'd actually managed to win me over. KONNICHWA, meanwhile, I think is just plain good aside from its lead single. They both had me wondering, in different ways, what UK rap and grime had done to make it so infamous to Western ears. And, well, I get it now. At least I have my own understanding of it. So, y'know, even if I'm never gonna listen it again (unless I wanna get a headache), I **am** happy I heard it, in some weird way. I wouldn't **recommend** anyone else to listen to it, but still. And, like, the only reason I'm not giving it a 1 is because... I'unno, a "1" always feels to mean unless I feel like an album **really** deserves. I figure if this album was shorter, or at least if I'd taken it in smaller doses instead of taking the brunt of it all at once, I wouldn't have been so down on it. Or maybe I would have, who knows? It's pure generosity that this thing might not actually deserve. So... Take it or leave it, I guess. (Speaking of things this album don't deserve, by the way--seriously. This album over the one with "Clocks"? Goodness me, British people have weird tastes.)

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’m at a 3.5 that I’m gonna bump down to a 3. I honestly don’t know if I’ve ever been more disappointed in an album after listening to it like I was with this one, but it’s not because it’s outright bad. I think it’s good, but it’s in desperate need of several tweaks that, with a bit of time and a bit more outside input, could catapult this into great. I really wanted to give this a 4, but I just can’t. Let me just give some positives first: there are some great tracks on here. When he’s flowing, and the instrumentals are rolling, this album hits really well, and I can see exactly how it captivated British audiences in 2003 – it’s incredibly risky, rather unique, and taking a swing like this is pretty cool. When it hits, it hits, and it does hit kinda often. There’s one tiny little problem. I did not like most of the instrumentals on this album. I loved a lot of the lyrics and flow, and I honestly love what it’s trying to do with this bass-heavy, scratchier, synth-driven minimalist style. It just needed more time to cook in the oven. I can recognize that part of it is my musical sensibilities not agreeing with Dizzee Rascal’s, but like… there were 7 tracks out of 15 where I said “the lyrics are great, the flow is great, but the beat needed more to it” or something similar to that. It just felt like a few more instruments would’ve given some tracks some more depth in a way that would’ve made them click more. The most egregious example to me is the last track, “Do It!”, which has some genuinely great and honest lyricism, arguably the most introspective stuff on the album, and worthy of being the closer… with a really obnoxiously bad beat on top of it. It doesn’t fit at all, and that sort of incompatibility between the lyrics and the instrumentals permeates too much of this album for me to give it a 4. I don’t think this is bad, and I certainly think someone else will enjoy these beats more, but for as much as I really want to give this the benefit of the doubt, I just have to bump it down to a 3. It’s only disappointing because it’s so damn close to being so goddamn good. Just a shame. Very solid 3, though.

Ja wat zal ik zeggen, zitten leuke nummers tussen maar toch niet helemaal voor mij, rap achtig maar ook wel cool

Maybe I've just watched too much of Da Ali G show, but I cannot take this album seriously. Dizzee's name, voice, and lyrics all sound absolutely ridiculous, but it seems that he takes himself entirely seriously. Several times while listening to this album I started wondering if it's some kind of comedy or parody album, because surely no one would actually put this into the world thinking it's good. I think I might just have a major issue with a British accent in hip-hop, but I really just cannot get into this album at all.

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.

While British rap makes me laugh, this feels a lot like M.I.A's album where it's very simple beats backing some average/mediocre lyrics and flow. Way too long as well.

Not for me. Made it very hard to concentrate on work with the yelling and distracting noises. Low 2

Ooo I believe the second grime album we're getting after Skepta. Grime goes so hard sometimes. It's not allllll good but certainly entertaining and interesting. Think I liked that Skepta album more but this was still pretty solid. High 3 closing on a 4.

britit oli tässä ulottuvuudessa kyllä vitusti jäljessä.. vai edessä? hmmm... jos olisi amerikkalainen niin 1 tähti. mutta herra kuulostaa niin vitun hauskalta että ylimääräset sijoitukset annetaan aksentille. tämä kaveri tietää kadut... streetz... biisit hittailee ja missailee miltei toistuvasti. Two plus two is four Minus one that's three, quick maths Everyday man's on the block Smoke trees (Ah) See your girl in the park That girl is a uckers When the ting went quack-quack-quack You man were ducking (You man ducked) seems kaksi be

I couldn't even finish this one. Not a fan of this music at all.

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!

I really like the beats and I used to really like Dizzee Rascal (not as a person obviously - it seems like so many artists have done bad things!), but his music seems to have lost some of its appeal for me. Rating: 3

I was worried at first because I hated the last British rap/grime record I got. And the first track didn’t leave me much hope, but honestly, this grew on me. It was more creative and weird than the last one, and you could tell this had the energy of a young kid just throwing shit at the wall and seeing what worked. It didn’t all work, but I respected him going big. He has an interesting oddball rap voice. It’s not something I’d probably return to too much, but it’s definitely something I would have never listened to on my own, which is the purpose of this list!

