Dizzee began MCing on pirate radio and at raves at fifteen, but since his mainstream success he has distanced himself from the fledgling scene. Rascal grew up in the East End of London in south Bow in a council estate, raised by his single mother, a Ghanaian immigrant. Little is known about his father, though it is thought that he died when Mills was two. He attributes his musical development to a school teacher who allowed him to skip regular classes and spend time working on music on the school computers.
His music is an eclectic mixture of garage and hip-hop beats with an extremely broad palette of influences, ranging from metal guitars to found sounds, drill and bass synth lines, eclectic samples and even Japanese court music. His vocal performance is also distinctive, he uses a fast version of rapping (known as 'spitting') which blends elements from garage MCing, conventional rap, grime and ragga.
Dizzee Rascal has numerous rivals within the Grime scene, mainly from the Bow, East London area. A notable rival of Dizzee Rascal is Crazy Titch who produced and recorded a diss called "Just An Arsehole" which used the backing track of Dizzee's record of "Jus A Rascal".
Dizzee Rascal has had international endorsements deals with urban brand Ecko and designed his own shoe with Nike. He has also worked with cross genre artist, Beck, on a remix of the song Hell Yes.
He released his debut album in 2003, which was called Boy In Da Corner, winning him the 2003 Mercury Prize. His second album Showtime was released in 2004. His third effort, Maths and English was released in 2007. All three albums received critical acclaim. He experienced commercial success in 2008 when Dance Wiv Me reached the number one spot in the UK charts. His fourth album, Tongue n' Cheek was released in 2009, going platinum for sales exceeding 300,000 units in the UK. Dizzee Rascal's album The Fifth was released in 2013, the same year he received an honorary Doctorate of the Arts from the University of East London.
In 2017, Rascal released Raskit, which as well as building on his sound heralded a return on some songs to the grime sound of his earlier albums.
Discography:
Studio albums:
2003: Boy in da Corner
2004: Showtime
2007: Maths + English
2009: Tongue n' Cheek
2013: The Fifth
2017: Raskit
2020: E3 AF
2024: Don't Take It Personal
Chillin' Wiv da Man Dem
Dizzee Rascal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What ma fam?
What you got there?
Oi
Is that a lemon?
No it's cheese cuzzie
Hey join me?
What I just lit it fam!
F**k sake
Are you movin to my girl though?
I might do still!
She's loose bruv
Ah shup!
Chorus:
Chillin wiv da man dem
Jammin wiv da man dem
It's all good in the hood wiv da man dem
I know a couple girlem maybe I should mail dem
Till then I'm just chillin wiv da man dem
Jammin wiv da man dem
It's all good in the hood wiv da man dem
I know a couple girlem maybe I should mail dem
Till them I'm just chillin wiv da, chillin wiv da
I was in the e3bo playin pro evil
Gettin moved up in the scores for a zero
If I lose again I will surely regret it
And this pussyole won't let me forget it
But it's no pressure I can take this boi
And if I don't win I'll break this boi
I'm just rampin we've got an understandin
It can never be arms house that's ma brederin
Through thick and thin, rain sleet hail snow he's chippin in
If he's got a couple gash he'll bring me in
If he's got a bit of weed I'm smokin
I ain't jokin
From day one we was on this road ting
Now we're all grown up on the old ting
Kick back take it easy and slow ting
It's the kind of thing we're promotin
No job ting
[Chorus:]
When I get lost
Feel I've been crossed
The man dem are my salvation
I take off my shoes
Fill up a zoot
And put on the playstation
So stop button bashing just pass the pad, pass the pad, pass the pad
Stop chattin s**t just pass the pad, pass the pad, pass the pad
Hey no it's winner stays on blud pass the pad, pass the pad, pass the pad
Don't be a prick blud pass the pad, pass the pad, pass the pad
High talk and ghetto conspiracies
Psychotic weed dealers smokin trees
Heated arguments all about the football
We're up all night like we're nocturnal
I can't be bothered to do anything but chill
And f**k the world outside that's how I feel
I've got a whole lot of time to kill
So f**k these b*****s I'm just keepin it real
[Chorus:]
(Instrumental)
The song "Chillin' Wiv da Man Dem" is about friendship, loyalty, and simply having a good time with friends. The lyrics depict a group of friends hanging out, smoking weed, playing video games, and chatting about girls. The opening lines of the song portray a conversation between two friends, where one of them offers the other some cheese, but the other mistakes it for a lemon. The underlying message behind the song is the importance of having a tight-knit group of friends who will always be there for you, no matter what.
