A few weeks after
Dizzee Rascal was officially named a Member of the Order of the British Empire for his services to music, the rapper released his seventh full-length,
E3 AF, which he had described as "flawless" in a prior album announcement post on Instagram. The album's title is a reference to the E3 postal code of the area in East London where he was brought up, implying a return to the emcee's roots, much like 2017's
Raskit, an about-face which followed two albums of overtly chart-friendly material. While
Raskit was a stark, sometimes menacing hour-long set which found the artist re-focusing his talents,
E3 AF is leaner and more refined, with only ten songs and a generally more upbeat outlook. It's as pure a grime record as his Mercury Prize-winning 2003 debut
Boy in da Corner, but it sounds nothing alike, and it would be impossible for him to make both records at the same stage of his career. His signature unhinged squawk has all but disappeared from his voice, and he's streamlined his rambunctious energy into something more powerful yet just as determined as his earlier self. In terms of pure rhyming ability, he's better than he's ever been. Tracks like the opening declaration "God Knows" and "L.L.L.L. (Love Life Live Large)" reflect his continual efforts at self-improvement and his drive for respect and success, as well as his aspiration to live the good life. The festive, playful "Body Loose" is more party-driven, as well as nostalgic -- its beat is based on a slowed-down sample of
Architechs' 2000 U.K. garage hit "Body Groove." "You Don't Know" is another garage flashback, but has a heavier club beat and a much colder demeanor, with lyrics meant as an observation on people's relationship with social media. Contrasting with
Raskit, which featured no guest vocalists,
E3 AF is loaded with appearances by grime A-listers like
Kano,
Ghetts,
P Money, and
D Double E, as well as additional hooks by singers such as Jamaican-born
Alicai Harley and indie songwriter/bassist
Rob Jones TV. All of them nicely complement
Dizzee's masterly flows, but even he seems daunted by the staggeringly quick
Ocean Wisdom as the two trade rapid-fire verses during the head-spinning "Don't Be Dumb."
Dizzee has accomplished a lot in two decades, from pioneering a genre as a hotly tipped teenage prodigy to collaborating with pop stars on chart-topping hits, but his dedication to his craft has never been stronger, and
E3 AF is proof of his lasting vitality. ~ Paul Simpson
