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
Fix Up Look Sharp
Dizzee Rascal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Haha, haha, aha, ha, aha, haha
Yea
Stupid
Fix up look sharp
Don't make me get the blitz out get dark (woo)
Duck down, lay down (just calm down) (woo)
Fix up look sharp
Don't make me get the blitz out get dark (woo)
Hear the bang, see the spark
Duck down, lay down (just calm down) (woo)
I got the big beat (aha ha ha)
I hear the sound (yeah)
I got the big beat, (Dizzee Rascal)
I get on down (rolling deep)
I've heard the gossip from the street to the slammer
They're trying to see if Dizzee stays true to his grammar
Being a celebrity don't mean shit to me
Fuck the glitz and glamor
Hit 'em with the Blitz and Hammer (woo)
Because they're talking 'bout rushing
Talk behind my back but to my face they say nothing
Stand up in the dance, keep a firm steady stance
Keep the beanies touching, keep the beanies hot flashing (woo)
Flushing MC's down the loo
If you don't believe me bring your posse, bring your crew
Feel free to hate 'cause I ain't tryna be your mate
Be serious, you wouldn't last an hour in my shoe (woo)
It's an Air Force One (woo)
Trainers by the truck load, trainers by the ton
Don't be dazed when I catch you by your J's
Chump, best to act like Forest Gump, best to run (woo)
Fix up look sharp
Don't make me get the blitz out get dark (woo)
Hear the bang, see the spark
Duck down, lay down (just calm down) (woo)
Fix up look sharp
Don't make me get the blitz out get dark (woo)
Hear the bang, see the spark
Duck down, lay down (just calm down) (woo)
I got the big beat
I hear the sound
I got the big beat (oi) (woo)
I get on down (sweet as a nut mate, sweet as a nut)
I stay sweet as a nut, sweet like Tropicana
When the hammer hits, your head splits like banana
You're not ready for this boy
You better send your best soldiers, this is Captain Roscoe (woo)
More destructive and troublesome than ever
I'll probably be doing this, probably forever
Fellas wanna stop me they'll probably come together
Its probable they'll stop me, probably never (woo)
Yo top boy, topman, or top a topper
Come to me with an attitude, come a cropper
I'm old school like Happy Shopper
I fight old school, bring your bat and your chopper (woo)
And a First Aid kit and some antiseptic, this could get hectic (woo)
I'm a Don accept it, you gotta bright future
Don't let my gun affect it
Fix up look sharp
Don't make me get the blitz out get dark (woo)
Hear the bang, see the spark
Duck down, lay down (just calm down) (woo)
Fix up look sharp
Don't make me get the blitz out get dark (woo)
Hear the bang, see the spark
Duck down, lay down (just calm down) (woo)
(Woo)
(Calm down)
Fix up
(Woo)
Dizzee Rascal's song Fix Up Look Sharp was released in 2003 as part of his debut album, Boy in da Corner. The song opens with the artist saying "oi" three times, which is a slang term used to get someone's attention or to express surprise. Throughout the song, Dizzee Rascal makes it clear that he is not interested in the glitz and glamor of being a celebrity. He emphasizes the importance of staying true to oneself and keeping a firm stance even when people try to bring you down. The artist asserts his dominance in the rap game by warning those who are trying to challenge him to come with their best soldiers, but he remains confident that he is the top boy.
The lyrics of Fix Up Look Sharp are an embodiment of the UK grime scene, which emerged in the early 2000s. The genre was characterized by its raw and gritty sound, as well as its lyrics which often dealt with themes of violence, racism, and poverty. Fix Up Look Sharp is a prime example of the genre, with its aggressive beats and lyrics that address issues faced by young people of color in the UK.
Interestingly, the title of the song is a reference to a line from the 1980 film The Blues Brothers, where one of the characters tells the other to "fix the cigarette lighter" before saying "look sharp." The track features a sample from the song "The Big Beat" by American hip-hop artist Billy Squier. The song was reportedly written and recorded in just three hours, and the music video was filmed in one day.
Line by Line Meaning
Fix up look sharp
Get yourself together and pay attention to what's going on around you
Don't make me get the blitz out get dark (woo)
Don't make me angry or upset me, or you'll regret it
Hear the bang, see the spark
You'll know when I'm about to do something crazy
Duck down, lay down (just calm down) (woo)
Get out of the way or take cover, because things are about to get intense
I got the big beat (aha ha ha)
I've got the rhythm and the power to make you move
I hear the sound (yeah)
I'm always aware of what's going on
I get on down (rolling deep)
I dance with energy and enthusiasm
They're trying to see if Dizzee stays true to his grammar
People are curious to see if I'll remain loyal to my street style
Being a celebrity don't mean shit to me
Fame and fortune aren't important to me
Fuck the glitz and glamor
I don't care about fancy things or being flashy
Hit 'em with the Blitz and Hammer (woo)
I'll attack with force and precision
Talk behind my back but to my face they say nothing
People are afraid to confront me directly
Keep the beanies touching, keep the beanies hot flashing (woo)
I'll keep the party going and the vibe lively
Flushing MC's down the loo
I'm easily defeating and getting rid of the competition
Feel free to hate 'cause I ain't tryna be your mate
You can dislike me all you want, I'm not trying to be your friend
Be serious, you wouldn't last an hour in my shoe (woo)
Don't underestimate how difficult my life is and how tough I am
Trainers by the truck load, trainers by the ton
I have an abundance of sneakers
Don't be dazed when I catch you by your J's
Don't be surprised when I catch you off guard
Chump, best to act like Forest Gump, best to run (woo)
You're better off running away like Forest Gump did in the movie
I stay sweet as a nut, sweet like Tropicana
I remain upbeat and positive, like drinking sweet juice
When the hammer hits, your head splits like banana
If I attack, it will be very damaging
You're not ready for this boy
You can't handle the intensity and power I possess
Fellas wanna stop me they'll probably come together
People might try to team up to defeat me, but it won't work
Its probable they'll stop me, probably never (woo)
It's unlikely anyone will ever be able to stop me
I'm old school like Happy Shopper
I have an old-fashioned, traditional approach to things
I fight old school, bring your bat and your chopper (woo)
I'm ready to fight with some old-school weapons
And a First Aid kit and some antiseptic, this could get hectic (woo)
Be prepared, things could get messy and out of control
I'm a Don accept it, you gotta bright future
I'm a boss and a leader, and you have potential to achieve great things
Don't let my gun affect it
My aggression and power won't interfere with your success
(Woo)
Expressing excitement and enthusiasm
(Calm down)
Take a deep breath and relax
Fix up
Get yourself together and focus on what's important
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Dylan Kwabena Mills, Nick Denton, William H Squier
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind