Although always the clear leader of the British grime scene, Dizzee Rascal is new to the amount of commercial success he has experienced recently. Two of the songs on 'Tongue n' Cheek' have topped the UK singles chart before the album has even been released, throwing Dizzee into the mainstream consciousness. Accordingly, 'Tongue n' Cheek' moves away from Dizzee's grime roots, embracing pop and dance music, however the razor-sharp lyrical ability and wit remain at the core of his sound.

Aug 2009

Dizzee Rascal is set to release his fourth album 'Tongue N Cheek'. Again coming out on Dirtee Stank, it features those huge Number One singles 'Dance Wiv Me' and 'Bonkers' and the soon-to-be-massive 'Holiday' which sees Dizzee teaming up with Calvin Harris and Chrome, the same duo that Dizzee worked with on 'Dance Wiv Me'.

So what else can people expect from 'Tongue N Cheek'? For starters, it’s undoubtedly the most upbeat album Dizzee has ever made whilst still retaining that lyrical sharpness that underlines his records. As well as the three singles released to date, there’s 'Road Rage', a thumping house track that has been a regular fixture of Dizzee’s live sets throughout 2009, whilst 'Dirtee Cash' which features a sample of the classic Stevie V tune, finds Dizzee warning people of the dangers of spending all their money at once and the chores of everyday life: “Let me take you down to London city / Where the attitude’s bad and the weather is shitty / Everybody’s on a paper chase / on the rat race.”

Shy FX, who collaborated with Dizzee on the 'Maths And English' track 'Da Feelin' also adds production duties to the carnival-esque, summertime anthem of 'Can’t Tek No More'. Dizzee’s biting, observational lyrics still shine through as he raps that “ So much war in the world today / even women and kids get blown away / what’s the cause of it? / money as usual / The poor and innocent suffer as usual”.

However, it’s 'Chillin Wiv Da Man Dem' that is Dizzee’s biggest departure. It’s a classic, smooth-sounding R’n’B tune reminiscent of Tupac or Snoop Dogg, expelling the virtues of hanging out with friends. Dizzee has said that 'Tongue N Cheek' is a party album – that it’s naughty and nice, something for everyone. On this evidence, you can certainly see what he means.