Artist

Dizzee Rascal

2000-present·Bow

Dylan Mills was raised in Bow by his Ghanaian mother after his Nigerian father died, and got thrown out of four schools before a teacher named Tim Smith gave him the nickname that stuck: Rascal. Smith also gave him something more useful than a name — access to a stack of secondhand Microsoft computers that Morgan Stanley had junked, donated to the school because, as Smith told Red Bull Music Academy Daily, the bank was happy to offload its old machines for nothing.

The full story is in UK Grime.

At a glance

Active
2000–present
From
Bow, East London, UK
Records in the issues
3 (2003–2009), 1 of them a Start here pick
Original labels
XL Recordings and Big Dirtee Records
Listening guide track
“Jus' a Rascal”

Listen

In the UK Grime listening guide: “Jus' a Rascal”

Spotify

In the issues

  • UK Grime
    Principal · 2000-2010 · Members

    UK Grime is a genre from East London, UK, 2000–2010. Its principal artists include Wiley, Dizzee Rascal and Skepta. This issue covers 10 essential albums and 12 dated events.

Records

Terms

Pirate radio
An unlicensed radio station broadcasting without government authorization.
White label
A vinyl record released with a plain, unbranded label, typically used for promotional copies, test pressings, or unofficial releases before official distribution.