Reviews (page 6 of 7)
I enjoy the beats and the hip hop sound, but I just can’t get over the accents. Not sure why it just grinds my brain haha. Can’t do it! Which is unfortunate because the music is good. Listen again: no Purchase for my collection: no Favourite Song:
Meh
Was disappointed
Not for me
Grime is not my thing, but upgrading to 2 stars for originality.
Oiiiiiii! Yes bruv. But equally, nah bruv. Time and a place for this, and it was early 2000’s. Not now, and not here. “Fix Up, Look Sharp” aside, it’s an album of its time.
Nah. Noisy, grimey, not for me. I like a melody. I'm sure the lyrics were profound if I listened.
Straight Outta Dickens
Nou, dit is dan wel echt waarom ik deze lijst volg: Ga het niet veel vaker draaien, maar toch leuk om eens gehoord te hebben.
2 keer aan begonnen en 2 keer kwam ik al snel tot de conclusie dat het niet het moment was voor deze plaat. Misschien is de conclusie dan dat dat moment er voor mij nooit zal zijn.
The album was OK. The beats were good. The rapping itself is not great. No need to revisit.
something weird about doing hip hop with a british accent. i made it three songs in before tapping out. not for me.
It was absolutely nothing notable about this except for how unnotable it was. We listened to one and a half songs.
Hmmm. Whilst some catchy lyrics and cool beats here, feels super repetitive. Remember it being ground-breaking for "crossing over" into mainstream at the time, but not sure it was *that* special
Early drill rap Pretty meh though 2.5
This was one of the most annoying things I've heard in weeks. It managed to be on my nerves the whole time, poking and poking at me like an annoying sibling in the back seat. No thank you!
The rapping was often incredible and the lyrics interesting and at times compelling. Unfortunately I found the songs very irritating. As I was researching this artist I stumbled on Dizzee’s album Tongue n’ Cheek from 2011. It apparently “breaks the commercial ceiling of grime.” Guess that’s what I needed because I love that album. This album is just to grimy for me.
Dizzee has been comprehensively lapped in his own genre.
This is the second debut album in a row. I didn't realize there was so much hip hop on this list. This one is a bit more experimental in some areas, and hard rap in others. Some of the melodies are really good. But I found it difficult to follow the lyrics.
It is interesting. The music is layered and has an electronic vibe mixed with it that makes it more dynamic. I definitely got the vibe on Fix Up, Look Sharp, but Dizzee's delivery and voice and not my cup of tea. A little too high pitched staccato, which makes it a bit of a slog to get through the whole album.
Hmm. I tried I really did. But I don't like the voice, the music, the rapping, the sentiment. I appreciate the effort.
Oi bruvs get in the bin
As I listened to this, I asked myself whether I would rather listen to nothing but Dizzee Rascal or nothing but The Fall. Thing is, both are challenging to my guitar-based-soft-rock-trained ears. However, Fix Up Look Sharp is genius, and the comedy and social commentary in Dizzee Rascal's raps/poetry is far more appealing to me than Mark E Smith's arrogant drivel-uh.
I wasn't a fan of this. I found it repetitive and tiring to listen to. I wavered between a 1 and 2.
I tried to sing along. Managed two words. I was thinking that this would be best love, but I'm not sure even that would bring this album into the high status. Too repetitive.
Wasn't a fan of most of this album. Far too much going on in the background of most of the tracks. Favorite track: Jus' a Rascal
I don't really like drill but I enjoyed this.
very strange, pretty horrible beats. just sporadic and loud. 2.
Quand c'est trop c'est tropico
Big shaq. Boom. Ya dun now. Quik maths Funny stuff, two stars for the novelty.
It was fine, but wouldn't ask to listen to again. Strangely enough though, I probably prefer this over some of the other rappers we've gotten on here
I only kinda wanted to turn it off the whole time
One of the funnier albums we've gotten. Less funny as it went on. UK Rap cannot be taken seriously. Roadman lingo very entertaining though.
Sorry Mr Rascal but this aged like milk in a greenhouse
The song I enjoyed most was Dance Wiv Me, and when I went to add it to my 1001 songs playlist I noticed that it wasn’t on the album, the album had finished and had gone onto that song. Oh well.
I haven't been exposed to Grime but I guess you'd expect UK rap to be influenced by the different electronic dance scene they have over there. I've never liked UK Garage or jungle too much, so I'm not likely to fall in love with rap influenced by these styles. That said, the first few tracks sound original. “I Luv You” with the female rapper Jeanine Jacques is interesting. I was less impressed the big hit, “Fix Up Look Sharp” which sounds more mainstream, sampling a rock song and a drum beat that apparently has been sampled three hundred times – so much for originality.
boy this was not easy to listen to, from the flows to the beats to the guy's voice. grime is not for me, but i'll give it a few points because i liked some of the beats and it's also pretty impressive that a teenager made this. 3/10
His vocal delivery is incredible but I ended up with a headache because of the beats. Just not quite what I look for in rap. 4/10
I like the idea of this debut more than the actuality. Personally, I find grime becomes a bit too generic after a while and I stop listening, so a full album is more than I want to hear. That said, each track has its merits.
