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
That's Not My Name
Dizzee Rascal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Big up the Ting Tings every time yeah?
Four letter words just to get me along,
It?s a difficulty and I?m biting on my tongue,
And I, I keep stalling and keeping me together,
People around gotta find something to say now.
Don?t wanna be a loner, listen to me (oh no!),
I never say anything at all,
But with nothing to consider they forget my name (ame ame ame).
Chorus:
They call me blud,
They call be rudeboi,
They call me oi,
They call me mate,
That?s not my name,
That?s not my name,
That?s not my name,
That?s not my name,
They call me my yout',
But I?m a fly yout',
They use the 'N' word,
Like it?s a game,
That?s not my name,
That?s not my name,
That?s not my name,
That?s not my name.
I?ll miss the catch if you throw me the ball,
I?m the last kid standing up against the wall,
Keep on fallin', these nights they keep me boring,
Getting glammed up and sitting on the fence now.
So alone, all the time at night,
I lock myself away, listen to me (oh no!),
Although I?m dressed up, out and all,
With everything considered they forget my name (ame ame ame).
Chorus:
They call me blud,
They call be rudeboi,
They call me oi,
They call me mate,
That?s not my name,
That?s not my name,
That?s not my name,
That?s not my name,
They call me my yout',
But I?m a fly yout',
They use the 'N' word,
Like it?s a game,
That?s not my name,
That?s not my name,
That?s not my name,
That?s not my name.
Are you calling me rudeboi?
Are you calling me blud?
Are you calling me my yout'?
Are you calling me mate?
Chorus:
(Are you calling me rudeboi?)
They call me blud,
They call be rudeboi,
They call me oi,
They call me mate.
That?s not my name,
That?s not my name,
That?s not my name,
That?s not my name.
(Are you calling me blud?)
They call me my yout',
But I?m a fly yout',
They use the 'N' word,
Like it?s a game.
That?s not my name
That?s not my name
That?s not my name
That?s not my name
(Are you calling me my yout')
Don?t call me rudeboi,
Don?t call me rudeboi,
But I ain?t no rudeboi,
I ain?t no rudeboi.
Don?t call me my yout'
Who ya callin? my yout'
My name not my yout'
Who ya callin? my yout'
(Are you calling me Mate)
I?m Dizzee Rascal,
I?m Dizzee Rascal,
I?m just a Rascal,
Rude Dizzee Rascal,
I?m Dizzee Rascal,
I?m Dizzee Rascal,
I?m in the live lounge,
Big up the Ting Ting?s.
The lyrics of Dizzee Rascal's "That's Not My Name" reflect the feeling of being misjudged and misunderstood by the people around him. In this song, he expresses his frustration with people calling him different names that do not truly represent who he is. The chorus is a repetition of "That's Not My Name," emphasizing the depth of his feeling of being unrecognized and undervalued by those around him. He also touches on the issue of racial identity as he accuses people of calling him the "N" word "like it's a game."
The second verse describes his struggle to fit in and make meaningful connections with others. He mentions how he feels like a "loner," and how he locks himself away at night even though he is dressed up and has gone out. He seems to be putting on a façade to make himself feel like he belongs, but ultimately, he still feels ignored by others who do not remember his name.
Overall, "That's Not My Name" serves as a commentary on individual identity and how it can be undermined by external forces like people's perceptions of us. It encourages listeners to stay true to themselves and not let others define who they are.
Line by Line Meaning
Four letter words just to get me along,
I have to use profanity just to fit in.
It?s a difficulty and I?m biting on my tongue,
It's hard for me to keep quiet and not speak my mind.
And I, I keep stalling and keeping me together,
I'm struggling to maintain composure and hold myself up.
People around gotta find something to say now.
Others are always finding a reason to talk about me.
Holdin' back, every day the same,
I'm holding back my true self every single day.
Don?t wanna be a loner, listen to me (oh no!),
I'd rather not be alone, hear me out.
I never say anything at all,
I keep to myself most of the time.
But with nothing to consider they forget my name (ame ame ame).
Despite being forgettable and not standing out, they still get my name wrong.
They call me blud,
I'm called blud, like a brother or a mate.
They call be rudeboi,
I'm labeled as a rude boy or troublemaker.
They call me oi,
I'm addressed with 'oi', like a rude or aggressive way to call someone.
They call me mate,
I'm called mate, like a buddy or friend.
That?s not my name,
None of these labels or names fit me.
They call me my yout',
I'm addressed as 'my youth', like a young person or teenager.
But I'm a fly yout',
I'm more than just a regular kid.
They use the 'N' word,
They call me the n-word, like it doesn't matter or is acceptable.
Like it?s a game,
It's as if this kind of language is trivial and insignificant.
I?ll miss the catch if you throw me the ball,
I'll likely fail if you give me an opportunity or challenge.
I'm the last kid standing up against the wall,
I'm usually the person left out, left behind, or just stuck.
Keep on fallin', these nights they keep me boring,
I feel like I'm in a rut, doing the same old thing and not getting anywhere.
Getting glammed up and sitting on the fence now.
I'm putting on a facade or fitting in, but not really taking any risks or being genuine.
So alone, all the time at night,
I feel very lonely, especially at night.
I lock myself away, listen to me (oh no!),
I retreat into myself and don't let others see the real me.
Although I?m dressed up, out and all,
I may seem put together and outgoing, but that's not really me.
With everything considered they forget my name (ame ame ame).
I'm easily forgettable and not important enough for people to remember my name.
Don?t call me rudeboi,
Don't label me as a rude boy or troublemaker.
But I ain?t no rudeboi,
I'm not really a troublemaker or hooligan.
Who ya callin? my yout',
Who are you calling 'my youth', like I'm just a young person or don't matter?
My name not my yout',
My identity and personality are more important than just my age or generational label.
I'm Dizzee Rascal,
I'm more than just a label or a stereotype, I'm my own unique person.
I'm just a Rascal,
I'm a bit of a wild card, a bit unpredictable and not to be underestimated.
Rude Dizzee Rascal,
I can be a little rough around the edges, but that's just part of who I am.
I'm in the live lounge,
I'm making music and performing live and in the moment.
Big up the Ting Ting?s.
I want to shout out and praise the Ting Tings, who are also making great music.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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