The Math & English Behind Dizzie Rascal
By Davey D

Everyone knows that Hip Hop is worldwide and that we have rappers on damn near every continent. Unfortunately, when you talk to the average Hip Hop fan here in the states , very few can name off more then 5 artists from other lands. Most can't name 5 from neighboring Canada. Most can't name one from neighboring Mexico.

The UK has long been one of our closest allies and while the average person can name actors and rock singers from across the pond, most can't name more than 3 from London. Fortunately Dizzie Rascal is one of those UK artists who does get named when the subject comes up.

Recently we sat down with Dizzie and chopped it up about everything under the sun including why we here in the states aren't up on the music scene over there while the average Londoners knows all about what we do...

Dizzie explained that the US is so massive, that its hard for anyone to escape the 3000 by 2000 matrix. Couople that with our collective zenaphobia and you have a nation that is ignorant to the ways of the world.

In our interview Dizzie talked about the struggles going on in Black London and compared it to whats going on in the US. He says things in the states is rougher and that in recent years many in London have been picking up a gangsta / thug attitude. Government officials in the UK blamed Hip Hop, Dizzie said such assesments are pure ignorance and that oppression sitting outside one's door is causing any spike in crime and bad attitude.

We talked about Grime music and how it was comparable to Hyphy Music and other subgenres of Hip Hop. Dizzie explained how Grime came out of Garage music which really a form of house music.

He talked about his love for the Bay Area and how he would one day like to hook up with artists like E-40, Too Short, turf Talk and Keak da Sneak. He especially loves the slang Bay rappers constantly spit.

We talked about how the Hip Hop scenes mainfest itself along racial lines. here in the US we lots of white kids loving underground backpack while many cats from the hood love turf music or mainstream stuff. Dizzie said Grime started off being a hood genre but now is completely mainstream.

We play anumber of songs off the Math + English album while Dizzie walks us through and explains the deeper meaning behind each song

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