Jus' a Rascal

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OK so I finally got Boy in Da Corner and while I have little to add to the general chorus of oohs and ahhs, the little that I have is this:

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I think we can all agree that "Jus' a Rascal" is the greatest song of all time.

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 00:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Finally, a song that translates well once you are sober! At first, I laughed at how silly the lyrics were...but then, it eventually got under my skin for just that reason.

Isn't Dizzee a "one year wonder", though? Will we be seeing his CD in Virgin's bargain bin?

(If you agree/disagree, say why!)

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 00:08 (twenty-two years ago)

first person to to a mash-up of "Jus' a Rascal" and "Bohemian Rhapsody"'s middle-section wins my love

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 00:11 (twenty-two years ago)

DB to thread!

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 00:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Worst song on the album, IMO.

― adaml (adaml), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 00:43 (twenty-two years ago)

But that's not to say it's terrible, by any means.

― adaml (adaml), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 00:47 (twenty-two years ago)

How much did you pay for it, J0hn? (I agree that this song is fine, and his flow is very very ON here)

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 00:52 (twenty-two years ago)

ITunes store, ten bucks

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 01:05 (twenty-two years ago)

worst song on the album in the same way that "sloop john b" or "halftime" are the worst songs on their respective albums. (i.e. they're perfect albums.)

― mohammed abba (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 02:57 (twenty-two years ago)

what's "halftime"?

― thom west (thom w), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 03:06 (twenty-two years ago)

sigh.

― mohammed abba (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 03:10 (twenty-two years ago)

sigh away, Jess, I don't have any idea what you're talking about neither

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 03:18 (twenty-two years ago)

haha this just adds fuel to the "dizzee's not really hip-hop" argument

― mohammed abba (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 03:21 (twenty-two years ago)

half time is nas guys

― gaz (gaz), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 03:30 (twenty-two years ago)

i love everything about this song -- except for the goddamn silly-ass chorus! the spy/ragga guitars, the high-pitched synth, and especially his fucking INSANE flow on this song are all great, but everytime the chorus kicks in i feel slightly embarassed

― fdsfd, Tuesday, 28 October 2003 03:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Jess you rockist a quick Google reveals that you're talking about a song that's eleven years old, naturally I am too young for this discussion

fdsfd do you hate fun?

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 03:48 (twenty-two years ago)

P.S. Dizzee further cements my position, which was initally inspired by the Streets, that British hip hop is like Madness only with guns and a dependable E connection

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 03:56 (twenty-two years ago)

i quite like halftime
(and see no reason to sigh because thom hasn't heard it)

― robin (robin), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 04:01 (twenty-two years ago)

um, i like andrew wk, so i must like fun ... ? i dunno, the semi-operatic tone of it all and the melody just grates on my ears. it reminds me of a cat food commercial

― fdsfsd, Tuesday, 28 October 2003 04:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Dizzee further cements my position, which was initally inspired by the Streets, that British hip hop is like Madness only with guns and a dependable E connection

Hahaha! I'm sure Skinner would like the comparison, but what would Dizzee make of that?

― adaml (adaml), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 04:28 (twenty-two years ago)

it reminds me of a cat food commercial

if Meow Mix does not purchase the rights for "Jus' a Rascal" real quick-like I am going to sink into a deep depression

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 04:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Halftime and Jus a Rascal are the best bits on both their respective albums!

― Jacob (Jacob), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 06:17 (twenty-two years ago)

it reminds me of busta's break ya neck.

― adam west (adamwest), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 07:59 (twenty-two years ago)

if Meow Mix does not purchase the rights for "Jus' a Rascal" real quick-like I am going to sink into a deep depression

hahahahahaha!!

― geeta (geeta), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 08:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Is it being released as the next single? It seems the obvious choice - could be the next "Dy-na-mi-te-hee"

― Nick H, Tuesday, 28 October 2003 10:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, it is. In a rather nice mix, with a sort of plinky sound at the end.

― Jim Eaton-Terry (Jim E-T), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 10:34 (twenty-two years ago)

HALFTIME?!!

― Barima (Barima), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 17:51 (twenty-two years ago)

"one time for ya mind" is the worst moment on illmatic

― tsdtsr, Tuesday, 28 October 2003 22:19 (twenty-two years ago)

agreed.

― adaml (adaml), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 22:20 (twenty-two years ago)

whatever

― adam west (adamwest), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 22:36 (twenty-two years ago)

""one time for ya mind" is the worst moment on illmatic "

I was waiting for someone to say that.

