Comments on: A Few Thoughts On El-P & Dizzee Rascal’s Stuff White People Like 2008 Tour

By: padraig

padraig — Thu, 29 May 2008 07:59:41 +0000

“I don’t know… am I the only one who thinks “Maths + English” is a really, really good record?”

^nah, it made the top 10 in the UK charts, so tons of British teens are with ya. honestly, besides two or three songs (especially the one featuring Lily Allen’s atrocious warbling) it’s not terrible so much as mediocre. what’s disappointing is that Dizzee is clearly capable of making stuff that’s SO much better, as he’s done in the past.

can’t co-sign on Sway either, but whatever. it doesn’t surprise me that US hip hop heads favor him though, being that he’s essentially an American rapper w/a British accent. the “grime” tag he used to sometimes get was more to do w/being, like a ton of grime MCs & producers, a West African rapper from London, and the fact that most people outside of the UK have no idea what the hell “grime” even means in the first place (see also, for different reasons, the Streets).

By: Renato Pagnani

Renato Pagnani — Wed, 28 May 2008 21:29:16 +0000

I don’t know… am I the only one who thinks “Maths + English” is a really, really good record?

And Sway is one of the best rappers working today. Period. “This Is My Demo” is the best debut by a rapper since “Sin-a-Matic.”

By: the dough

the dough — Wed, 28 May 2008 05:08:55 +0000

Caught the show in Seattle, shit was all gravy except for the blank CDR in my Megamixxx. I was also assaulted by a gang of MySpace MC’s, I couldn’t bring myself to tell “Suntonio Bandanaz” that anyone still replacing s’s with z’s in 2008 already lost.

By: padraig

padraig — Wed, 28 May 2008 02:58:59 +0000

“exception” not “acception”. just cannot write properly today.

By: padraig

padraig — Wed, 28 May 2008 02:57:28 +0000

@zilla - I don’t follow Sway too closely (agree he’s good at rapping but I find his work to be mostly pretty boring) but I think I’ve heard he’s working on a new album, no idea when it might come out. I’ll have to check out Crooked Soul - it doesn’t surprise me that your producers were well onto that stuff b/c between 2002, when Wiley & a few other innovators broke off from UK Garage, and late 2004 or so it was the most advanced music on the planet, at least in the sonics. real soundboy, producers’ music that was - beats veering off into crazy new directions seemingly every week. then the MCs took over (not a terrible thing in and of itself) and it got stale, esp. b/c most grime MC are more about flow than lyrics & once you take away the amazing beats they’re not really saying much. like I said though, check out Trim, he’s an acception to that rule. Durrty Goodz as well - his “Axiom EP” was my one of my favorite releases last year.

@djeff - “failed music” is a perfect description of Maths+English. “unfocused” is another word that comes to mind. I did like the song w/UGK though, even if the lyrics were generic tripe.

By: adam (not Beaugh)

adam (not Beaugh) — Wed, 28 May 2008 02:24:13 +0000

There’s a bunch of good songs on Maths+Englishs.

By: Djeff

Djeff — Tue, 27 May 2008 19:42:26 +0000

Sway’s album was absolutely fantastic, I too am waiting for his new real LP. And I co-sign all that has been said in the comments about dizzee, I hope he’ll come back to a more grimey (can I use that?) sound; I don’t think Math+English was that horrible, it just didn’t make a lot of sense musically; not really too comercial,it just sounds, like, failed music

By: Zilla Rocca

Zilla Rocca — Tue, 27 May 2008 18:10:49 +0000

Padraig:

My old group, Crooked Soul, was directly influenced by “Boy in Da Corner.” My producers at the time were infatuated with Wiley, Dizzee, Roll Deep, Ears, Jammer, etc. You can peep Crooked Soul on iTunes.

I know he’s not grime, but do you know if/when Sway is coming out with new shit? IMO he’s the only British MC that is understandable AND can rap his ass off.

By: padraig

padraig — Tue, 27 May 2008 17:39:12 +0000

@potw - I can certainly see how a Dizzee=overrated opinion could be formed. it’s simple really - dude fell the fk off and his newer material, pretty much everything post-Showtime, doesn’t come close to living up to the reputation he built up for himself. there’s no $ in grime, even in the UK, so he’s been trying to “broaden” his appeal and we know how that goes. but yeah his early stuff - his 1st single, “i luv u”, and then that 1st album - that shit was absolutely crazy in 2003, the only dude who was even close was Wiley (the Juan Atkins to Dizzee’s Derrick May). have to agree w/Zilla BTW, I’ll take Wiley over pretty much anyone - he’s the architect of all those crazy sonics, and not a half-bad MC to boot. in any event it’s a biiig stretch to expect hip hop heads to “get” grime, which is more closely related to dancehall and the jungle-UK garage continuum than US rap. it just gets marketed (when that happens, which is rare) here as like “UK mutant rap” b/c that’s easier for Americans to understand.

I’ll get on those trim tapes at some point. btw here’s one of my favorite old dizzee tracks, him just merking this dude Crazy Titch (who, incidentally later got sent up for 30 years for murdering someone else over insulting lyrics) over the “Lean Back beat:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVumPLajouM

By: Passion of the Weiss

Passion of the Weiss — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:21:17 +0000

Dart: Thanks as always for the good pts. I’ll have to check for that grime blog. Sadly, no “Last Good Sleep,” but he did play “Vital Nerve,” and she tried to Elaine dance to that one too.

Padraig: You’re probably right. I’ve never claimed to be an “expert” on grime and certainly not enough filters here to have much of an informed opinion other than Dizzee Rascal=overrated. I’d love to hear those tapes. If you want to sendspace them to me it’d be appreciated.

Zilla: How can I hear “Trapped.” Do you have it.

Ben: Glad I’m not the only one who finds Little Rascal overrated.