I was really keen to give “Boy in da Corner”, and Dizzee Rascal, a chance. I credit the 1001 list for introducing me to a lot of great hip-hop so far, and thought perhaps my Tower Hamlets residency would give me a greater affinity for Dizzee Rascal (he went to school fifteen minutes from where I now live). Alas… I was wrong, and just couldn’t get on board with “Boy in da Corner”. Praised in 2003 by press and public alike as a great step-forward for hip-hop, and now synonymous with the UK’s grime movement, this album prioritises beats and electronics over melody, heart and soul. While the production is impressive (masterminded by a teenage Rascal), for me it’s not enough to compensate for such a lack of warmth. It’s worth singling out the songs I did enjoy, though. One of my highlights was “Fix Up Look Sharp”, which brings in the self-professed “big beat” against a sung-through hook and one of the most propulsive performances on the record. Another was “Just a Rascal”, one of the best “introduction” songs to an artist that I’ve heard in hip-hop, serving as Dizzee Rascal’s own theme tune. Dizzee’s vocals are solid across the record: he has a unique timbre which frequently cuts above the noise and elevates the record’s energy. For the best examples of this, check out his animated and impassioned performance on “Stop Dat”, or “Hold Ya Mouf”. The lyrics are pointedly conversational but lack much wit or depth for me: you also need an accompanying lyrics sheet to decode all the yelping. Beyond that, though, I struggled with most of the songs front-to-back. Solid production and interesting beats just couldn’t quite sustain themselves across a full record for me, and the repetition didn’t help. Songs like “Sittin’ Here”, “2 Far” or “Jezebel” are built around a single (fairly irritating) loop, or then we have those like “I Luv U” or “Round We Go” which repeat the same phrase over and over. Songs like “Sittin’ Here”, “2 Far” or “Jezebel” are built around a single (fairly irritating) loop, or then we have those like “I Luv U” or “Round We Go” which repeat the same phrase over and over. Songs like “Sittin’ Here”, “2 Far” or “Jezebel” are built around a single (fairly irritating) loop, or then we have those like “I Luv U” or “Round We Go” which repeat the same phrase over and over. Until it ends… and mostly, I just feel relief.

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.

Grime is one of the worst musical gifts that England has given to, well, just England as none of this travels for obvious reasons. A mildly popular sub genre that gets far far far too much media attention. This is slightly interesting but no more.

Starting out hating this album. It grew on me though and was worth a few listens.

Cool to hear a genre I probably haven't encountered before, but I don't enjoy this sound and I don't think it's for me.

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!

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

This wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t great either. I wasn’t a huge fan of the music itself, but I could tell there were some real heart felt lyrics within the album. Sadly, I didn’t look up lyrics as I listened, so I did miss a lot of what was being said. I’m somewhat familiar with grime, so it was cool to hear the album that helped move grime towards the mainstream. But overall it’s not my thing.

Not a big fan of grime - I’m sure in its genre it’s great, I just can’t appreciate it prkperly

hmmm...

He needs to stay in the corner and think about what he did.

It was ok - prefer others in the genre more....

Annoying voice and beats. Couldnt wait for it to end.

Not my cup of tea.

Liked it more than I thought I would but it got a bit repetitive.

That was repetitive and annoying as hell. I had to cut some tracks short the bleep bloops were so annoying.

Крайне необычный альбом в плане инструментала. Рэп слушается тяжело и не очень цепляет, но эксперимент любопытный. Первый трек из альбома напомнил современные треки типа Скриптонита (что-то напоминало рэп 10-ых годов).

I was never a big Dizzee Rascal fan back in the day, but he did undoubtedly have some great songs. This is my first time listening to a whole album of his, and while it is almost an hour long, I didn't find it dragging. The sound of it was very revolutionary for the time, a new fusion golf UK garage, jungle and hip hop, which makes it very unique and distinct from US hip hop. It also kick started the whole grime genre, for better or worse (some would say it ended up becoming very monotious by the end of the decade). I haven't come across anything from this generator that sounds like it yet. Having said all that, there's still some immature shit on here, a bit of sexism and violent bragidoccio. He was a teenager when he wrote this though, so I guess that explains some of it. Not something I'd be in a rush to listen to again, but very deserving of a place in the book.

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,

Respect because I do think this is very ahead of its time - by at least 5 years. And likely inspired many artists. However. It also hasn’t aged very well. Choppy and clunky beats and drops.

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

Day243 - beats are good the lyrics are hit and miss

Another good album.

Not sure why but it just didn't capture my attention.

oh look the guy from temptation greets you like your naughty friend, dont really like his rapping bit in a rock song.. but lets give it a shot in another context yeah not really my thing, but giving it a 3 for appreciation for its artistry and innovation

I want to like this, but the beats are too thin / sparse and the choruses that are present just don't land for me. I'm finding out I have a pretty narrow band of rap that appeals to me, and this falls well outside of it.

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

Inte för mig. Men man kanske fattar grejen lite ändå

This had a pretty cool, lo-fi vibe and it was interesting hearing a perspective in hip hop that I’m not familiar with.

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.