― David Drake, Wednesday, 29 October 2003 08:13 (twenty-two years ago)

anyone else think the chorus sounds like the dead kennedys' 'california uber ales'?

― dj mars, Wednesday, 29 October 2003 10:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I didn't want to risk the wrath of all here, but man, Dizzee Rascal is the most overrated mc EVER. Whoops, did I say that out loud?

― cybele (cybele), Wednesday, 29 October 2003 15:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I think his album is awesome, but only when I don't think of it as hip hop.

― ddrake, Wednesday, 29 October 2003 15:46 (twenty-two years ago)

cybele - whatever objective standards of grime mcing you're using (and i'd imagine if you were trying to formulate such a list, dizzee'd be the first place to go), even if DR falls short of them, there's still this overwhelming sense that he's right for his material. and, as with hiphop, being the biggest, best and most-hyped goes some way to being its own validation. not that i'm suggesting dizzee's beyond criticism.

― mitch lastnamewithheld (mitchlnw), Wednesday, 29 October 2003 16:02 (twenty-two years ago)

take away 'best' (or put 'supposedly' in there somewhere)

― mitch lastnamewithheld (mitchlnw), Wednesday, 29 October 2003 16:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Asher D slays him on that Choice FM rhyme battle, though,

― adaml (adaml), Wednesday, 29 October 2003 16:08 (twenty-two years ago)

suck ur mum

― sean., Wednesday, 29 October 2003 16:17 (twenty-two years ago)

― adaml (adaml), Wednesday, 29 October 2003 16:18 (twenty-two years ago)

cybele do you think Dizzee's accent is over-rated?

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 29 October 2003 16:22 (twenty-two years ago)

THIS ALBUM ISN'T AS GOOD AS "BLACKMARKET BOY".

That is all.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 29 October 2003 16:26 (twenty-two years ago)

TS: Best MC Accent: Dizzee vs. Sean Paul

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 29 October 2003 16:33 (twenty-two years ago)

The boat on the Embankment played the song as David Blaine came down from his box. Ergo, classic.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 29 October 2003 16:38 (twenty-two years ago)

adaml OTM re: battle with Asher D.

― cybele (cybele), Wednesday, 29 October 2003 17:40 (twenty-two years ago)

It's sad but true, ya get me?

― adaml (adaml), Wednesday, 29 October 2003 17:42 (twenty-two years ago)

"Jus' A Rascal" becomes a much funier song if you change the first "rascal" in the chorus to "asshole," by the way

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Wednesday, 29 October 2003 19:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm just a gigolo and everywhere I go...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 29 October 2003 20:21 (twenty-two years ago)

you're all crazy one time for your mind is great

― robin (robin), Wednesday, 29 October 2003 20:25 (twenty-two years ago)

No no, using the proper etiquette, it's "gay" and "r0xx".

― adaml (adaml), Wednesday, 29 October 2003 21:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 8 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Dizzee Rascal is demanding like a kid yelling for his mommy to take him to McDonald's. Sure, you pay attention, but the whole experience doesn't really command any respect. It's not his accent that bothers me--I'm fine with british folk getting on the mic--but his flow, well fucked if I think THAT is supposed to be good. Everytime I hear Dizzee (and think about the ype surrounding him in North America), I picture Roots Manuva and Mike Skinner drowning their sorrows in copious amounts of alcohol.

― cybele (cybele), Thursday, 30 October 2003 14:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Why doesn't it command any respect? Which MCs do?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 30 October 2003 14:50 (twenty-two years ago)

dizzee might not compare with more experienced mcs from the states/west indies (are they mcs?), that work within an environment where mcing as a tradition is far better established and developed, but he leads the pack IMO when it comes to uk garage mcing.
i look at him in this context, and seeing as other types of music that involve rhyming in the uk are similarly nascent/ rather poorly developed, he therefore takes centre stage in the uk in this respect.

comparing him to US mcs is a bit of a red herring isnt it?

anyway, for me, that whiny, yelping voice is what makes him so good. its just a matter of taste, surely. some people find thom yorkes voice beautiful and affecting, i find it grating and irritating etc etc etc etc ad infinitum.

