Dizzee Rascal Brings “Maths + English” to NYC With El-P, Busdriver
5/12/08, 3:40 pm EST
“People sayin’, ‘Oh, I can’t understand his accent, I can’t tell what he’s sayin’. You don’t need to know what the fuck I’m sayin’,” barked Dizzee Rascal Saturday night in New York. It’s true — with Dizzee Rascal, it really doesn’t matter. The London MC held forth at Webster Hall, three shows into his first U.S. tour behind Maths + English, his nearly year-old album that only saw a Stateside release last month. Dizzee opened his hour-long set with “I Luv U” from 2003’s Boy in Da Corner, and stuck to that album (”Jus’ a Rascal,” “Stop Dat”) and Maths (”Where’s Da G’s,” “Flex”), nearly ignoring 2004’s Showtime except for a sprint through “Stand Up Tall.” It’s still hard to gauge if Dizzee has truly broken through in America after three albums, but if the full house was any indication — and the crowd’s willingness to open up a breakdance circle during “Old Skool” — his contingent of fans is dedicated to keep him trying.
Hometown hero El-P served as a de facto co-headliner, and a cameo appearance from protégé Aesop Rock on two tracks, including a raging “Run the Numbers,” pushed the energy over the top. El-P (a.k.a. Jamie Meline) spent most of the set teetering off the edge of the stage, and used his standard mid-set rant to wonder aloud if America is becoming a police state and questioning the value of voting. His set also featured the night’s only theramin solo.
As powerful as Dizzee and El-P’s sets were, the show was damn near stolen by support act Busdriver (Regan Farquhar), whose dual-mic wielding (one dry, one Chipmunks and other effects) and multi-voice approach brought to mind a hip-hop Mike Patton. He tossed out 78-rpm rhymes over samples like Radiohead’s “Idioteque” and showed off a terrifically twisted talent that made the majority of hip-hop seem downright monochromatic by comparison.
[Photo: Jason Bergman]
Chris Steffen
http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/05/12/dizzee-rascal-brings-maths-english-to-nyc-with-el-p-busdriver/
thanks again for all who made it out. sorry to those who got caught out by the early set times.
but i do think they are rigged. one way or another.
crappy sound! shaky camera phone! yeah!
Sometimes the appropriate response to reality is to go insane.
Philip K. Dick, Valis
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BOUGHT MEGGAMIXXES…
im getting reports that there are some with blank cds in them. some have said they got the meggamixxx2 but not the eat my garbage and vice-versa. we are trying to figure out how this happened and within a few day will figure out how we are going to get you your paid for halfs that may be missing. sorry for the inconvenience. i’ve checked out about 8 of them just now and there were no blanks so clearly its not a widespread problem, but still i sincerely apologize if you were unlucky enough not to get the full thing. we will make it right for you.
in the mean time i thought you might like to know the tracklisting for the meggamixx2… so here it is:
1. hoobity blah
2. drunk on the edge of a cliff
3. dirtier than thou
4. east river float
5. full system station
6. fuck the law
7. nair
8. mars tv
9. i just made you up
10. krazy kings 3
11. 45 caliber blues
12. new blud
13. mike douglas
14. my kind
15. sparrow (escape from the tombs)
16. 16 is a lucky number now
best, el
all photos taken by my lovely friend jenny applebaum, who is seen in the top photo.
