Dizzee Rascal - Background & Context

Dylan Kwabena Mills (born 18 September 1984), better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a Ghanaian British rapper, songwriter and record producer. His music is a blend of garag, hip hop, grime, ragga, pop and electronic music, with eclectic samples and more exotic styles. Best known for his number-one hits "Dance wiv Me", "Bonkers", "Holiday", "Dirtee Disco" & "Shout", his debut album, Boy in da Corner, won him the 2003 Mercury Prize. Follow-up albums Showtime, Maths + English and Tongue n' Cheek have all been critically acclaimed and certified gold, the last going platinum for sales exceeding 300,000 units.

What are the key stages in Dizzee Rascal's career? Meeting his mentor Wiley, getting Number 1 hits such as; Bonkers and Holiday. Winning a Mercury prize. He was voted number 1 album of the year by Planet Sound. Collaborating with other big artists such as Florence and the machine, His song "jus a rascal" was featured in "Kidulthood".Dizzee Rascal won the NME Award for Innovation. Dizzee Rascal made an international endorsement deal with urban brand Eckō and designed his own shoe with Nike in 2005. Creating his own record label "Dirtee Stank".

When did he start and how did he become famous? Through his mentor Wiley. He became an amateur DJ, making occasional appearances on a local pirate radio station. Aged 16, he self-produced his first single, "I Luv U". In 2002, he jointly formed the Roll Deep Crew, a 13-piece garage collective, with former school friends. Signed by the XL record label, he signed an additional solo deal. Dizzee then worked with his mentor Wiley to create the song 'We Ain't Having It' and also rapped on some 'Sidewinder' recordings.  Dizzee Rascal worked closely with his mentor Wiley, who created one of the first grime tracks, called "Eskimo". Grime is today still considered underground, despite Dizzee's large mainstream exposure. Dizzee's DJ, DJ Semtex, says, "the biggest conflict I have is with major labels because they still don’t get it."

How many albums has he sold to date? Dizzee Rascal has produced 4 albums: Boy in Da Corner, Showtime, Maths and English and Tongue N Cheek. His sales have exceeded over 300,000 units. Dizzee Rascals net worth is $3.5 million. Tongue n' Cheek is the fourth studio album by British rapper Dizzee Rascal. The album was released on 20 September 2009^. It has been certified platinum by the BPI for sales of over 300,000, making it the best-selling album of Rascal's career.

What impact has he made on the music industry? Dizzee Rascal has made a big impact on the music industry as he has made cultures and genres of music such as grime more acceptable to the society. He also won the Mercury prize at the youngest age making him an idol and a very inspiriring role model. He also created his own record label "Dirtee Stank", which is intelligent and admirable. Finally, he has his own unique style of clothing and he collaborated with Ecko and Nike, who designed his own trainers. He is very talented which innovative ideas for the audience to enjoy.