Dizzee certainly has flow, but if we are discussing the actual relevance and staying power outside of this particular inflection point, I feel like the argument for him begins to fall apart. For a very small and myopic point this brand of British Rap was very prevalent, but it is hardly noteworthy at this point or much worth revisiting. Instead we get an occasionally grating debut album that shows skill, but very little polish.
Maybe I just don't like UK hip/hop that much, but this album is pretty abrasive to me. The production is indeed "grimy" and the lyrics are tough for me as an American to understand. Between the distracting beats and difficult-to-understand lyrics it was tough for me to get anything out of this.
Not my thing and didn't engage me, with the exception of I Luv U and Fix Up, Look Sharp
Very repetitive without any personality, didn't like it that much
1. Can't believe this is almost 20 years old. 2. Losing the will to live a couple of songs in. 3. I think 20 years ago, I was too old for this. 4. 20 years later, I'm still too old for this.
Look, it ain't my thing.
I don't know. I started out liking it, but this just isn't my thing for a whole album's worth.
2/15, 13%
Overall far too busy for my taste.
Some interesting beats, but overall didn't hold my attention
I appreciate that this album probably had some role in making Man's Not Hot happen
I had high hopes at the outset because the opener hits pretty hard. Then it got a bit formulaic for me.
Fine for what it is - and a banger is a banger, but not enough bangers here for me
I recognized the name Dizzie Rascal from his 15 minutes of fame in 2003. I vaguely recalled finding him interesting, and thus looked forward to listening to “Boy in Da Corner” nearly 20 years later. And it was, no doubt, interesting. It felt fresh and different, for either 2003 or 2022. The grime style is one I want to like. But uniqueness aside, I just couldn’t get into it. “Fix Up, Look Sharp” is the track I remember, and I do think that refrain is the coolest thing on the album. But while I’m glad grime exists, I think it’s just not for me.
I dub this album Beats Machine 1.0 programmed by Beats Technician 1.0. The amateurish beats are off kilter like two middle schoolers stepping all over each others’ feet at a dance. It’s hard to get into body bouncing rhythm Fix Up, Look Sharp was my favorite track.
Hip hop. Coñazo
Edge and energized and I suppose distinctive (I've certainly heard little like it, especially with the thickly accented rapping), but I find it also pretty annoying and not very relatable. He sure rhymes fast. Must be something the kids like.
Hey chums, it's the latest case of personal-iniquity-shredding-a-musician's-reputation! I don't wish to talk about the current nastiness surrounding Dizzie Rascal. Not least, I favour death-of-the-author, and have no probs separating the work from the artist. Anyway, in 2003 Dizzie Rascal was carried everywhere on a sedan chair held aloft by slavering critics, becoming that rarity of a respected UK rapper and symbolising the transition from garage to grime. I had the album myself, but in honesty I can't say I played it too much beyond the singles. In 2022, perhaps I can manage a more studied take. Firstly, Fix Up Look Sharp is an indestructible song, properly manic and banging, with this great playground sense of kids sharing yo mamma jokes. And Boy In Da Corner is at its best when it exhibits a childlike charm, when he's bragging about his trainers. But, gangsta posturing was surely passé by 2003, or at least it should have been? It dilutes the album's appeal considerably. Another point is the attitude to women. When does a cynical stance become a noxious one? A few times it appears to accuse young women of ensnaring unthinking men (and their money) by calculated pregnancy, and the title of the song Jezebel is as shrill a warning siren as one may require. This is where immaturity festers into misogyny. In retrospect, the initial appeal of Dizzie Rascal was partly the shock of the new. Audiences had already concluded that garage wasn't especially tantalising, and any step from that felt like the right one. But the actual slab we have hear is overlong, inelegant and not sufficiently charismatic. Later albums are an improvement, but it's slightly baffling to contemporary ears how this became the critics' champion all those years ago.
2/5 nope
Tää genre ei oo kyllä mua varten. Varmaan siis klassikko alallaan mut tän kuuntelu ei oo mulle erityisen mielyttävää. 2/5
Ihan coolit soundit mut en oo koskaan juurikaan välittänyt grimesta, aika tylsää musaa. 2/5.
I generally don't like rap, but do think that Dizzee Rascal is definitely among the better rappers I've heard. I liked the no frills electronic accompaniment as well and also the rather dark sound of the music. That said, it's still a style of music I generally dislike. Additionally, the nervousness and angstiness of the music made a couple of the tracks really hard to listen to. The album was also very long, which led me to skip a couple of tracks, especially around the middle of the album. 2.5 stars rounded down because I did quite a bit of skipping.
A noisy ride. Had some moments I liked but overall not my vibe
I don't do a lot of british hip hop. It's okay, but I'm not going to be seeking this album out
Seemed as if he was in too much of a hurry 'to spit'. Did not leave enough time to tell the story....
Undoubtedly creative, and undoubtedly not for me.
No acabé de escucharlo, de lo que he escuchado no he entendido nada pero me ha resultado bastante interesante y me gustan algunos temas. Una review muy vaga porque lo que escuche lo hice mientras iba a clase. Supongo que deberia haberme puesto los lyrics. Mmm yo que se.
