Since the early 2000s, London’s notoriously poor East End/Bow has been an incubator for the sub-set of hip-hop/drum-and-bass/dancehall music known as grime. Along with M.I.A., Lady Sovereign and The Streets, Dizzee Rascal has always been deeply entrenched in the grime scene. Released while still in his teens, his first two albums, Boy in Da Corner (2003) and Showtime (2004), were highly regarded as being the voice of young inner-city London.
    Captain Rascal, as he sometimes calls himself, has now unleashed Maths + English, and it is the toughest sounding album released this year. Dizzee has serious aggression to vent, especially on album closer “U Can't Tell Me Nuffin'.” He catches his breath from time to time through more light-hearted collaborations, the most memorable being “Wanna Be” with Lily Allen, which even has a verse that mentions Coronation Street: “Stay at home with a cuppa tea, watch Corrie.” “Flex” and “Da Feelin’” are the album’s lightest tracks — taking a moment to acknowledge girls and summertime. Layered on top of quick drum-and-bass loops, these songs give a nod to his early days as an MC performing at underground raves.
    Overall, Maths + English gives the impression that Mr. Rascal is in limbo. Now in his early 20s, and already a seasoned grime artist, he is expanding his voice to appeal to inner-city youth on both sides of the Atlantic — sometimes at the expense of his brash East Londoner roots. But as long as he doesn’t stray from his manifesto, found midway through the album —  “People want something that they never heard before/If it's been done leave it/They don't wanna hear no more” — Dizzee will continue to have a significant impact on urban music.