Maths + English
| Maths + English | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Dizzee Rascal | ||||
| Released | 4 June 2007 | |||
| Recorded | 2006 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop, grime | |||
| Length | 48:46 | |||
| Label | XL, Matador, Definitive Jux | |||
| Producer | Dizzee Rascal, Shy FX | |||
| Dizzee Rascal chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Maths + English | ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 78/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A−[3] |
| Robert Christgau |  [4] |
| The Guardian | [5] |
| NME | 7/10[6] |
| The Observer | [7] |
| Okayplayer | 85/100[8] |
| Pitchfork Media | 8.4/10[9] |
| PopMatters | 8/10[10] |
| Rolling Stone |  [11] |
| Stylus Magazine | C+[12] |
Maths + English is the third studio album by British rapper Dizzee Rascal. The album went gold in the UK after selling over 100,000 copies.
Background
Maths + English entered the UK Albums Chart at number seven, one position higher than his second album, Showtime (2004), which charted at number eight and his debut, Boy in da Corner (2003), which peaked at number 23.
The track "Wanna Be" features guest vocals from English pop singer Lily Allen. It pays tribute to the 1976 musical Bugsy Malone, specifically the song "So You Want to Be a Boxer?" which shares the same musical arrangements for the sections sung by Lily Allen.
Joss Stone was expected to feature on the song "Da Feelin'", but Dizzee Rascal stated that the song sounded too "poppy" with Joss Stone's hook,[13] so she does not appear on the album.
The track "Pussy'ole" is rumored to be a Wiley diss.[14] Wiley responded to the track in a video circulating on YouTube, in which he also takes jabs at rappers Kano and Lethal Bizzle.
American hip hop duo UGK are featured on the track "Where's da G's". In return, Dizzee was featured on the track "Two Type of Bitches" along with Pimpin' Ken on UGK's 2007 album Underground Kingz.
On 29 April 2008 Definitive Jux released Maths + English on their independent label in the United States. The Def Jux version features new studio tracks "G.H.E.T.T.O." and "Driving" as well as a remix of the UGK-assisted "Where's da G's" by Def Jux label head El-P.[15] It does not however contain the track "Pussyole (Old Skool)", due to sample clearance issues.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "World Outside" | 3:08 | |
| 2. | "Pussyole (Old Skool) 1,4" | 3:28 | |
| 3. | "Sirens" | 3:30 | |
| 4. | "Where's da G's" (feat. UGK) | 4:54 | |
| 5. | "Paranoid" | 2:37 | |
| 6. | "Suk My Dick" | 2:59 | |
| 7. | "Flex" | 3:31 | |
| 8. | "Da Feelin' 2" | 3:57 | |
| 9. | "Bubbles" | 3:30 | |
| 10. | "Excuse Me Please" | 3:40 | |
| 11. | "Hardback (Industry)" | 4:11 | |
| 12. | "Temptation" (feat. Alex Turner) | 2:34 | |
| 13. | "Wanna Be 3" (feat. Lily Allen) | 3:24 | |
| 14. | "U Can't Tell Me Nuffin'" | 3:31 |
| U.S. Bonus Tracks | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | ||||||||
| 15. | "G.H.E.T.T.O." | 3:26 | ||||||||
| 16. | "Driving with Nowhere to Go" | 3:57 | ||||||||
| 17. | "Where's da G's" (El-P remix) | 4:38 | ||||||||
| Japanese Bonus Track | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | ||||||||
| 15. | "Dean" | 2:32 | ||||||||
- 1 Samples Lyn Collins' "Think (About It)" and Galactic Force Band's "Space Dust".
- 2 Co-mixed by Shy FX.
- 3 Samples "So You Wanna Be a Boxer" from the film musical Bugsy Malone.
- 4 Omitted from US version.
Charts
| Charts (2007)[16][17] | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Charts[18] | 120 |
| Irish Albums Chart | 57 |
| UK Albums Chart | 7 |
| Charts (2009) | Peak position |
| UK Indie Music Albums Chart | 30 |
References
- ↑ http://www.metacritic.com/music/maths-+-english
- ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1077625
- ↑ http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20041754,00.html
- ↑ http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=13982
- ↑ http://music.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,,2087180,00.html
- ↑ http://www.nme.com/reviews/8612
- ↑ http://music.guardian.co.uk/urban/reviews/story/0,,2081101,00.html
- ↑ http://www.okayplayer.com/content/view/5642/86/
- ↑ http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/43429-maths-english
- ↑ http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/42293/dizzee-rascal-maths-english
- ↑ http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/dizzeerascal/albums/album/14914081
- ↑ http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/dizzee-rascal/maths-english.htm
- ↑ Dizzee's 'too poppy' hit with Joss. Virgin Media (24 May 2007). Accessed 22 May 2008.
- ↑ Matilda Egere-Cooper (1 June 2007). Interview: Wiley's new album shows he's still a man of the streets. The Independent. Accessed 22 May 2008.
- ↑ Thompson, Paul (18 January 2008). Dizzee's Maths + English Coming to U.S. Via Def Jux. Pitchfork Media. Accessed 22 May 2008.
- ↑ Dizzee Rascal - Maths & English - Music Charts. aCharts.us. Accessed 23 May 2008.
- ↑ allmusic ((( Maths and English > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums ))). Allmusic. Accessed 23 May 2008.
- ↑ "Pandora Archive". Pandora.nla.gov.au. 2006-08-23. Retrieved 2011-12-29.
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