A ver. Quiero que me guste esta mierda lógicamente, pero más allá de lo adelantado a su tiempo que está los sonidos están ridículamente anticuados (normal por otro lado) me saca un poco entre eso y el delivery del jambo, pero esas son las únicas críticas. No está mal. Es un estilo que no me encanta particularmente pero si esto es el del 2003 se ve la influencia fácilmente. MAD BANTER GOOD CHAT THIS BLOKE'S GOT THE PROPER FLOW INNIT.
Contextualitzat en els primers anys del mil.leni, com un dels primers i millors exemples de grime, rap anglés urbà i amb temàtiques del dia a dia, encaixava força bé. Però no em sembla gaire destacable musicalment, i amb els anys ha perdut l'interés que en algun moment va poder tenir
Didn't listen to it again, this is the score from original listen on solo list.
Rap isn't my favorite, and this album was kinda weird. But pretty impressive that we was only 16 at the time.
multi-layered yet minimal, disorientating, futuristic - but it is 18 years old! well done but not a record I will want to listen to again anytime soon
Eh. Not for me.
Boy in Da Corner by Dizzee Rascal (2003) If you’re tired of standard East Coast/West Coast hip hop, Dizzee Rascal offers a little variety. His Ghanaian/British accent and idiosyncratic background sounds are arresting. On the other hand, this debut outing is lacking in the production quality of mainstream American rap/hip hop. And his unalloyed meanness is unconvincing, clothed in a significant amount of sonic goofiness (e.g., “Hold Ya Mouf”). His compositions include flavorings from the Far East, Africa, 20th century European choral music, and a heavy dose of urban America. It’s really a wild display, by a young and conflicted soul. Rascal’s voice lacks menace and power, but he displays sufficient rhythmic sense to carry the songs in the absence of dominant beats. He seems to have discovered that overpowering percussion sometimes gets in the way of vocal performance. This is a plus. In the hypersonic “Jus’ a Rascal”, his athletic diction is given a full workout. Many American rappers could learn from him in the “percussive consonants” unit of Elocution 101. On the other hand, his vowels, blends, and diphthongs are frequently lost at sea somewhere between the English Channel and the Cape of Good Hope. “2 Far” is an interesting techno/hip hop fusion piece, rationalizing antisocial behavior while being accompanied by what sounds like Alvin and the Chipmunks. I don’t know whether to laugh, cry, or grab my .45 and inventory my family members. Interesting, but not enduring. 2/5
Anton Newcombe has listened to this a lot. Yeah, fuck you Stormzy, this is real UK grime. I can appreciate that this started off a scene, but it's not something I care for.
Grime, something I have a tendency to like but I have big issues with the mixing. Vocals have a tendency to not pop out from the instrumentals making it hard to follow the lyrics, which is not for the best. The songs sound disconnected and only Jus’ a Rascal popped out as a good bop.
No
nah
Interesting and bombastic backing tracks, and really started off like something I'd like, but got pretty annoyingly repetitive after a while. Barely finished this one.
One great track, Fix Up, Look Sharp - It's great because of the Billy Squire samples. Couple other pretty good songs. The rest is ok. 2.5/5.
Fun album, easy too what it has lead to in the current rap industry, but also has some boring themes and downright bad music, imo
:(
Not my style
I’ve listened to Dizzie Rascal a few times and one or two songs are good and I would listen to again the rest weren’t enjoyable and not my kind of music
2
Not my genre but still very decent.
Me door dit album moeten worstelen. Een 2-3-tal nummers waren wel oké
Just noise.
Good lyrics but most tracks are complete shite
not for me broooooooooo
Better than I expected I suppose
solide 2
Don’t get it, don’t like it, but certainly unique.
Meh, not my style at all, I didn't enjoy
I thought the first 3 songs were not so bad, but then it went downhill verrrrrrrrry fast.
its a unique sound but im not a fan perse
Look, this was a tough listen. Sometimes the instrumentals were cool, but ultimately, grime just isn't it for me.
j'avais déjà écouté cet album, mon avis n'a malheureusement pas changé depuis la dernière fois
1/1
I'm sooo over weird British rap
I'm so glad I don't have to hear Dizzee Rascal anymore
каждому своё
Does anyone actually listen to this???
Not for me but good production can't quite believe this makes the list though
Spomnim se njega & vsaj en komad s kle dejansko poznam Fak ej, the early 2000s so ble a weird time (zj sm dva komada v album). Prou ena najslabših zadev, k se je zgodila muski, je to, da ni več samplanja. Ker kaj je nadomestil zanimivo samplanje? Shitty elektronski zvoki, k se velikrat slabo postarajo in preprost ne zvenijo tok dobr ("I Luv U"). Fak, ful je preveč zvokov naenkrat ("Brand New Day"). Not in a good way. "Fix Up, Look Sharp" poznam. Še najboljši komad do zdaj, pa še to deli, kjer ne rappa Dizzee. 1 ura je ful preveč, ko te že nekje pr četrtem komadu glava boli. Pa filing je, da komadi nikamor ne grejo? Sam noise je, k se kr naenkrat konča. A to je grime? Ker potem, I don't like it. Plus, ne morm verjet, da je ta album tisto leto dobil Mercury Prize? Isto leto k Hail to the Thief?! Fak of.
Nothing here is for me. I dont think I could ever listen again
erm. ik ben meestal wel fan van experimentele dingen maar dit is echt gwn random dingen roepen en knopjes drukken de jongen in de hoek probeert stoer te doe
Atrocious. I could not wait for this to finish.
