Dizzee Rascal and Tinie Tempah

Today I wanted to talk about an artist who has definitely not seen enough air time here in The United States. Dizzee Rascal is a hip hop artist out of England, and he also happens to be pretty famous over there. Which is why it is such a shame that most people in the States have no idea who he is! Now this song is one of his most popular songs out there, charting at number one for a long time on the UK music charts. Now this song brings up something that I have seen within the music industry pretty much from the start. Dizzee Rascal happens to have hit on this idea of rapping to an electronic house back track, creating something that is extremely energetic and hype. This style of rapping and hip hop music, in general, is starting to become extremely popular now, especially in the US. The reason I bring this up is because I want to point out some of the creative genius and trendsetting status Dizzee Rascal has. This song came out in 2009 (which seems forever ago and right behind us at the same time) which was years before we really started getting that mix of electronic and rap music. Dizzee Rascal helped put this style of music on the map, especially when this song hit number one on the UK Singles chart. It amazes me to see how the wave of music styles flows between the US music scene and the European music scene. We got this style of music a little bit later, but have absolutely run with it and added to this genre of music. But, of course, we need those trendsetters! This song is definitely along the lines of hip house, and we get to hear that weaving of sounds throughout the song. The hip hop lines mold their way around the electronic lines, which are molding to the hip-hop melodies. I love hearing that smooth integration of sounds in the song and topping it all off with rhymes by Dizzee Rascal himself. Now I will say, there are quite a few pop elements to this song, which some people may be disappointed with. However, there is a reason for this! The lyrics of this song take a very dark turn, peering into the frantic and disjointed mind of a lunatic. Dizzee Rascal aptly names this song for a reason, and we hear that with the lyrics. Bringing that dark undertone to the dance floor is lightened a bit with the artistically pop elements. And it works! It helps us focus on the more fun and hyped parts of the song, drawing us away from the dark side of the song. Now this is not necessarily the point of the song. For me, it feels like the song draws you away from the underlying message, which is what drives Dizzee Rascal "bonkers."  But the house hook is enough to keep you thoroughly engaged on the dance floor, despite the fact there isn't a heavy drop or raging bass line. I am, strangely enough, a fan of this song! It definitely has a lot of energy and a slightly bad ass nature to it as well! Today's instrumental song is by one of my favorite rappers ever! Tinie Tempah is a rapper I got into many years ago, and I am so happy to see the way he has made his way into the American music scene. Tinie Tempah is also an artist who employs hip house and does a phenomenal job of it. His ability to meld his raps into different styles of electronic music is nothing short of impressive. There is an absolutely infectious energy to his music, and each song has a hook that you cannot shake. If we are talking earworms, Tinie Tempah definitely knows how to make a song turn into one. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!