― ambrose (ambrose), Thursday, 30 October 2003 17:07 (twenty-two years ago)

i just don't know how anyone can think he less than fucking kills it on this track

― strongo hulkington's ghost (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 30 October 2003 17:15 (twenty-two years ago)

kills it

― strongo hulkington's ghost (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 30 October 2003 17:15 (twenty-two years ago)

cybele do you think Dizzee's accent is over-rated?

I surely cannot be alone in finding this one extremely strange question to ask anyone?!?!???

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 30 October 2003 17:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I do think Dizzee (as well as Mike Skinner) sort of get a handicap in the States because of their accents. Like, we're so blown away that anyone with an accent can actually flow that we tend to rank them higher than we really would just on mic skills. I personally don't care; English accents have been floating around hip hop since day 1. Also, I can't understand half of what Ghostface Killah says and we're from the same corner of the world.

Cybele, I'm not sure Roots Manuva and Mike Skinner would be terribly disappointed by Dizzee's success. I'm still hearing loads of The Streets here and I think the rising-tide-lifts-all-boats works there; eg when someone says "hey have you heard this UK garage mc'ing, like Dizzee" someone else will now say "yeah, check The Streets too, it's more on the burntout rave kid playing Playstation type vibe but it's good too." Roots Manuva I think has his own odd following, drawing from Ninja Tune fans, alt-hip hop types, hip hop fans whose secondary specialty is reggae and dub, etc.

― rob geary (rgeary), Thursday, 30 October 2003 18:10 (twenty-two years ago)

English accents have been floating around hip hop since day 1

Samantha Fox is such a wild dame

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Thursday, 30 October 2003 18:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Huh, but what's in a name?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 30 October 2003 18:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Can I be the first to shoot down this idea that Dizzee doesn't compare to 'proper' American MCs (and I'm confused by the equation of Dizzee with Sean Paul here). If anything, Jus A Rascal proves this - that last verse is just fucking INTENSE, as good as anything coming out major league hip-hop at the moment, if not better.

I think the song itself if glorious of course - the best thing about it is the way it sticks out like a sore thumb amongst everything else on there with the rock guitars and the silly cod-operatic chorus and all that, but yet it still feels like a perfectly natural thing for Dizzee to be doing it. It's also the most hip-hop thing on there (Fix Up excepted, possibly) - I mean, tell me you can't imagine Busta over that exact same backing track.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 30 October 2003 20:42 (twenty-two years ago)

dizze smashes that last verse, by any standards, american or londonish. he does smash it, everyone knows. it's true that there's a lot of shit garage MCs but the good ones, kano, dizzee, demon, sharkie, stormin', j2k, are on level terms with the americans, in fact, hiphop is stuffed to gills with some of the weakest MCs i've heard in my life right now. rocafella, bare shit MCs on that label (peedi crack, bleek etc) fabulos-shit, cam'ron-shit, clipse-pretty shit, the lox-pretty shit really, when it comes down to it, snoop-been shit for years, ja rule-shit, 50cent-pretty shit, lets face it
hiphop is not exactly setting very high standards
listen to kano on that
'what we do' beat, he uses it much better than freeway and them lot

― l../, Thursday, 30 October 2003 22:11 (twenty-two years ago)

btw, I wasn't saying Dizzee wasn't a good MC when I said that Asher D slayed him (which is maybe a bit strong a term)-I think that Matt DC and l../ are incredibly OTM about Dizzee's skills.

― adaml (adaml), Thursday, 30 October 2003 22:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Also, Dizzee's stuttering, high-pitched flow is an integral part of his persona - it's supposed to be jerky and panicked and insecure and paranoid in a back-against the wall manner (on a lot of the album at least), in the same way that Jay-Z is supposed to be big swaggering superstar.

One of the reasons why I rate Dizzee so highly as an MC is because, on the album at least, he is the master of understanding the nuances and timbres of his own voice. Which is why its so effective, from the aforementioned panicked yelp on Stop Dat or Round We Go through to "lets be friends" bit on Hold Your Mouf to the near-whimper of "no one understands us" on Do It. Or just the way his voice seems to ride the rhythms and bass perfectly on Seems 2 Be. And let's not forget that one of the reasons why I Luv U is so affecting is that it sounds like a real argument.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 30 October 2003 22:32 (twenty-two years ago)

It's true about all that weak US hiphop, but since I've got the Dizzee album, I can't bear to listen to a lot of "Run Come Save Me" either.

