A biography for Dizzee Rascalhasn’t been written yet.
“When I was growing up, it was 'All Eyes On Me' by Tupac and 'Doggy Style' by Snoop Dogg. I've met Snoop and he's the best. They say you shouldn't meet your idol - that definitely doesn't apply to him.”
“Seeing different sides of life, seeing different sides of society, that's what London's all about. When I was young my mum always tried to make me do that.”
“I see all that celebrity stuff now as whatever, man. What's more important is that everyday people are liking my music, it's got to that stage. I've worked really hard for a long time for it to come to this point, where I'm putting smiles on people's faces, and I'm loving it.”
“I'm not that guy in the suit, speaking the Queen's English. I don't need to be. I've done enough. I can go on 'Newsnight' as me.”
“I take risks.”
“I was making grime before anyone else.”
“I learned to MC over drum 'n' bass music.”
“School would have been pretty dead really for me without music. I liked IT, and English was all right, but that was it.”
“I liked going to the Caribbean, just having nice holidays, do you know what I mean?”
“I'll never run out of things to rap about. Sometimes you sit there and think, 'I can't do it, I can't do it.' Then something happens and you start writing.”
“People used to shoot their guns while I was MCing.”
“London's where I grew up and had most of my experiences.”
“You can never have enough winter jackets.”
“Yeah, I love festivals, man.”
“I think it don't matter what colour you are, it matters what colour your heart is and your intentions.”
“I come from the underground, from the ground.”
“America is the land of the hustler: it's bigger, bolder, flasher, more in your face, whereas England's more about attention to detail - trying to be refined and classy, and I think a lot of people in the urban scene in this country have had trouble accepting that.”
“I'm not afraid to embrace different music and different culture and put it in the music.”
“No U.K. rapper has been in my position; there are loads of big rappers like Tinie Tempah or Skepta, but no one has done what I have: had mainstream success with underground music and pop music.”
“No one can establish what selling out is.”