Nope! But fun to read the lyrics!
Brand New Day obtient la palme du loop de rap le plus insupportable cette année à date. Absolument aucun intérêt pour moi ici. Comme on crève déjà dehors, une chance que la journée est déjà perdue. T'as le East Coast, t'as le West Coast.... pis ben t'as le rap Anglais (exception Little Simz que j'ai bien aimé)... je sais pas c'est quoi leur revendication et j'ai pas la stamina pour aller lire les paroles, je vais présumer les politiques racistes UK (pré-Brexit). Cheeeeeerzzzzz
Détesté. Les beats etaient agressants, le delivery ininteressant. Le rap british c’est pas pour moi!
unlistenable garbage
Annoying, repetitive beats on loop. His unintelligible, squeaky voice and weird synth SFX really grate on me. Couldn't listen to an hour of this. 1/5
I see what excites the people but it doesn't excite me. The name Grime is definitely fitting because this is gross.
Genuinely awful stuff. An annoying cacophony of British rapping(?) over some of the worst beats I’ve ever heard with no breaks until Fix Up, Look Sharp, which was decent I guess. Not enough to redeem this garbage.
Geen favoriet vandaag. Dit album was niet mijn cup of tea.
Not for me
1/5 extremely hard listen (not extremely hard while listening unfortunately smh)
Dit is het gewoon niet.
Ik begrijp dizzee nooit zo goed, als iemand me kan uitleggen hou ik me aanbevolen.
Just a Rascal is fire but the rest are really mid. Still don’t like hip hop
Please leave Dizzee in «da corner».
I couldn’t get through this one. Not for me at all
Is this genuinely enjoyed by people? 1.2/5
This wasn't good.
Wow, that was genuinely awful. Apart from the obnoxious rapping, the production was bad too - the beats were pretty much all grating, repetitive, and boring. Really struggled to make it through this one, each song felt like it was twice as long as it actually was. I could also not stop thinking about this the whole time (which is at least funny-bad, not just bad-bad): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3jlviX88iw
He needs to take his own advice and Stop Dat.
Not a rap fan
Tried to find something I enjoyed about this album but couldn’t. Didn’t mind the beats but overall just quite annoying.
Very bad
Pretty repetitive, and the rapper's voice is pretty irritating. Everything about this screams "meh", particularly for 2003 when the standards of hip-hop had long since been raised. Dizzee Rascal's material comes across as utterly bland, devoid of anything except looped synths and looped electronic drums and that voice that (truthfully) is equivalent to some kid yelling into the void. Pretty funny that "shit" is one of the top keywords for reviews of this record. I'm inclined to agree. The most-upvoted 5-star review writes, "Man, this site is racist". I get the sentiment – I really do – except that music traditionally associated with black people can also be really good. There's some fantastic hip-hop out there. Blues, soul, and funk are three of the absolute strongest genres of modern music. No – this isn't racism. This is tolerating, and then (correctly) rejecting, bad music. At least the opener, Sittin' Here, isn't all that offensive in isolation. But then we arrive at the aural monstrosity that is Stop Dat. That low bass-boosted synth is used commonly in present-day meme remixes, so it's hard to take the song seriously from the get-go. But then the Rascal comes in with his unbearably obnoxious voice. He doesn't attempt any kind of melody or interesting rhythm. He just spouts immature rage for four minutes. Those chromatic-scale synths at the end are entertaining, though. Almost saves the song. We continue onward, begrudgingly, with I Luv U – which is sort of catchy, and contains a much more listenable female rapping vocal. Another bass-boosted synth, too. (There must be a name for it.) But otherwise, I have nothing new to say. Bland, loud, unappetising noise. Someone else said "yobbish", and after looking it up, I have to agree. Yobbish is the perfect descriptor here. I won't continue my track-by-track rundown, because the remaining songs are much the same. The closest we get to "good" music is Fix Up, Look Sharp, which is non-coincidentally the most popular song on the record. 1/5 Key tracks: Fix Up, Look Sharp
Okay I swear I gave this a good chance, but it was honestly like 2 phone ringtones going off at the same time whilst a cockerney complained about whores in the background. I know that Mr Rascal has many a hit song after this where the music is incorporated with the rapping (B B B b B B Bonkers and such), so clearly he made his music more appealing to me later on. I hated this tho, couldn't understand what was being said coz the music in the background annoyed me, so got the worst of both worlds.
Really?
(1/7) some of the beats were fine but the rapping added very little
He's a good rapper but those beats are heinous
I’m sure the story is cool, but this just isn’t for me.
1/5 goofy ah beat
2/10 painful to listen to inconsistent annoying songs can’t understand the guy
90s head who values a more groove, so Dizzee’s aesthetic made me a bit dizzy -- and it just droned on. hard for me to get through.
its not the artists fault but I really hate this genre. I'm giving up halfway through. whether its 1 star or 2 depends on if I get through it by tomorrow.
Don't like
Really? Bad hip hop meets bad electronica. Definitively not for me. I added “Hold Ya Mouf” to my Generator playlist. It was the shortest track.
This has to be a joke
No. 1/5
Too repetitive and electronic for me. I almost liked the 4th cut "Brand New Day" but not enough to listen to it again.
