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
Knock Knock
Dizzee Rascal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Knock knock who's there? Dizzee
Dizzee who? Ras
And I kick ass
Kill a MC fast
Knock knock who's there? Bad
Bad who? Boy
I'm here to annoy
Knock knock who's there? Jack
Jack who? You
Your not with your crew
What you gunna do
Knock knock who's there? Big
Big who? Gun
Point me to the sun
Watch your fassy run
I'm dizzee ras nightmare from the big E A S T
I'm exactly what your parent don't want to see on your tv
I nicely, precisely intimadate anyone that I choose
Refuse to to lose
Express unlimited contriversial views
Your average boy or girl on the street might be familiar with my beat
And/or familiar with my sound, I'm formerly from the underground
And its clear, for a year, I've been turing up the heat
Made you get up and out of your seat
Shake your fists and shuffle your feet
And now I'm here
Lets make another thing clear [Overlaps here on previous line]
They didn't bun me up enough I'm still here
So what was the perpose of your little charade, your little charade was whack
Just about hurt me
You should of merked me
I was on a rampage now I'm back
Five stab wounds
Couple scratches, bruises and some pains
Four half-hearted fassies
Four poor is no brains
Did it
Two weeks before my album came out helped me sell double
But lets not dwell on that, its the least of your troubles
[Chorus]
Eh yo considering
The part I play, you wouldn't expect for me me to say I prefer the day to nights where I gotta
turn up and play
I rip-off, dusty, sweaty, clotter raised
And the audience, all screw faced, and promoters don't want to pay
And half of the boys in the croud want to blast me
And half of the girls want to show how little they care about standing right there at the front,
tryin t? look right past me
It gets depressing thinking bout it even more
Knowing that I'm gonna face the usual hassle at the door
Because as well as lippy hags, I hate cocky bouncers
I ain't here to rave I'm here to get paid look
You search me up rough like I'm any common crook
My names on the flyer man, forget the guest book
Abusing your athority you look like a fool
You faulty standard, underdog, you know your own tool
I ain't wearin certain shoes so you don't think I look right (what?)
that's cushdy mate, I'm gettin paid more than you tonight
[Chorus]
In Dizzee Rascal's song Knock Knock, the chorus consists of four knock knock jokes, where Dizzee responds with threatening and intimidating lines. The lyrics portray Dizzee as a tough guy who takes on anyone who stands in his way. He refers to himself as a nightmare from the big E A S T, and he intimidates anyone he chooses. Dizzee Rascal's lyrics are controversial and provoke a sense of fear in his listeners.
Furthermore, Dizzee Rascal describes his experience as an underground artist who has been making groundbreaking music for a year that has been heating up the streets. He acknowledges that his music has been gaining popularity, creating an impact on people who are familiar with his sound. He talks about being attacked and stabbed four times but still making it through and selling twice as much while keeping it in perspective that he is not here to dwell on that. In contrast, he mentions the challenges he faces while performing, from facing the hostile audiences and disrespectful bouncers to the promoters who don't want to pay him. The lyrics show that his success comes with a price, but he is willing to face all of it to pursue his passion.
Overall, the lyrics of Knock Knock portray Dizzee Rascal as a fierce and daring artist who's not afraid to take on anyone who challenges him. His attitude and his controversial views on the rap industry make him stand out and make people pay attention. In his words, "my lyrics are my weapon, my words are my armor," and that is seen throughout the song's narrative.
