World's Fair

Still cursing yourself for not going to the Dizzee Rascal show last month? Don’t worry, our favorite British rapper (sorry Mr. Skinner) will be back in the US (and Canada!) for the second leg of his tour, beginning with a July 18th show in NYC and ending in San Francisco on July 25.

People who know what’s up have been praising Dizzee for a while now. Pitchfork posted the dates on their site, and the LA Weekly wrote about his show at the El Rey on May 22, calling it “better than 99.999999 % of your average American rapper’s set.” (Prefix also took some sweet pics.)

Last week, Monsieur Rascal was featured on HipHopDX’s homepage in an interview that has him crediting um, Korn as inspiration and TOMORROW, JUNE 4, he’s performing on FUEL TV “The Daily Habit” (9pm EST/6pm PST, then re-airing later in the evening at 12am EST/9pm PST and the following weekday at 2:30pm/11:30am and 5:30pm/2:30pm…whoo).

Dizzee Rascal Summer Tour Dates
July 18 - New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom
July 19 - Chicago, IL @ Pitchfork Music Festival
July 20 - Toronto, ONT @ Rogers Picnic
July 21 - Austin, TX @ Emo’s
July 22 - Denver, CO @ Cervante’s
July 24 - Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex
July 25 - San Francisco, CA @ Mezzanine

Check out the Dan Carey remix of Dizzee’s biggest UK hit, Flex, in preparation. [DOWNLOAD]

In other Def Jux news: New Website! New Music! New Shoes!

Artist: Dizzee Rascal
Album: Maths + English (U.S. Edition)
Label: Definitive Jux / World’s Fair
Street Date: April 29th, 2008
Formats: CD, mp3

CONNECT: Definitive Jux | Dizzee Rascal | Myspace | YouTube

You may have been hearing about the spectacular Mercury-Prize winning Dizzee Rascal for a while, but now is finally the time for stateside hip-hop fans or fans-to-be to check out the garage rap master in action, celebrating the 4/29 US release (courtesy of Def Jux) of Maths + English, a record that EW has called “an eclectic, break-dance-worthy Slick Rick reincarnation,” while The Observer Music Monthly declared it “essential” and “his strongest, most ambitious and mature…to date.”

Dizzee already tore it up at SXSW and the MTV Australia Awards 2008, now he’s primed for cross-country American domination. Oh yeah, and if the thought of ridiculously grimy beats and spit-fire rhymes from Britain’s favorite MC isn’t enough, he’s touring with none other than El-P, who really has to be seen to be believed.

Dizzee Rascal - MegaMaster 1.0 (Mixed by El-P) [DOWNLOAD]

Clear your calenders, dates start tomorrow!

May 8 - 9:30 Club, D.C.
May 9 - First Unitarian Church, Philly
May 10 - Webster Hall, NYC
May 11 - The Middle East, Boston
May 12 - New Capital Music Hall, Ottawa
May 13 - Crofoot Ballroom, Detroit
May 14 - The Abbey Pub, Chicago
May 16 - Triple Rock Club, Minneapolis
May 19 - Neumos, Seattle
May 20 - Berbatis Pan, Portland
May 21 - 1015, San Francisco
May 22 - El Rey, Los Angeles

Artist: Dizzee Rascal
Album: Maths + English (U.S. Edition)
Label: Definitive Jux / World’s Fair
Street Date: April 29th, 2008
Formats: CD, mp3

Dizzee Rascal feat. U.G.K. - “Where’s Da G’s?” [DOWNLOAD]

CONNECT: Definitive Jux | Dizzee Rascal | Myspace | YouTube

Let’s give it a shot! Start off with the Free Yr Radio early afternoon gig out in the sunshine…

Dizzee Rascal Live @ MPR The Current / Free Yr Radio [LISTEN]
Songs performed: “Where’s Da G’s,” “Sirens,” and “Fix Up, Look Sharp.” Peep the bird’s eye view:

Gorilla Vs. Bear was around snapping pola’s…

Later, Dizzee controlled the main stage at the Austin Convention Centre. Watch him blow through hits from the forthcoming Def Jux release including:

Dizzee Rascal - “Where’s Da G’s” Live @ Crackle.com

Dizzee Rascal - “Sirens” Live @ Crackle.com

Synthesis was there to snap pics:

