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
Graftin'
Dizzee Rascal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[Background] West London, South London
I'm the London hustler a golden grind, grind. Young hustlers we graft all the time dawn or dark
Non stop UK walk
Yo as a hustler in the city before I came to stack Lord knows I got the devil on ma back so call
When I gotta stay on track dog e god and I'll stay if you like in the LD and what I done to attract
Calm that I can show you where its at first things first get a block n a flat next up get a black
Years gettin' caught that's you, sittin' in the cell still wonderin' who don't keep quiet n keep it on
A diet ask you're self wot bout Steve *** not Stu. pissed off with not a lot to do and the word on the
Street don't ever seem new and resistin' arrest don't even seem true endless heart who do you believe
N will it ever relieve the lonliness lets see if you remain convinced on my you know what the
Streets are like a few more words a couple more rages other than that not a lot else changes
[Chorus:]
Sky looks green
London city wish they graftin' 'cause were gritty
*hustle hustle hustle, hustle hustle hustle 'cause there means
Sky looks green
London city wish they graftin 'cause were gritty
I used to roll your money up against the wall whenever I played hopscotch, well I'm clinical
Parkin' life 'cause I'm back in the white mans cotch I'm bein' doin' this since papa ? I don't want any
Boy in my face invadin' my space or bring on star and watch!
I'll end your hours on the clock I'll end your days you'll think I'm crazed when I give you big black
Clock end you're sentence...full stop.
Now what you gonna say about gats I kno you're platinum or not you're fought all you're rhymes on spot but
I'm probably everythin' that you're not. you're totally mad you've lost the plot do you even consider gettin'
Me gone carried off to a hospital like a shot ontop of a table ? I'll dictate n relagate who's
Heavyweight I'm king on the ring make music instinct you kno I do everythiiin.
[Chorus:]
Damn right yeh
Young hustlers london city stand up
Ama show you its gritty out ere
Ye man serious...
You beta know you betta understand
Its Dizzee Rascal SOLO
I'm ERE WOT!
Everyone stand up
Dizzee Rascal GIZZA BELL!
I swear to you...
In the song "Graftin," Dizzee Rascal talks about his experiences as a London hustler. He mentions how he had to work hard to make it in the city and how he had to deal with the police and other challenges that come with living in a big city. The opening lines, "So what you thinkin' 'bout London city now aye, who dya city love," is a reference to how people perceive London and how the city has a different meaning for everyone who lives there.
He talks about his life as a young hustler who worked hard, day and night, to make a living, highlighting the sacrifices involved, and the things one needs to do to survive in the city. He talks about the many challenges he faced, such as getting caught by police and having to spend time in jail. Dizzee Rascal also implies that he has a reputation on the streets, and he's not someone to be messed with.
The chorus "Sky looks green, London city wish they graftin' cause were gritty" refers to how the city is tough, and people have to work hard to make a living. The green sky is a metaphor for the struggles they face, and "griftin" means working hard and doing whatever it takes to make a living.
Line by Line Meaning
So what you thinkin' 'bout London city now aye, who dya city love
As a London hustler, I'm curious about the city's sentiment towards us hustlers.
I'm the London hustler a golden grind, grind. Young hustlers we graft all the time dawn or dark
I am a hardworking and successful London hustler who, along with other young hustlers, grind day and night to make money.
Non stop UK walk
We are unstoppable and persistent in our desire to succeed as UK hustlers.
Yo as a hustler in the city before I came to stack Lord knows I got the devil on ma back so call
As a hustler in the city, I faced many obstacles and hardships, including the constant pressure to make money.
When I gotta stay on track dog e god and I'll stay if you like in the LD and what I done to attract
I have a lot of experience as a hustler and can show others how to attract success in the London hustle scene.
Calm that I can show you where its at first things first get a block n a flat next up get a black
To make it as a London hustler, you need to secure a place to live and a location to do business, along with blending in by wearing all black.