He’s so British to the point where I didn’t even realize he was rapping in English until track 4.
I’m certainly no fan of Grime and this has done nothing to change my mind on the genre, was very happy for this one to be over and done with.
Eh. Not my thing.
Most annoying fucking use of loop pedal and sampling ive heard
Absolutely dreadful. I already can’t take British hip hop seriously. These beats were whack, all over the place. The “rapping” was a joke.
From the Vault #5 (February 21, 2026) The end of the hip-hop desert I've been crawling through is closer than expected. I've just counted my remaining hip-hop albums and I have 17 to go. Once I escape these dunes, I'll likely never have to listen to another one of these again. Feels good. I've, predictably, never heard of this album or artist before, and I'm not sure what to expect going off of the cover. Probably another pseudo-humble, grandiose album similar to that of Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G. Here goes. Oh, God. It's a British rap album. The whole aesthetic of UK Hip-Hop and the general roadman subculture depresses the hell out of me. To think that England was once romanticised as the high point of human culture and achievement. I really didn't jive with this one. The songwriting and instrumentals all revolve around the cockney accent of Dizzee Rascal, which is the most aggravating shit in the world to me. The vocals are aggressively airheaded and guttural, which makes me want to reach down this guy's throat, pull out his voice box and spend a night repairing it in the lab. The instrumentals were admittedly competent at first. There's a decent level of variety and some of the creative decisions worked. I particularly liked the strange, jangling sounds on "Brand New Day". However, the album quickly becomes oversaturated with the same, repetitious treble-y electronic tones, which I'm less enthusiastic about. This change in direction results in the second half of this album sounding noticeably flat, one-dimensional and lethargic. Overall, yeah, I kind of hated this one. Book time. Pioneered grime. Sold well despite having a noncommercial sound. A wide range of influences. Sounds alien. Won the 2003 Mercury Prize. Wikipedia says that this album was "...one of the most acclaimed records of 2003...", was a hit with critics and has received enduring praise for having an ongoing influence in grime as well as a generally timeless sound. I'm normally in favour of the list including niche and unconventional picks, but I'm not so sure about this one. Grime, trap, drill and all of the phenomenally shitty hip-hop offshoots that were popularised in the 2010s are creatively bankrupt to me. Of course, that's me talking as a hip-hop non-fan, and I suppose a similar comment can be made about butt rock albums and other commercialised forms of rock, but at least those albums don't offend my sensibilities and are backed by chart success. Yeah, fuck this album. I'm not feeling charitable today. In place of this album, I humbly submit "We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service" by A Tribe Called Quest for inclusion on the list (granted, I haven't listened to it, but I recall hearing it was good and I think they've earned a third list album).
No. 1.2
This album was bad from the very first song. By the half way point I didn't even bother skipping songs and gave up on it altogether.
I bused to like his music when I was younger. Now I can’t stand it anymore. Maybe that’s growing up?
Big-time hiphop fan. Hated it
noup
Would have preferred Dizzy by Vic Reeves
What the hell did I just listen to? It was harsh and frantic. Gave me a headache. It took everything for me not to turn off.
Парадокс Слушать это невозможно. Но из этого дерьма в итоге выросли цветы (грайм) И как теперь относится к этому?
The worst, most annoying rap album I've ever heard, and I feel confident in saying that
Sittin' Here 2.7 Stop Dat 1.7 I Luv U 1 Brand New Day 1.3 2 Far 0.5 Fix Up, Look Sharp 2 Cut 'Em Off 1.5 Hold Ya Mouf 1.4 Round We Go 1.1 Jus' a Rascal 2 Wot U On? 1.4 Jezebel 1 Seems 2 Be 0.6 Live O 1.2 Do It! 1.7 Score: 1.406666667
Never heard of grime as a genre before today and I wish I hadn’t. Not really sure what is going on or why someone would enjoy this. Definitely not for me. Got about 5-6 songs into this and stopped. 1/5
I've seen Mr Rascal in a few UK TV programmes, he seems like a very nice chap with a good sense of humour ( for my American friends, that is the correct spelling of humour ). This sense of fun obviously leaks over into his musical offerings, to present this absolute shite as music suggests a deep sense of irony. Well done. And then to make it nearly an hour long, absolutely hilarious. One star for the joke.
Rap crap Nothing special Fast forward every song Strike out
1/10 Yea nah this shit was ass. The beats are decent but overall this shit ain’t it.
Not the vibe… 1.5
Hard pass
Right now I really envy deaf people. Zero stars.
not for me
There were a few tunes that were alright, but this ain't my jam.
