Dizzee Rascal

 Dylan Mills MBE, better known as Dizzee Rascal, is a pioneering British rapper, producer and songwriter from Bow, East London. Cutting his teeth on pirate radio in the early 2000s he helped define the grammar of grime jolting, minimalist beats under rapid-fire, street-level reportage before taking that sound to the mainstream.

Dizzee’s debut album, Boy in da Corner (2003), is grime’s ground zero: a stark, inventive record that won the Mercury Prize and made him, at 19, the award’s youngest winner. The album’s singles (“I Luv U,” “Fix Up, Look Sharp,” “Jus’ a Rascal”) became calling cards for a new British voice in rap sonically restless, lyrically hyperlocal, and globally resonant. Two decades on, Boy in da Corner remains a canonical text in UK music.

Follow-ups Showtime (2004) and Maths + English (2007) broadened his palette and profile, teeing up a run of era-defining pop-rap singles that made him a fixture at the top of the charts: “Dance Wiv Me” (with Calvin Harris), “Bonkers,” “Holiday,” and “Dirtee Disco” all hit UK No. 1 and anchored the platinum-selling Tongue n’ Cheek (2009). By the early 2010s, the kid from E3 was a household name, invited to perform at the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.