― adaml (adaml), Thursday, 30 October 2003 22:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Brand New Second Hand still stands up though - I think its the stoned, slurred manner on the first album that fits with the whole sinister fog of most of the music. I think that by the second album Roots was playing up to a different audience and suffered because of it (although Dreamy Days is still a great pop song and Hol It Up still gets a regular kicking round my house).

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 30 October 2003 22:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Ha, speed up "Hol It Up" by about 50 bpm = instant garage

― rob geary (rgeary), Thursday, 30 October 2003 23:26 (twenty-two years ago)

snoop-been shit for years

wishful thinking on England's part, I think - Snoop's last was GREAT

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Thursday, 30 October 2003 23:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Surely the thing about "Run Come Save Me" was that it was the first time in ages (ever?) that there had been a groundswell of anticipation for a British hip-hop album (I wasn't around at the time, but I can't imagine, say, Honky or London Posse getting a similar level of excitement around them), plus Radio 1 playlisted "Witness (One Hope)", which would have been kinda unthinkable around the time for most British hip-hop.

Anyway, surely Brit-hop consensus opinion nowadays is that "Kik Off" is the best British rap album of the past five years?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 30 October 2003 23:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Is it really that good, Dom? I never bothered with it, but I used to love that "Growing Up Memories" song.

― adaml (adaml), Thursday, 30 October 2003 23:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Well... put it this way, most of the British hip-hop scene-setters (Hip Hop Connection, UKH, I think Fat Lace as well) talk about Twang as Britain's current best MC (remember that for, whatever reasons, British hip-hop really doesn't like Dizzee). I really do love it as an album, it is my favourite British hip-hop album of all time, and it's a shame (and weird) that it didn't cross over fully. Download "Publik Order" and "Blood and Fire" off P2P to see if you'd like it.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 30 October 2003 23:49 (twenty-two years ago)

do the "brit-hop" and "grime" "scenes" talk to each much/at all in general?

― thom west (thom w), Friday, 31 October 2003 00:22 (twenty-two years ago)

also, i like this:

"overrated" is such a subservient criticism.

― thom west (thom w), Friday, 31 October 2003 00:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Well.... there is a Stanton Warriors remix on the new Next Men single, for what it's worth. It's worth pointing out that there aren't any grime (or garage for that matter) publications out there, and there aren't any webpages of "sticker on front of album" importance yet, so it's not exactly got a voice to talk to Brit-hop. However, the Fallacy album seemed to go down well on both sides (it went down a lot better amongst grime scenesters than "Boy In Da Corner" did amongst rap scenesterss, from what I've seen, anyway). There is animosity, though, British rap fans do seem to view grime as being somewhat overly American in its outlook.

Put it this way: don't expect Nasty Crew and Aspects to collab any time soon.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 31 October 2003 00:49 (twenty-two years ago)

altho! dutty doogz new single is produced by fallacy, and he does talk in jarring cod patois so there you go

nice to see brithop and grime can still unite in deluding themselves that they can come close to america right now

― prima fassy (bob), Friday, 31 October 2003 01:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Does brithop really still call itself brithop?

― @d@m (nordicskilla), Friday, 31 October 2003 01:17 (twenty-two years ago)

No, but it's quicker to type than "British hip-hop".

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 31 October 2003 01:29 (twenty-two years ago)

tsk i meant produced by fusion, obv

― prima fassy (bob), Friday, 31 October 2003 01:46 (twenty-two years ago)

anyone know what Dizzee's saying in that last verse?

― Keith McD (Keith McD), Friday, 31 October 2003 04:01 (twenty-two years ago)

re: no grime publications out there - you need to read deuce! surely the only magazine that would put a jammer mix cd on the front cover! ok so its not purely dedicated, but it gives a surprisingly great amount of exposure to grime. it isnt that easy to get hold of, you can find it around the south east, but i dont know about beyond. http://www.deucemag.co.uk.

also, there is rwd, which i have only seen in print once. its free, like knowledge used to be. that is pretty much ukg aimed. the website is good: http://www.rwdmag.com

as far as talking between the two scenes, rwd and deuce will provide (minimal) info about british hip hop news etc. in the other direction there is almost none, as far as i can tell. although i remember a lot of fuss when hip hop connection put oxide and neutrino on the front cover or something. ('just pop/commercial bullshit, not the real undergorund la la la la.....')