Why do I need to listen to this before I die? Maybe it's just me - BUT I don't find this an enjoyable listening experience at all. One surprise - in the song "Fix Up, Look Sharp" - he heavily samples a Billy Squire song called "The Big Beat" from 1980 - both the drum beat and some of Billy's vocals. It's basically the only listenable song on the album for this reason. "Jus' a Rascal" is probably the 2nd most listenable song. It actually looks like those are the 2 most popular songs on this album - makes sense. In the 1830's in Denmark, a tale was written about a king who pretended to have beautiful clothes but he was actually naked. All the people didn't want to mention he was naked - for fear of seeming foolish. But then one kid spoke up and shouted that the king wasn't wearing any clothes. In my opinion, this album is like that- only 160+ years later. Liked songs on Spotify: 0/15 Rating: 1/5 (should be zero)
actually bad
Boy in Da Corner sounds like music to get lobotomized to. It's annoying, extremely repetitive, and barely even passes as music. To top it off, I can't hardly even understand what he's saying over the racket. Seeing that the genre it's considered "grime" music, I assumed it would be some sort of grungy lo-fi hip-hop or something, not this weird amalgamation of rap and abstract electronic sounds. If this "sounds like the future" like I keep seeing people say, then I couldn't care less for it. I try to find redeeming factors in albums, even ones I dislike, but I can't find anything in this one. It's a lost cause. Boy in Da Corner has the honor of being my first 1 star rating, I don't know how I made it through the whole thing. Favorite Song: None
I fully admit I am no fan of hip hop but this is particularly cacophonous. No hyperbole, I would lose my mind of I was locked in a room with this.
This isn’t hip hop
Hm
The music had no rhythm, and that made this dude's voice even more obnoxious.
I find British hip-hop/wrap to be incredibly grating, even when they are talented.
Grime genre doesn't work for me. No sound all lyrics.
I'm a big rap fan, but this ain't it. The music and the vocals distract from one another instead of flowing together. Listening to this hurt my brain.
Intriguing to see where now famous artist debuted, pioneering a new genre. Truly unique for the time, not my cup of tea
What kind of Soundcloud rap is this? Couldn’t even listen to the first three songs without skipping. It’s terrible.
early 2000s british rap right right
this falls into the category of 1001 albums never to listen to before I die. not one song i can say i even quasi-liked.
I'm sure there's a lot of talent here and it's great for what it is, but this is my least favorite kind of music.
Two words “Just Bad”!
Not my favorite 1/10, would give a 0/10
Dafuq was this
Rap? Nein!
dnf
I could tell from the first 30 seconds of the first song that I was going to hate this. I like hip hop, but this was unremarkable hip hop.
Just not my type of music.
I’ve never heard of Dizzee Rascal or this album before, but I’m excited that this will be my last album to review from 2003, which happens to be the year I graduated from high school. I see that this album is considered grime, which is a genre that I’ve never heard of before. After reading about it, it sounds interesting though, so hopefully I’ll enjoy Boy in da Corner. Boy in da Corner wasn’t really my speed. I don’t think it’s a bad album, but I didn’t enjoy listening to it. I think DR did a great job of crafting a dark atmosphere to match the dark tone of his lyrics, but I really didn’t care for the way that this album sounded muted and muffled in its overall sound. Musically, this album was fine, but I wasn’t really into the beats or production work, except on a few occasions. As far as Dizzee’s rapping was concerned, I thought he was fine, but I didn’t find his flow, vocal style, or lyrics to be particularly noteworthy. I thought “Sittin’ Here” was pretty good from a lyrical standpoint, because it gave some good perspective into the world and experiences that Dizzee was rapping about, but those themes were a bit scant throughout the rest of the album. Musically, I thought “Fix Up, Look Sharp” was really good. It had a strong beat, and the Billy Squier sample was excellent. Other than that, there’s not much for me to praise about this album. As a final note, I will say that hearing the P. Diddy reference on “Stop Dat” made me audibly ‘oooh’ like I’d just watched Joe Theisman get his leg snapped by Lawerence Taylor.
Instrumentals are good. Would be at least four stars if there were no words.
Sometimes is better to be deaf...
This is what happens when music manifests into a physical form, gets drunk and falls down stairs. I really tried but made it just under half way. Now cleansing with some Ill Communication.
WTF is this? It’s not MUSIC.
To many E's
wtf?
This is the first rap album that has come up for me on this list. It's also the first British rapper I've ever heard. He has quite a different sound than the stateside variety I'm most familiar with. I've also never heard of "grime rock." In other words, I just don't listen to rap. It's not really a go-to genre for me. I do enjoy the some of the beats and I always play "name that tune" when it comes to identifying famous samples. In the case of Dizzee, it was fun to hear Billy Squire rocking out in the middle of this album. I also got a kick out of the 8 bit Atari sounding electronic music and beats. All in all, I'm not a good judge of this style of music. So, rather than rate the album based on its importance or whether it's best of its class. All I can do is rate whether or not I'm likely to give it another listen. I am not.
I'm sure there is talent here, but this ain't for me! Got annoyed with the background samples/loops, far too repetitive, gave me a headache.
Not sure why this is here.
Stop Dat! No, really... please stop...
I'm really not sure what is up with British musical tastes. It's completely whack a lot of the time. This album is just straight awful. I really couldn't find anything enjoyable about this in any capacity. I wish I could regain the little part of my life I wasted on this garbage.
British black people should not be allowed to act American black. Feels like I am listening to an unironic Politikz. 1/5
This is one of the albums that reminds you that a British person made this list. This album seems to have made no impact outside the UK. This random mumbling is really necessary to listen to? Really? Admittedly I’m not a big rap fan but I can still find stuff to appreciate about it. I couldn’t find anything here
Yep, nope.
Could’ve done without this
I have heard a few songs from Drizziee and in the grime genre before and its not anything I enjoy at all. It has interesting parts and learning about the origins and evolution of the genre can be interesting but I would rather read up on it than listen to this again.