“Dizzee Rascal delivered forty minutes of blistering, grimy hip-hop, flanked by the roster of his Dirtee Stank label. The set drew heavily from his latest, Maths + English (finally seeing a physical U.S. release April 29 after being out in the U.K. for nearly a year), including “Flex,” “Sirens,” and the new America-only track “G.H.E.T.T.O.” He dug back in the catalog for “Stand Up Tall,” “I Luv U” and “Fix Up, Look Sharp,” making sure to reinforce along with the Billy Squier sample that, yes, he’s got the big beat. GZA and Ice Cube need to step up their game Saturday if they hope to take the week’s hip-hop crown (which is currently Dizzee’s white L.A. Dodgers cap) away…” - RollingStone.com Rock Daily [READ MORE]

“Wandering into the Convention Center mid-afternoon and catching a sweet set from Dizzee Rascal and Footsie. Killer accent, bass to rattle you down to the marrow, and raps about the “G.H.E.T.T.O” for a buncha white folks with badges and baseball caps. Hey, it all worked. Can’t wait for Dizzee to tour the states again…” - SF Weekly / All Shook Down [READ MORE]

“… It was strange to watch Dizzee Rascal play such a traditional SXSW rap show. Instead of the eccentric cowering on the cover of Boy in Da Corner, fans were treated to a talented MC with a crew who likes shout-outs and shoes. His set drew as much from excellent early material as it did from Maths + English, and the high-BPM beats kept the show flowing and energetic. Dizzee looked older than he does in pictures, which was cool to see: a prodigy aging well. He made sure to plug the April 29 U.S. release of Maths + English, which comes courtesy of showcase sponsor Def Jux…” - Pitchfork [READ MORE]

… when out of the b-blue, b-boys showed up to throw down!

Dizzee Rascal / El-P tour all lined up - get yr tickets now yo!
May 8- 9:30 Club, D.C.
May 9 - First Unitarian Church, Philly
May 10 - Webster Hall, NYC
May 11- Middles East, Boston
May 12 - New Capital Music Hall, Ottawa
May 13 - Crofoot Ballroom, Detroit
May 14 - The Abbey Pub, Chicago
May 16 - Triple Rock Club, Minneapolis
May 19 - Neumos, Seattle
May 20 - Berbatis Pan, Portland
May 21 - 1015, San Francisco
May 22 - El Rey, Los Angeles

Artist: Dizzee Rascal
Album: Maths + English (U.S. Edition)
Label: Definitive Jux / World’s Fair
Street Date: April 29th, 2008
Formats: CD, mp3

Dizzee Rascal feat. U.G.K. - “Where’s Da G’s?” [DOWNLOAD]

Dizzee Rascal - MegaMaster 1.0 (Mixed by El-P) [DOWNLOAD]

CONNECT: Definitive Jux | Dizzee Rascal | Myspace

Dizzee Rascal - “Where’s Da G’s” Feat. Bun B [WATCH]

“This is a lot different than what you expect to see from Dizzee Rascal. We’re premiering it today as part of MTV2’s Spankin’ New week. The vid was shot in Houston (looks like the 5th Ward but that’s unconfirmed) by director Tom Campbell. It’s as far away from “Fix Up, Look Sharp” as you can get in some ways but at the end of the day they’re both ultimately songs about getting money…” - MTV Subterraneanblog [MORE]

Dizzee Rascal / El-P tour all lined up - get yr tickets now yo!
May 8- 9:30 Club, D.C.
May 9 - First Unitarian Church, Philly
May 10 - Webster Hall, NYC
May 11- Middles East, Boston
May 12 - New Capital Music Hall, Ottawa
May 13 - Crofoot Ballroom, Detroit
May 14 - The Abbey Pub, Chicago
May 16 - Triple Rock Club, Minneapolis
May 19 - Neumos, Seattle
May 20 - Berbatis Pan, Portland
May 21 - 1015, San Francisco
May 22 - El Rey, Los Angeles

Artist: Dizzee Rascal
Album: Maths + English (U.S. Edition)
Label: Definitive Jux / World’s Fair
Street Date: April 29th, 2008
Formats: CD, mp3

Dizzee Rascal feat. U.G.K. - “Where’s Da G’s?” [DOWNLOAD]

Dizzee Rascal - MegaMaster 1.0 (Mixed by El-P) [DOWNLOAD]

CONNECT: Definitive Jux | Dizzee Rascal | Myspace

“Put your learning caps on, because class is now in session with Professor Dizzee Rascal. Sit up straight and take the gum out of your mouth — it’s time for your first lesson in British hip-hop slang…” - AOL Spinner [MORE]

The series continues - this is just part 1 - so stay google’d to AOL Spinner!

