From the teenage grime producer who pored over the pages of heavy metal weekly Kerrang and sampled Japanese chamber music, to the pop star Jeremy Paxman calls 'Mr. Rascal' when soliciting his views on US president Barack Obama, Dylan Mills AKA Dizzee Rascal likes confounding expectations.
In 2003, his radical debut album Boy in da Corner scooped the Mercury Prize. He's since redefined UK urban music with a trademark style which blends raw street lyricism with radio friendly melody and draws as easily from grime as hip hop, R&B or pop music.
In the last 12 months, Dizzee hooked up with producers Calvin Harris and Armand Van Helden for an untouchable trio of electro-grime anthems - Dance Wiv Me, Bonkers and Holiday. All three UK number one singles feature on upcoming fourth album Tongue N' Cheek - a recession-beating collection of upbeat party bangers. Enjoying his recent reinvention as a pop star, Dizzee is now in a place where he has artistic free rein; "I don't know what people think I am now, and that's good, because it means I can do whatever I want".
Continuing to confound expectations, for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Electric Proms Dizzee Rascal delivered his first ever full length live show with a band, horns and string section. Dizzee was joined by Heritage Orchestra with string arrangements by Jules Buckley, and backed by a live band under the musical direction of Hal Ritson. A celebration of the artist's diverse influences, it was a party set of mash-ups, radical reinterpretations of Rascal favourites plus a few surprises.