I would never include this album in a list like this. It's not my taste at all.
Well, I did it. I got thru this scrambled mess of annoying beats, lyrical quirks and dumb rhymes. Sure, he raps fast but is he really saying that much? Did anyone ask for Cockney rap? This listen further cements my dislike for UK rap, I really thought the Streets would be the most annoying UK Hip Hop I’d ever have to endure, I was way off. I understand it’s highly acclaimed and I don’t understand it at all. MF Doom remains to be the only UK Hip Hop artist whose albums I’ll turn to. This was a brutal listen. 1 star
While not invented by the British, they did master the art of a good cup of tea (though no shade on China, Japan and India who also make a wonderful tea). Then the Americans saw that and decided to put their own spin on it, and you got the travisty that is those horrid sweet ice teas like Arizona. And dont get me started on hard ice tea like twisted. The only acceptable us of hard Ice Tea is in reference to the band Body Count. This is like that y'all. Accept its a Brit taking on hip - hop /rap and putting a British urban spin on it. And it stinks. I'm sure there are people for whom this is their Jam. Maybe. But for me, and I did try, this just sounds like garbage.
174 albums in and I get my first one star album! God. Awful. UK rap from 2003 featuring grimy dubstep inspired beats. He has a terrible habit of using the most annoying vocal loop as part of his beat samples. Could not get through this one fast enough!
It’s as if the clangers dropped acid and recorded an LP. Worst album on here so far
This was.. not good. Noisy, cluttered in a bad way.
Damn, this is garbage. Very annoying.
1. here - 0 2. ztop -0 3. love - 0 4. New - 0 5. Far -0 6. Sharp - 0 7. Cut - 0 8. Hold - 0 9. Round -0 10. Rascal - 0 11. Wot -0 12. Jezebel -0 13. Seems - 0 14. Live - 0 15. Do it - 0 Not my kind of rap
The title of this series is 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. It is NOT the 1001 most influential albums. This album is pretty terrible from its beats to the rapping, which is bad even for the UK. It was definitely influential, but that doesn't mean an album is good or that it needs to be listened to
Uggh, not for me in the least.
Noise. How is this one of 1000 albums I need to listen to?
Una tortura.
Rapping is perfectly fine, but backing tracks and noises are too distracting and annoying. One of the few records I couldn't make it through to the end.
Another example of critics pushing a record or artist trying to establish a trend and making something "important", despite how good or bad it is. This is objectively bad. There is so much good hip-hop and rap from this period in time that it baffles me that this made the 1001 albums list.
This is going to be an easy review. A guy who spouts random nonsense, accompanied by a short-circuited keyboard—you could say that Dizzee Rascal's “Boy in da Corner” has everything I don't need. It's the classic “songs for people who don't like music” stuff you find on any random rap record. I admit that the beats are above average. And of course, it's respectable that Rascal was the first UK hip-hop artist to achieve major international success. Still, I don't like this album.
First album I’ve gotten that’s in the 21st century and second album this week out of the UK. I am not familiar with a lot of hip hop, especially from outside the US. It was really interesting to hear hip hop from East London. It’s definitely got a UK flavor. Apparently it started the grime genre which I’d never heard of. I can appreciate the significance of this album, it’s experimental and a little playful, the beats are strong. However for me the tracks have quite a discordant sound that I found difficult to sit through for 15 tracks. I originally gave this a 2, but now that I have more albums under my belt I am adjusting my rating scale.
nope
How am I supposed to take any of this seriously when it’s done in this ridiculous accent?
mmmmmk
Not really my style.
About 5-10 minutes in I felt like I got what this Dizzee Rascal was going for. Unfortunately there were 10+ more tracks that I had to sit through. The rapping is wild and often difficult to understand beyond the chorus and the beats are a little obnoxious after more than 5 minutes. Most of the songs are pretty similar and run together. I'm sure the attitude and swagger that accompany this have an effect if you are a young rebellious kid out at the clubs, but it doesn't have any allure for me. The drum and bass grime genre must have its fans somewhere in Britain. For me, I'm happy to avoid it for the most part. No disrespect to the DJ's and MC's but its just not my thing. 1.44 stars
Oh no
I like Hip Hop, but I don't like this. The beats have no soul and I don't like his clipped style of rapping.
British people
Not even remotely. Horrible. At least the last song reminded me of Chit: Do it (lady)! Hopefully, I'll never have to listen to this again. 1 star.
Meh 3/10
438/1001 🌕🌗🌑🌑🌑
Could not get through this. A lot of noise with lyrics over it.
Probably 1 or 2 out of 5
How come such a horrible scumbag manages to get a MBE? Still he was responsible for one of the funniest things I ever saw on a BBC news programme with Jeremy Paxman referring to him as Mr. Rascal. Don’t think Mr. Rascal realised that Jeremy was taking the piss big style. The music on this album? Do you really think I’d waste my time and ears? 1/5 30/8/25
I didn’t make it through the first few songs. Off to pop a few ibuprofen.
Crap
Nuh uh. Produkce, texty, ani jeho hlas se mi nelibi. Aspon je album normalne dlouhy.
This is really poor. Made it through 5 songs before turning it off. The grime genre is not for me at all. 2/10 (1/5)
aguante 3 temas
0,6/5
One of the most obnoxious things I’ve ever heard. British rap is already annoying, but this guy takes it to a whole new level. Best track: "Fix Up, Look Sharp" because I liked the Billy Squier sampling.