CONNECT: Definitive Jux | Dizzee Rascal | Myspace

Frank151 was lucky enough to be a part of UK grime icon Dizzee Rascal’s return visit to NYC. Here he is at the Chop Shop, enjoying a trim from New York barber icon Mr Bee… - Frank 151 [READ MORE]

Here’s a clip from the balls-to-the-wall, sold-out Southpaw show!

Status Ain’t Hood reviewed the show, “Onstage, Dizzee shows a really serious young-lion charisma, and he knows how to put on a show; he and his never-introduced hypeman hit all their marks hard enough that they’d clearly spent a whole lot of time rehearsing. On a technical level, Dizzee is a monster of an MC, capable of belting out serious double-time lines without losing his breath or letting the beat swallow his words…” - Status Ain’t Hood [READ MORE]

Status Ain’t Hood also caught up before the show for some face time with the Rascal… He writes, “I met Dizzee at the Def Jux offices on Friday afternoon. They’d set him up in an office with a box full of Maths + English liner notes so he could autograph all of them. When I got done interviewing him, as I was leaving the room, Dizzee told me, “Don’t take it all so seriously, man. It’s just fun, innit?” So maybe I followed the wrong line of questioning through this thing. That’s something that might get lost in translation in Dizzee’s music as it crosses the Atlantic: he makes fun music…” - Status Ain’t Hood [READ MORE]

More pics c/o Prefix Mag

Artist: Dizzee Rascal
Album: Maths + English (U.S. Edition)
Label: Definitive Jux / World’s Fair
Street Date: April 29th, 2008
Formats: CD, mp3

Dizzee Rascal feat. U.G.K. - “Where’s Da G’s?” [DOWNLOAD]

Dizzee Rascal - MegaMaster 1.0 (Mixed by El-P) [DOWNLOAD]

CONNECT: Definitive Jux | Dizzee Rascal | Myspace

Dizzee Rascal - MegaMaster 1.0 (Mixed by El-P) [DOWNLOAD]

Mix includes the El-P remix of “Where’s Da G’s” plus clips of U.S. edition exclusive tracks “G.H.E.T.T.O.” and “Driving With No Where To Go” and Pretty Todd remix of “Pussyole” - MASSIVE!

Dizzee Rascal plays Plug Awards, SXSW & then some!

Artist: Dizzee Rascal
Album: Maths + English (U.S. Edition)
Label: Definitive Jux / World’s Fair
Street Date: April 29th, 2008
Formats: CD, mp3

CONNECT: Definitive Jux | Dizzee Rascal | Myspace

Dizzee Rascal feat. U.G.K. - “Where’s Da G’s?” [DOWNLOAD]

Del kicks off a stint of US dates with Plug Awards this week and SXSW next week!

Dizzee Rascal, veteran of Roll Deep crew and winner of the prestigious Mercury Prize in 2003 for his “Boy In Da Corner” album has created what could easily be considered the definitive grime recording with “Maths + English” (also nominated for a 2007 Mercury Prize in the U.K).

Definitive Jux will release Dizzee Rascal’s “Maths + English” on April 29, showing the proper respect to a recording that offers a brutally honest portrayal of UK city life. The album will be released in stores for the first time in America as well as digitally. See full tracklisting below with new songs and remixes to be included on the stateside release. Whether Dizzee is going at it with American gangsta rap legends Bun B and Pimp C on ” Where’s Da G’s” or paying his dues by collaborating with UK drum and bass legend Shy FX, there is a palatable sense of desperation and simmering violence throughout “Maths + English” on tracks like “World Outside” and “Paranoid”. The assault of metal guitars on the just what the fuck have I done rant “Sirens” is offset by the smartass backchat of Lily Allen on “Wanna Be” proving that the more musical ground that Dizzee covers on “Maths + English” the end result is a perfect vehicle for one man’s voice and vision.

