Boy in da Corner

Boy in da Corner
Studio album by Dizzee Rascal
Released 21 July 2003 (2003-07-21)
Recorded October 2001 (2001-10)-March 2003 (2003-03)
Genre Grime
Length 57:21
Label XL
Producer Dizzee Rascal, Mr. Cage, Chubby Dread, Taz, Vanguard, Moulders
Dizzee Rascal chronology
Boy in da Corner
(2003)		 Showtime
(2004)
Singles from Boy in da Corner
  1. "I Luv U"
    Released: 26 May 2003
  2. "Fix Up, Look Sharp"
    Released: 18 August 2003
  3. "Jus' a Rascal"
    Released: 24 October 2003
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic92/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
Robert ChristgauA−[3]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[4]
The Guardian[5]
Mojo[6]
NME9/10[7]
Pitchfork Media9.4/10[8]
Rolling Stone[9]
SpinA−[10]
Stylus MagazineA+[11]

Boy in da Corner is the debut album of British grime MC Dizzee Rascal, released on 21 July 2003 by XL Recordings in the United Kingdom and Matador Records in the United States. Dizzee was 17 years old when the album was released. The album received highly positive reviews from the majority of music critics and went on to win the Mercury Prize.

Critical reception

On Metacritic, the album received an aggregate score of 92/100 (indicating "universal acclaim"), and currently ranks eighteen on that site's list of highest-rated albums and number one in the electronic category.[1] Allmusic called it "Startling, tirelessly powerful, and full of unlimited dimensions, nothing could truly weigh down this debut -- not even a Mercury Prize".[2] Robert Christgau praised the album, giving it an A- and saying that as "Someone who mocked the minimal means of U.K. garage and considered the Streets barely music at all, I was captivated by Dizzee's sound the moment I heard the import".[3] Entertainment Weekly stated, "Combining U.K. garage beats and a distinctly British sensibility, Rascal spits out phrases with the energy and finesse of a championship boxer".[4] The Village Voice stated, "When Dizzee thinks very deeply--worrying about growing up, about those around him who won't grow up, about dying before he grows up--he sounds like, what else can we call it, the real thing".[12] Rolling Stone stated, "If you want a vision of the future of hip-hop and techno, get this record".[9]

NME called it "one of the most assured debut albums of the last five years".[7] Pitchfork Media's Scott Plagenhoef stated, "Dizzee's despairing wail, focused anger, and cutting sonics places him on the front lines in the battle against a stultifying Britain, just as Pete Townshend, Johnny Rotten, and Morrissey have been in the past".[8] Stylus Magazine stated, "Most of Boy in Da Corner's most compelling moments come from this uneasy interaction between irrational youth and ultra-rational mechanized society".[11] PopMatters called it "an album that can be loved as both an achievement and an experience, a document and a revelation; it is simultaneously a problem to be solved and a spectacle to simply witness". Alexis Petridis of The Guardian called Dizzee "the most original and exciting artist to emerge from dance music in a decade".[5] Uncut called him the "best rapper this country's ever produced, period.... Next to Dizzee Rascal everybody looks pale, uninteresting and irrelevant". Mojo gave the album 5 out of 5 stars saying it is "brilliantly original".[13]

Accolades

Boy in da Corner won Dizzee Rascal the 2003 Mercury Prize, becoming the second rapper to win the award.[14] In 2009, it was voted the sixth greatest album of all time by MTV Base.[15] The album is featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. The record peaked at number twenty-three on the UK Albums Chart.[16] It has sold over 58,000 units in the U.S.[17] and over 250,000 copies worldwide.[18] The album also reached gold status in the UK selling 260,000 copies.[19]

Track listing

All tracks were produced by Dizzee Rascal, except where noted.

No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Sittin' Here"  Dylan Mills 4:05
2. "Stop Dat"  Mills 3:40
3. "I Luv U"  Mills 4:05
4. "Brand New Day"  Mills 4:00
5. "2 Far" (featuring Wiley)Richard Cowie, Mills 3:07
6. "Fix Up, Look Sharp"  Nick Detnon, Mills, Billy Squier 3:44
7. "Cut 'Em Off"  Mills 3:53
8. "Hold Ya Mouf" (featuring God’s Gift)Jerome Dow, Mills 2:55
9. "Round We Go" (co-produced by Chubby Dread)Hector, Mills 4:13
10. "Jus' a Rascal" (featuring Taz) (co-produced by Taz & Vanguard)Mills, Tesmond Rowe, Vanguard Vardoen 3:39
11. "Wot U On?" (featuring Caramel)Mills 4:50
12. "Jezebel"  Mills 3:36
13. "Seems 2 Be"  Mills 3:46
14. "Live O"  Mills 3:35
15. "Do It!"  Mills 4:06

Personnel

Credits for Boy in da Corner adapted from AllMusic.[20]

Charts

Chart (2003–04) Peak
position
UK Albums Chart[16] 1
US Billboard Top Heatseekers[21] 1
US Billboard Top Independent Albums[21] 1

References

  1. 1 2 "Boy in da Corner Review". Metacritic. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  2. 1 2 Kellman, Andy. "Boy in da Corner > Overview". Allmusic. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  3. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (10 February 2004). "Parts of the Elephunk". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  4. 1 2 Browne, David (16 January 2004). "Boy in da Corner (2003)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  5. 1 2 Petridis, Alexis (18 July 2003). "Dizzee Rascal: Boy in da Corner". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  6. ↑ "Review: Boy in da Corner". Mojo (London): 106. August 2003.
  7. 1 2 Pattison, Louis. "Dizzee Rascal : Boy In Da Corner". NME. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  8. 1 2 Plagenhoef, Scott (7 July 2003). "Dizzee Rascal: Boy in Da Corner: Pitchfork Record Review". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  9. 1 2 Blashill, Pat (5 February 2004). "Dizzee Rascal: Boy In Da Corner". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2008.
  10. ↑ Hermes, Will (26 January 2004). Dizzee Rascal: Boy In Da Corner. Spin. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  11. 1 2 Mueller, Gavin (1 September 2003). "Dizzee Rascal - Boy in Da Corner". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  12. ↑ Chang, Jeff (13 January 2004). "Future Shock - Music". The Village Voice. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  13. ↑ "Highest and Lowest Scoring Music and Albums". Metacritic. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  14. ↑ "Rapper Rascal wins Mercury Prize". BBC News. 9 September 2003. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  15. ↑ "MTV Base - Greatest Albums Ever". MTV. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  16. 1 2 "Dizzee Rascal, Boy In Da Corner". The Observer. 20 June 2004. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  17. ↑ Martens, Todd (23 May 2007). "New Dizzee Rascal Goes Digital-Only In U.S.". Billboard. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  18. ↑ Weiner, Jonah (7 September 2004). "Parallel Universe". The Village Voice. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  19. ↑ "Mercury Prize Winners - The Guardian Google spreadsheet". Retrieved 2012-03-06.
  20. ↑ "Boy in da Corner - Dizzee Rascal: Credits". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  21. 1 2 "Boy in da Corner - Dizzee Rascal". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Retrieved 27 July 2011.

External links

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