Throughout the song, Dizzee Rascal emphasizes the bond between him and his friends, who he calls the "man dem" – an expression in UK slang that refers to a group of male friends. He talks about how they've been through thick and thin together and how they always have each other's backs. The song also touches on themes of escapism and finding solace in the company of friends. When Dizzee Rascal feels lost or down, he turns to his friends to lift his spirits.
Overall, "Chillin' Wiv da Man Dem" is an ode to the joys of friendship and camaraderie. It's a celebration of the simple pleasures of life, like hanging out with friends and having a good time.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo cuz
Greetings, my friend
What ma fam?
What are you carrying there, my friend?
What you got there?
May I ask what you are carrying?
Oi
Hey there
Is that a lemon?
I thought you were carrying a lemon, my friend?
No it's cheese cuzzie
No, it's cheese, my friend
Hey join me?
Would you like to partake in this with me?
What I just lit it fam!
I just lit this, my friend
Oh don't be shy!
Do not be hesitant, my friend
F**k sake
For goodness sake
Are you movin to my girl though?
Are you trying to pursue my girl?
I might do still!
I am considering it
She's loose bruv
She is promiscuous, my friend
Ah shup!
Stop that
Chillin wiv da man dem
Relaxing with my friends
Jammin wiv da man dem
Enjoying music with my friends
It's all good in the hood wiv da man dem
Things are well in the community with my friends
I know a couple girlem maybe I should mail dem
I know a couple girls, perhaps I should contact them
Till then I'm just chillin wiv da man dem
But for now, I am just hanging out with my friends
I was in the e3bo playin pro evil
I was playing Pro Evolution Soccer in my house
Gettin moved up in the scores for a zero
I am improving my score from zero
If I lose again I will surely regret it
If I lose again, I will undoubtedly feel regret
And this pussyole won't let me forget it
And this person will not let me forget it
But it's no pressure I can take this boi
But there's no pressure, I can handle this situation
And if I don't win I'll break this boi
And If I do not prevail, I will become enraged
I'm just rampin we've got an understandin
I am merely getting worked up, but my friend understands me
It can never be arms house that's ma brederin
We remain united, that's my brotherhood
Through thick and thin, rain sleet hail snow he's chippin in
No matter the conditions, he is always supportive
If he's got a couple gash he'll bring me in
If he has some women, he will introduce me to them
If he's got a bit of weed I'm smokin
If he has some marijuana, I will smoke it with him
I ain't jokin
I am serious
From day one we was on this road ting
We have been on this journey from the beginning
Now we're all grown up on the old ting
Now, as adults, we continue to pursue the same interests
Kick back take it easy and slow ting
Relax and take it easy
It's the kind of thing we're promotin
This is the lifestyle we are promoting
No job ting
No need to worry about employment
When I get lost
When I am uncertain
Feel I've been crossed
Feel betrayed
The man dem are my salvation
My friends save me from feeling lost or betrayed
I take off my shoes
I relax and become comfortable
Fill up a zoot
Smoke some marijuana
And put on the playstation
Play video games
So stop button bashing just pass the pad, pass the pad, pass the pad
Stop pressing the buttons too aggressively and hand me the controller
Stop chattin s**t just pass the pad, pass the pad, pass the pad
Do not speak nonsense, just give me the controller
Hey no it's winner stays on blud pass the pad, pass the pad, pass the pad
The winner stays to play again, so give me the controller
Don't be a prick blud pass the pad, pass the pad, pass the pad
Do not be rude, give me the controller
High talk and ghetto conspiracies
Conversations that are above average and related to life in the ghetto
Psychotic weed dealers smokin trees
Drug dealers who are mentally unstable and smoke marijuana
Heated arguments all about the football
Intense arguments about football
We're up all night like we're nocturnal
We stay awake all night as if we are nocturnal animals
I can't be bothered to do anything but chill
I do not feel like doing anything other than relaxing
And f**k the world outside that's how I feel
I have no interest in the outside world, this is how I feel
I've got a whole lot of time to kill
I have plenty of time to relax and do nothing
So f**k these b*****s I'm just keepin it real
I do not care about these women, I am just being honest
Contributed by Aria E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.