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
Leisure
Dizzee Rascal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I do it at my leisure, I make it look easy
I do it at my leisure, you breddas can′t see me
I do it at my leisure, I couldn't give a toss man
I do it at my leisure ′cause I'm my own boss man
Everybody's chatting, I don′t see nobody backing
I just see a lot of acting and I see a lot of slacking
Decency attack ′cause there's no unity or honour among thieves
And that′s a fact
Now everybody's hyping over crack and hyping over gats
Seeing the tacker′s on the tap but now they call it black on black
I know they kids are facing life for everything they hear in rap
And this conspiracy, that is a trap but really it's just crap
I′m proper gat, no nothing more, so please nevermind the bollocks
Forget about hoes and trollops and the pimps that give a wallop
Even though it's controversial when there's nothing sweet about it
This time is so commercial, there ain′t nothing street about it
So forget about it, get up off your high horse, live a little
Live a little, if not, give my balls a tickle
′Cause it's only entertainment and I do it for the pleasure
Of course I do it for the payment but I do it at my leisure
I do it at my leisure, I make it look easy
I do it at my leisure, you breddas can′t see me
I do it at my leisure, I couldn't give a toss man
I do it at my leisure ′cause I'm my own boss man
Get breddas always saying, "Keep it real, keep it real"
Running around the streets or running their mouth a lot, they need to chill
Actin′ like they need to kill to get a mill' to get a bill
Get rich or die tryin', that′s the way they claim to feel
But they didn′t die rich, now they start cryin'
Layin′ in the bottom part, dreamin' of the world outside
Surrounded by the hard kids, lunatics and idiots
Actin′ like they're mental, go to jail, it was deliberate
Same old story when they get released
When they was a child they was a beast, North, South, West, East, man
Knew they was the dime, fuck the police, man
Death to all snitches, where′s the gash? Pass the weed man
Same grit as tellin' me I need to keep it G, man
Say I turned soft and sold out, what, me man?
Got the cheek to question what I do, but whatever
I make the people bounce and I do it at my leisure
I do it at my leisure, I make it look easy
I do it at my leisure, you breddas can't see me
I do it at my leisure, I couldn′t give a toss man
I do it at my leisure ′cause I'm my own boss man
Don′t need no rubber dog, don't need no west-end club
Cheap scrub, tried to holler at me acting like it′s love
Fake fucks, say they claiming blood, say they claiming crip
No rap sheet on their ear, lots of bullshit coming out their lips
Stupid girls surrounded, acting like they're down with it
When it goes down they′re nowhere to be found 'cause they ain't down for shit
I see the party show up and I see the crowd spin
Certain corporates aren′t ashamed to claim it, like they′re proud of it
Saw the bodies layin' on the floor, life stolen from their eyes
Everybody acting like he′s not surprised
Tomorrow's another day, they move on to just socialise
You know the saying, thoughts don′t ever die, they multiply
I try to keep it localised but I'm international
There′s nothing in the ghetto I ain't seen, I guess it's natural
When you′re finished tryna rep your ends will fly together
Until that day I′m easy, bluff, I do it at my leisure
I do it at my leisure, I make it look easy
I do it at my leisure, you breddas can't see me
I do it at my leisure, I couldn′t give a toss man
I do it at my leisure 'cause I′m my own boss man
Dizzee Rascal's "Leisure" is a song that explores the artist's perspective on the music industry and the streets, highlighting the lack of unity and decency among people. The song also calls out the hypocritical behavior and false claims of some people, noting how some only act tough for show. Dizzee Rascal criticizes the commercialization of the industry, where people focus more on fame and fortune rather than artistic expression.
The first verse begins with Dizzee Rascal asserting his authority and independence, stating that he does things at his ease and doesn't care about what others think. He notes how people talk too much but do little to back it up, and highlights the lack of honor and unity among the streets. The second verse delves deeper into the issue, calling out the glorification of guns and drugs in music and how it affects the youth. Dizzee Rascal calls it a trap and claims that there's nothing sweet or street about it.
In the third verse, Dizzee Rascal addresses the issue of authenticity and how some people act tough for show. He notes how some people claim to be real but act the opposite, and some claim to be gang-affiliated but have no proof. He also highlights how some people only associate with certain groups or scenes for personal gain, rather than from genuine interest. Dizzee Rascal ends the song with a message of staying true to oneself and avoiding the social pressure to conform.
Line by Line Meaning
But I do it at my leisure
I do it when I want to, it's easy for me
I do it at my leisure, I make it look easy
This is effortless for me, I make it look simple
I do it at my leisure, you breddas can′t see me
It's easy for me to hide and do it without anyone noticing
I do it at my leisure, I couldn't give a toss man
I don't care what others think, I do this for myself
I do it at my leisure ′cause I'm my own boss man
I am in control of my work and do it on my own time
Personally, I think the streets are lacking
From my perspective, there's a lack of decency and unity in the streets
Decency attack ′cause there's no unity or honour among thieves
The lack of unity and honesty in the streets is causing a decline in decency
Now everybody's hyping over crack and hyping over gats
Everyone is promoting drugs and guns as a means of success
I know they kids are facing life for everything they hear in rap
The youth are being influenced by negative messages in rap music and facing severe consequences
Even though it's controversial when there's nothing sweet about it
Despite the controversy, there's nothing glamorous or attractive about this lifestyle
This time is so commercial, there ain't nothing street about it
The current state of this industry is highly commercial, lacking any authenticity or real street influence
I do it for the pleasure, of course I do it for the payment
I enjoy the work, but also acknowledge the financial benefit
But whatever, I make the people bounce and I do it at my leisure
Regardless of others' opinions, I make music that gets people moving and do it on my own schedule
Don't need no rubber dog, don't need no west-end club
I don't need fancy material possessions or places to feel fulfilled
No rap sheet on their ear, lots of bullshit coming out their lips
People who talk tough and claim street credibility often have no criminal record and are lying
Everybody acting like he′s not surprised
Despite the violence and tragedy, people act as though they expected it
Thoughts don′t ever die, they multiply
Ideas and thoughts can spread and influence others quickly
Until that day I′m easy, bluff, I do it at my leisure
Until there's unity and change, I will continue to do things my way and on my own time
Writer(s): Dylan Mills, Nicholas Denton
Contributed by Ryan Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@supersaumon1631
Underrated cut from Dizzee Diz.
@TRUDEAUMUSTG0
Siiiiiiiiiiiiiuuu ♾🇵🇹🏆
@mcquade1000
Big up yourself rude boy Englands best no doubt