This one just didn't work for me, the style feels like a gimmick. Maybe another time I would have found it fun, but unfortunately this was largely a chore to listen through. Favorite track: "Fix Up, Look Sharp"
I dk if the whole Grime genre is for me
(C)raptastic
Yeah not feeling this at all. I see why it flew under my radar. Might have been influential to someone but that someone wasn’t me.
Probably some of the most annoying arrangements I've ever heard. Fuck outta here.
Here goes-that album was absolutely awful and leads me to think that AI is generating this list. There have been some greats so far, but this was nothing but fast babble that I will not listen to again.
Four tracks. That's what it took for me to break my resolution to listen to every album all the way through. Congratulations, I guess. This is terrible.
Shitty rap
Did not enjoy
I'm sure there's an audience out there that loves this, but by the jumpins it sure doesn't include me. The constant harsh, percussive sounds gave me a headache.
No
Not for me. Headache
Tony Blair's primary contribution to the War on Terror was giving a copy of this to Dubya so the CIA could blast it at the black sites and Guantanamo.
I'm sure Dizzee's style gives voice to many people's experiences and emotions, but all I fucking hear are nails on a chalkboard laid over repeatedly punched-in-the-head stupid fucking blast beats. My mental image association with this album listening experience was watching the dollar store aftermarket parts of a 2001 Honda Civic R being shaken free from the body by the incessant booming of a sub worth more than the rest of the build put together.
No va
Is there something worse than britpop? Britrap, apparently
This album is making me question starting this. I do not understand the approach to the beats so lacking in dynamics, repeatitive, so distracting I can’t even focus on the vocals…not for me or anyone I know that I’ve showed it to.
Not my thing, not something I will revisit, but impressed by the maturity of it, the Englishness of it. Difficult to believe a 20 year old in 2004. Revisited which were singles, not so obvious. No bangers, I’m not the market
Brutal. Don't like the music, the vocals are layered poorly and tripping all over themselves like they're not even planned. I suppose people must like this but holy hell. So much great hiphop and "grime" ain't it for me at all - mostly to entirely unlistenable. 2/10 1 star.
vu que c'était des MUST listen jme demandais quand est-ce que j'allais trouver un truc nul.... bah g trouvé du coup
This was one of the few albums I didn’t even finish. It was corny and hard to take seriously. From reading the Wikipedia, I guess it’s unique enough to make the list, but I don’t feel inspired to hear it again.
On the pain scale this falls at about a 6. "Moderately stronger pain. You avoid some of your normal daily activities. You have trouble concentrating" I tried on 3 different occasions to listen to this album and ended up giving up.
Nope. Don't get the appeal.
DNF
One of the worst albums I’ve heard
This is the kind of album that made me think all hiphop was awful by definition when I was young and stupid
Ear hole diarrhea.
2/10
oh no!
Somehow this keeps surprising me with even worse albums and Im in the 600s
lol. lmao even
Standout Songs: N/A Well I found another type of music I really don’t like. This. British rap and EDM? Is this a joke?
Boy in Da Corner may be hailed as a landmark in grime, but for me, it’s a difficult and frankly unpleasant listen. The production is harsh and claustrophobic, which might be the point, but it doesn’t make for a compelling musical experience. The beats sound like they were made on a broken Casio in a room with no ventilation, and while that might give it a unique atmosphere, I found it grating more than groundbreaking. Dizzee's flow is fast and aggressive, but the delivery feels exhausting. The lyrics are intense and personal, which I can respect, but the overall tone rarely lets up. It feels like being barked at for an hour straight. There's energy here, sure, but I didn't enjoy being on the receiving end of it. The hooks are minimal or just not there, and it left me cold rather than impressed. I can see why it might have made an impact when it came out, especially as a raw debut that helped define a scene. But this isn’t something I’d ever want to return to. It’s just not for me, and I struggled to get through it. One of the hardest albums I’ve had to sit through on this list.
Not feeling like this hip-hop right now
Seriously? Stop dat 🤦🏻♂️
I'm just sitting here I ain't saying much I'm just vexed
I thought this was a terrible album. I found no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
Esch halt vorallem Rage-Rap woni sowieso ned so fühle ond de ned emol bsonders guete.
DNF
only took a few minutes to realize there was no way I was finishing this hour long disaster class. it's cool that he wrote and produced the whole thing basically by himself but I produce my own turds too so
Ass
I was almost hooked in the start, but by “Fix Up, Look Sharp” I lost the will to live - it might be the worst song on this list 1000+ albums in. This album was probably made with the antithesis of me in mind - or me if Dizzee Rascal secretly hates me? It might be good? I really can’t judge to be honest.
Not a fan of his music or accent
0/10. God...I...I don't know what to even say. I don't really have a nice way to put this. This is my least-favourite album. It was extremely difficult to tolerate. If this is your jam, good for you. However, I'm out. Next!
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
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.
nope
Don't think DR will be too upset that doesn't float my boat,
No thank you
My ears just not in tune with how the beats are produced. Good rap but sounds like noise to my ears.
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
Very bad, did not like at all. Would prefer to never hear again.
This is really not my thing.