Kalefa Sanneh: Dizzee Rascal “has already been embraced by a small group of American hipsters and record geeks — listeners who have never heard of his East London neighborhood, Bow, are nevertheless entranced by his exotic slang and peculiar electronic compositions. But watch the music video for Dizzee's current single, "Jus' a Rascal," and you'll see the audience that means more to him: scowling young men in baseball hats and writhing women in well-ventilated outfits, all gesticulating in time to the beat on a boat floating down the Thames.”
The article says that Boy In Da Corner won't be released stateside until January 20th. It probably won't do well. Sanneh thinks it needs someone like Pharell Williams to pimp the album, but as America's hip-hop ears, which think that Busta Rhymes and Ol' Dirty Bastard is "out there" (they're right about the latter, but the former just raps fast) will be in for a surprise. Everything coming out of American hip-hop seems tame compared to Dizzee. Heads just ain't ready.