― ambrose (ambrose), Friday, 31 October 2003 09:39 (twenty-two years ago)

actually there is a fairly high level of interest in grime amongst some uk hiphop people. task force and ricochet kalashnikov have been known to tune into roll deeps show, skinnyman has gone on record saying approving things, semtex obviously is excited by it, fallacy too...
just depends who you talk to. there's a new generation of uk hiphop and they're much closer to the garage mcs, they use the same slang, their beats are geared up for the clubs, they talk about road, so expect that generation to eventually coalese with the garage scene, just not the older ones who feel threatened by it.
oh, and the people who say england doesn't have good mcs, do you actually know what you're talking about, or have you heard boy in the corner and nothing else? lets actually have a bit of honesty here...

― luka vandross, Friday, 31 October 2003 10:08 (twenty-two years ago)

On the whole Oxide + Neutrino HHC cover thing, it's worth noting that while there was a lot of complaints/letters to the editor about that, there were hardly any when they put Trina on the cover the following issue. Make of that what you will.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 31 October 2003 10:24 (twenty-two years ago)

damn them for putting women on the cover!!

― strongo hulkington's ghost (dubplatestyle), Friday, 31 October 2003 11:46 (twenty-two years ago)

you can get deuce in glasgow!

― David. (Cozen), Friday, 31 October 2003 12:15 (twenty-two years ago)

you can get deuce in philadelphia!!

― strongo hulkington's ghost (dubplatestyle), Friday, 31 October 2003 12:18 (twenty-two years ago)

you can get deuce in chesham!!

― ambrose (ambrose), Friday, 31 October 2003 14:16 (twenty-two years ago)

you need to read deuce! surely the only magazine that would put a jammer mix cd on the front cover!

Was that the Jammer/Nasty Crew mix, Ambrose?

If anyone could blam me a copy of that, I would be eternally grateful.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Friday, 31 October 2003 15:10 (twenty-two years ago)

lord of the decks fellowship of the mic II
out soon
durtty doogz hosting!
(i just saw a promotional sticker on a busstop shelter

― luka./, Friday, 31 October 2003 16:14 (twenty-two years ago)

@D@m. if i find the cd under all my clothes n shit at home then i can send you a tape/md. mail me yr address.

― ambrose (ambrose), Friday, 31 October 2003 16:24 (twenty-two years ago)

adam are you on slsk? cuz it's there.

― strongo hulkington's ghost (dubplatestyle), Friday, 31 October 2003 16:26 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm on mlmac, which is supposed to be connected to slsk, but no joy.

ambrose, I'll write you, thanks v. much.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Friday, 31 October 2003 17:16 (twenty-two years ago)

who's gonna make me a grime primer? i just haven't had time to catch up with all this stuff. i barely know the names of the crews yet, never mind tracking down half the tracks. my eternal kindness as bounty in return. or a thoroughly random mixtape spit out by my itunes. your pick

― rob geary (rgeary), Friday, 31 October 2003 17:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Rob, I can do you one, but all the stuff I have is probably at least six months old by now!

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Friday, 31 October 2003 17:53 (twenty-two years ago)

that's ok by me. i despair at trying to actually keep up with the newest stuff in a scene that's 8000 miles away and mostly available on vinyl

― rob geary (rgeary), Friday, 31 October 2003 17:53 (twenty-two years ago)

nuthin' wrong with vinyl, just unknowns + shipping costs = fear

― rob geary (rgeary), Friday, 31 October 2003 17:54 (twenty-two years ago)

but yeah! i'm down nordicskillz. email me, just fix the punctuation.

― rob geary (rgeary), Friday, 31 October 2003 17:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Rob, you're in California right?

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Friday, 31 October 2003 17:55 (twenty-two years ago)

yes'm

― rob geary (rgeary), Friday, 31 October 2003 17:56 (twenty-two years ago)

i despair at trying to actually keep up with the newest stuff in a scene that's 8000 miles away and mostly available on vinyl

well...so am i

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Friday, 31 October 2003 17:57 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm trying to keep up with new riddims instead...so far i rank a 2 on the Finney scale (out of 100)

― rob geary (rgeary), Friday, 31 October 2003 17:59 (twenty-two years ago)

keeping up is impossible anywhere, it seems. definately in terms of buying vinyl. no shops ever see half the tunes that are heard on the radio/internet as far as i can tell, and if they do its 4months late. so the answer is, not to try and keep up. you'll miss stuff, but its useless....that said, maybe if i lived in london and not in the h*me c*unties i do better...

― ambrose (ambrose), Friday, 31 October 2003 19:30 (twenty-two years ago)

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