Following a series of increasingly pop-minded full-lengths and collaborations with everyone from
Calvin Harris to
Shakira to
will.i.am,
Dizzee Rascal did an about-face with his sixth album, returning to a more hardcore sound similar to his groundbreaking 2003 debut.
Raskit contains no guest vocalists, no sugary pop hooks, no samples of past dance-pop hits, and no uptempo songs. Instead, it mainly consists of ominous tracks that fuse grime with trap, and laser-focused introspective lyricism from
Rascal. Even with grime experiencing a renaissance, as both veterans like
Skepta and newcomers such as
Stormzy enjoy international success and acclaim, it never feels like
Raskit is a retread or a desperate bid to stay relevant.
Rascal isn't oblivious to his status as an elder statesman of the scene -- on early standout "Wot U Gonna Do?," he gets right to the point, questioning what happens when one's fan base moves on and the artist is no longer relevant. "The Other Side" is a furious reclaiming of the throne, with
Rascal asserting that he has nothing to prove and that he's entirely disinterested in making amends with his former ally
Wiley (who also released a strong back-to-basics LP in 2017).
Rascal demonstrates his rhyming dexterity on tracks like "Ghost," where his fast, nimble rapping is matched by a jungle beat for a brief moment. As the album progresses, it does feature some lighter moments and a bit of the playfulness
Rascal is often known for. A few tracks have a bit of a hazy G-funk groove to them, and they lighten the mood a bit before it's back to hard bangers like "Everything Must Go" and the angular, buzzing "Sick a Dis." The album ends on a highly optimistic note with "Man of the Hour," where
Rascal is amazed by his life's achievements; the song ends with a message of "mak[ing] the world a better place by preaching positivity and encouraging the youth, because the youth is the future."
Raskit is by far the most captivating, powerful release from
Dizzee Rascal in at least a decade. It certainly won't spawn four number one U.K. pop hits the way his platinum-selling fourth album,
Tongue N' Cheek, did, but it's a necessary re-evaluation and re-focus of his talents, and proves that he's far from finished. ~ Paul Simpson