Hoodie n a hat livin' in the big brothers camera view givin' my axe to the boys in blue. straight 5
Wearing a hoodie and hat as a London hustler means living under constant CCTV surveillance and avoiding getting caught by the authorities.
Years gettin' caught that's you, sittin' in the cell still wonderin' who don't keep quiet n keep it on
Many London hustlers get caught and end up sitting in a cell, wondering who they can trust and how they can continue hustling.
A diet ask you're self wot bout Steve *** not Stu. pissed off with not a lot to do and the word on the
When in jail, you reflect on your life and question what would have happened if you had turned out like Steve instead of Stu.
Street don't ever seem new and resistin' arrest don't even seem true endless heart who do you believe
The streets remain the same, and resisting arrest seems futile, causing you to question who you can trust.
N will it ever relieve the lonliness lets see if you remain convinced on my you know what the
Being alone in jail makes you question if hustling is really worth it, and if it's the right path for your life.
Streets are like a few more words a couple more rages other than that not a lot else changes
The streets never change much, and hustling brings about a lot of anger and negative emotions without making a significant impact.
Sky looks green
London city wish they graftin' 'cause were gritty
*hustle hustle hustle, hustle hustle hustle 'cause there means
The city looks profitable for hustlers, and people wish they could be grafting like us because there is meaning in our work.
I used to roll your money up against the wall whenever I played hopscotch, well I'm clinical
As a child, I used to play games with money, but now as a hustler, I am strategic and calculated.
Parkin' life 'cause I'm back in the white mans cotch I'm bein' doin' this since papa ? I don't want any
I'm putting my life on hold to hustle again and avoid being in the white mans clutches, and I've been doing this since I was young.
Boy in my face invadin' my space or bring on star and watch!
I don't want anyone to mess with me or my business, or else they will face the consequences of involving others.
I'll end your hours on the clock I'll end your days you'll think I'm crazed when I give you big black
If you cross me, I will end your life and show no mercy, causing people to think I'm insane.
Clock end you're sentence...full stop.
The final verdict on your fate will be decided by me, and there is no changing it.
Now what you gonna say about gats I kno you're platinum or not you're fought all you're rhymes on spot but
You may talk about guns, but I know you're just pretending and that your rhymes are lacking substance.
I'm probably everythin' that you're not. you're totally mad you've lost the plot do you even consider gettin'
I am everything you're not as a hustler, and you have lost sight of what hustling truly means.
Me gone carried off to a hospital like a shot ontop of a table ? I'll dictate n relagate who's
If you mess with me, you'll end up in the hospital, and I'm the one who holds all the power and decides who gets to be a true hustler.
Heavyweight I'm king on the ring make music instinct you kno I do everythiiin.
I am the heavyweight hustling champion and can make music and hustle with ease, knowing what to do in any situation.
Everyone stand up
Dizzee Rascal GIZZA BELL!
I swear to you...
Everyone should stand up to celebrate my hustling success, and I vow to continue this lifestyle.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DYLAN KWABENA MILLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jama Ali
That beat is Grimey hell and this dude seriously has one of the best flows ever. What happened to this Dizzee?!!!
Ali Box
@Richie Hops He never left bro ❤️
Major Niggles
i think showtime is really underrated to be honest, dizzee was angry and focused
Richie Hops
Ain't you heard? He's back!
Richie Hops
Most underrated and grimiest tune! Dizzee killed it!
G
Still better then most the shit now a days
bobbydeazy
The beat sounds like the noise you hear in your head, if you get punched in the ear, or a slight concussion. dirty probably my fav dizzie track
Moneyaddthenmultiply
this is honestly his best track imho
Glenn Chinyangarara
Underrated for sure
Portboy
I love the aggressive nature of this song and its authentic links to Dylans true background. 'As I hustle in the city, for a paper stack, lord knows I got the devil on ma back'. I love how fast and clear he spits this part!