As if to confirm that sometimes you have to travel a long way to get really close to home, Wiz’ controversial video for “Sirens” (in which Dizzee – the fur trim on his parka marking him out as a true urban fox - is hunted through concrete walkways by redcoats on horseback) was filmed on a Romanian council estate. “They’ve got estates over there that look just like ours,” Dizzee explains, “except there are still bullet holes in the buildings and that’s in the nice part. You could say the same thing about “Maths & English.” It’s easily Dizzee’s most upfront and accessible record to date – “Sirens” is a UK half-brother to Jay Z’s “99 Problems” and full on party tracks like “Flex” and “Bubbles” have turned up the heat on UK dancefloors the more melancholic Mercury Prize-winning debut “Boy In Da Corner” might have cleared.

While American influences were vital to the evolution of “Maths+English” the album never compromises its distinctively British identity. Numbers. Words. Dizzee Rascal has presented a complete work of art, which is the definition of education.

Where once he growled his rhymes through gritted teeth or abortively gulped them down altogether, now the beats let him breathe. - Blender

An eclectic, break-dance-worthy Slick Rick reincarnation. – Entertainment Weekly

Dizzee’s despairing wail, focused anger, and cutting sonics places him on the front lines in the battle against a stultifying Britain, just as Pete Townshend, Johnny Rotten, and Morrissey have been in the past. – Pitchfork

This is almost certainly the most important album to emerge from the black British underground – Sunday Telegraph UK

His strongest most ambitious and mature record to date. Essential. - Observer Music Monthly

“Maths + English” U.S. Edition Track Listing:
01 World Outside
02 Sirens
03 Where’s Da G’s
04 Paranoid
05 Suk My Dick
06 Flex
07 Da Feelin’
08 Bubbles
09 Excuse Me Please
10 Hard Back (Industry)
11 Temptation
12 Wanna Be
13 U Can’t Tell Me Nuffin’
14 G.H.E.T.T.O. [bonus track]
15 Driving [bonus track]
16 Where’s Da G’s (El-P remix) [bonus track]

Artist: Dizzee Rascal
Album: Maths + English (U.S. Edition)
Label: Definitive Jux / World’s Fair
Street Date: April 29th, 2008
Formats: CD, mp3

CONNECT: Definitive Jux | Dizzee Rascal | Myspace

In case you missed, it’s official! In addition to the US release of Dizzee’s critically acclaimed “Maths + English” coming up on April 29th, Def Jux takes it to a whole other level with this stretch of tour dates below…

Jus’ a Rascal:
March 6 - PLUG AWARDS, NYC
March 11 - Southpaw, Brooklyn

Def Jux @ SXSW:
March 13 - The Scoot Inn (SXSW)

El Rascal
May 8- 9:30 Club, D.C.
May 9 - First Unitarian Church, Philly
May 10 - Webster Hall, NYC
May 11- Middles East, Boston
May 12 - New Capital Music Hall, Ottawa
May 13 - Crofoot Ballroom, Detroit
May 14 - The Abbey Pub, Chicago
May 16 - Triple Rock Club, Minneapolis
May 19 - Neumos, Seattle
May 20 - Berbatis Pan, Portland
May 21 - 1015, San Francisco
May 22 - El Rey, Los Angeles

CONNECT: Definitive Jux

“… We haven’t exactly been shy in expressing our fondness for Dizzee Rascal’s Maths + English album. We gave the disc our recommendation when we reviewed it back in June, and it even landed at #49 on our list of our favorite albums of last year (single “Pussyole” made it onto our top songs list at #28) But when XL originally released the album, it wasn’t given a physical release in the U.S., just a digital one. It was unfortunate; as our reviewer Nate Patrin wrote, “Dizzee’s best prospects for an expanded fanbase may well be across the pond.” Happily, Maths + English is getting another chance, thanks to the good folks at Def Jux. The indie rap powerhouse will issue the album on CD for the first time in the States April 29. (It will also re-release it digitally, as it is no longer available as a download here.)…” - Pitchfork [READ MORE]

Artist: Dizzee Rascal
Album: Maths + English
Label: Definitive Jux / World’s Fair
Street Date: April 29th, 2008
Formats: CD, mp3

… take it from the horse’s gift mouth:

“We are proud to announce that Tuesday, April 29th will bring the release of Dizzee Rascal’s Maths + English on Def Jux. The album, released overseas, has garnered tons of great press already and features guest appearances by Lily Allen, UGK, and Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys…. El-P is also hard at work on a remix of the lead track, “Where’s Da G’s”!” - Definitive Jux [READ MORE]

Can you hear dem sirens comin’?

CONNECT: Definitive Jux | Dizzee Rascal