Line by Line Meaning
Knock knock who's there? Dizzee
Introducing myself as Dizzee for anyone who doesn't know me
Dizzee who? Ras
My last name is Rascal, but call me Ras for short
And I kick ass
I'm confident and skilled at what I do
Kill a MC fast
I can defeat other rappers quickly and easily
Knock knock who's there? Bad
Introducing a new character named Bad
Bad who? Boy
His name is Bad Boy, and he's here to cause trouble
I'm here to annoy
Bad Boy's intention is to upset and frustrate others
Take away your joy
He wants to ruin others' happiness and pleasure
Knock knock who's there? Jack
Introducing yet another character named Jack
Jack who? You
Calling out someone in particular who's alone without their crew
Your not with your crew
Implying that the person is vulnerable without their friends
What you gunna do
Challenging the person to retaliate or defend themselves
Knock knock who's there? Big
Introducing a final character named Big
Big who? Gun
His name is Gun, and he's threatening violence
Point me to the sun
Aiming his weapon and ready to attack
Watch your fassy run
Expecting the person to flee in fear
I'm dizzee ras nightmare from the big E A S T
I'm a formidable opponent and a source of fear for some
I'm exactly what your parent don't want to see on your tv
I'm not someone parents would want their kids to idolize or emulate
I nicely, precisely intimadate anyone that I choose
I have a knack for intimidating others
Refuse to to lose
I never give up or accept defeat
Express unlimited contriversial views
I speak my mind and don't shy away from controversial topics
Your average boy or girl on the street might be familiar with my beat
My music has gained popularity among a wide range of people
And/or familiar with my sound, I'm formerly from the underground
People may know me from my unique style, which originated in the underground music scene
And its clear, for a year, I've been turing up the heat
I've been gaining momentum and increasing in popularity for the past year
Made you get up and out of your seat
My music gets people excited and dancing
Shake your fists and shuffle your feet
Describing how people move and react to my music
And now I'm here
Lets make another thing clear [Overlaps here on previous line]
Asserting my presence and reminding listeners of my talent
They didn't bun me up enough I'm still here
People have tried to stop me or bring me down, but I'm still successful
So what was the perpose of your little charade, your little charade was whack
Questioning someone's motives and calling their actions pointless and inferior
Just about hurt me
You should of merked me
I was on a rampage now I'm back
An angry response to being attacked or mistreated, but still coming back stronger
Five stab wounds
Couple scratches, bruises and some pains
Describing injuries sustained during an altercation
Four half-hearted fassies
Four poor is no brains
Did it
Implying that the attackers were weak or stupid, and I was able to defeat them
Two weeks before my album came out helped me sell double
But lets not dwell on that, its the least of your troubles
Acknowledging that a previous altercation may have helped me sell more albums, but it's not important now
Eh yo considering
The part I play, you wouldn't expect for me me to say I prefer the day to nights where I gotta
turn up and play
Reflecting on the surprising nature of my profession and stating a preference for performing during the day
I rip-off, dusty, sweaty, clotter raised
And the audience, all screw faced, and promoters don't want to pay
Describing the gritty and unglamorous nature of performing, and the negative attitudes of some attendees and promoters
And half of the boys in the croud want to blast me
And half of the girls want to show how little they care about standing right there at the front, tryin t? look right past me
Acknowledging the hostility and indifference of some members of the audience
It gets depressing thinking bout it even more
Knowing that I'm gonna face the usual hassle at the door
Reflecting on the negative aspects of my profession and anticipating more challenges to come
Because as well as lippy hags, I hate cocky bouncers
I ain't here to rave I'm here to get paid look
Expressing frustration with entitled and rude individuals, and emphasizing the financial aspect of performing
You search me up rough like I'm any common crook
My names on the flyer man, forget the guest book
Displeased with being treated disrespectfully, and reminding someone of my status as a performer
Abusing your athority you look like a fool
You faulty standard, underdog, you know your own tool
Calling out someone for abusing their power and suggesting that they're incompetent or ineffective
I ain't wearin certain shoes so you don't think I look right (what?)
that's cushdy mate, I'm gettin paid more than you tonight
Mocking someone for having superficial expectations, and asserting my success and financial gain
Knock knock who's there? Dizzee
Dizzee who? Ras
And I kick ass
Kill a MC fast
Knock knock who's there? Bad
Bad who? Boy
I'm here to annoy
Take away your joy
Knock knock who's there? Jack
Jack who? You
Your not with your crew
What you gunna do
Knock knock who's there? Big
Big who? Gun
Point me to the sun
Watch your fassy run
The chorus repeats, with each character representing a different aspect of hip-hop culture and expressing a desire to dominate or intimidate others
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DYLAN KWABENA MILLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind