Rascal's raps make D.C. Dizzee By DANIEL LONGINO Eagle Staff Writer
Indie kids with sideways hats dominated the 9:30 club for the hippest of hip hip-hop - the Streets and Dizzee Rascal - on July 2. Dizzee Rascal commanded the stage for a blistering opening set.
The British emcee blasted through tracks off his debut "Boy in Da Corner," like "Stop Dat" and "I Luv You," with high energy, even though the only decipherable words throughout were "D.C." and "Dizzee Rascal." However, if someone is around people who speak a different language for long enough, one begins to understand - the same applies here. Dizzee's stuttered, manic beats provide adequate background to his unique delivery, but Rascal seemed most entertaining when sampling popular tracks, rapping over Mobb Deep's "Don't Get It Twisted."
As soon as the crowd became weary of Dizzee's set, the 18-year-old prodigy justified his own hype by tearing through an a cappella that showcased Dizzee's awesome talent. Like a magician who doesn't reveal his tricks, Dizzee left people wondering when he has a chance to take a breath while delivering the nonstop assault of rhyming power.
After Rascal won the crowd over with his a cappella, it was easy to incite a sing-a-long to "Jus a Rascal" and Dizzee's first single, "Fix Up, Look Sharp," which employs a simplistic drum beat (although the falsetto "whoos" make the song).
Despite ill-informed comparisons to 50 Cent, Dizzee Rascal proves to be infinitely more interesting than most American rappers today. He embodies his slogan, "fuck da glitz 'n glama," by not rocking any ice or bling, just raw talent. Dizzee Rascal's style might be an acquired taste, but at least it leaves a good one in your mouth.
Mike Skinner's fans crowd the Streets By GRANT LAZER Eagle Contributing Writer
At the sold-out 9:30 club July 2, fans propelled their hands in the air doing the "Washington Push," the movement that the Streets' Mike Skinner led from onstage. The show was in support of Skinner's new album, "A Grand Don't Come For Free." His first release, "Original Pirate Material," was a big hit in Europe and the United States, and most of the songs from the show came from the latter album.
In interviews, Skinner admits that his performances are not the best and not close to the quality of the albums. However, he assures reporters that the performances are still fun. To say that the show was just fun is an understatement. It's true that his rhymes were not the smoothest and it was hard to hear him over the bass, drums and keyboards behind him. However, along with Leo Ihenacho, who supplied backup vocals, he did a great job putting on an entertaining show.
During the song "Too Much Brandy," Skinner handed out shots of brandy to audience members from a dispenser that he had on stage. Besides brandy, he and Ihenacho also passed out backstage passes to the crowd. Skinner and Ihenacho did not disappoint in performing the more popular Streets songs, ending the main set with "Fit But You Know It" and then playing "Weak Become Heroes" and "Don't Mug Yourself" for the encore.
Skinner played the crowd well, often acknowledging the fans in the balcony, giving them "balcony love," and at one point he took a Burger King crown from a fan and placed it atop his head and proclaimed in his Cockney accent, "I'm a king, a burger king." Ihenacho also dubbed himself a "Female Body Inspector," referring to the FBI T-shirt he was wearing.
At one point Skinner and Ihenacho were playing soccer with a cup, and they also pretended to fight each other. Finally, during the last song of the night, Skinner leaned back into the crowd and let it carry him. The Streets did not disappoint, making up for a lack of rapping skills with their ability to put on a good show.
