Dizzee puts fans in a spin

DIZZEE RASCAL

Wolverhampton Civic Hall

By Richard Franklin

Acceptance has been a long time coming for Dizzee Rascal. The rapper, who has almost single-handedly popularised 'grime' spent years being shunned by the mainstream.

Those days are long gone, thankfully, and Dizzee proved his popularity when he won the BRIT Award at this year's 30th annual ceremony for being Best British Male. The days of Tom Jones, George Michael, Elton John and Phil Collins seem light light years ago.

Of course, discerning fans have long appreciated his fusion of garage MCing, rap, grime, ragga, eclectic samples and other, more exotic styles.

Dizzee has treated his craft the way Bruce Lee treated martial arts; he's left no stone unturned in his quest for perfection. From his 2003 debut, Boy In Da Corner, to his present offering, Tongue N' Cheek, he's continually pushed back the boundaries with his creative approach to urban music.

Best known for such tunes as Dance Wiv Me, Holiday and Bonkers; Dizzee delighted fans as he ran the gamut through his collected works to date.

With spring in the air and an election on the cards, it's worth remembering that Jeremy Paxman famously tipped Dizzee Rascal to become a future Prime Minister. On the evidence of support from 2,000 revellers last night, if he stood, he'd probably win with an overwhelming majority.