It’s been over twenty years since Dizzee Rascal released his breakthrough album Boy In Da Corner, a fact that he celebrated last year with an anniversary re-release.

By Graeme Smith

Not resting on nostalgia, he’s just released his ninth studio album, Don’t Take It Personal, and it’s good to know he’s not lost any of the energy that made his music, and live performances, famous. Right from the album’s opening track and single Stay In Your Lane, Don’t Take It Personal is a collection that hits hard, and will please fans of the old school and the new school in equal measure.

With the album, Dizzee set about to have fun, and “to pick the vibe up,” as he recently explained on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch. That doesn’t mean the album is without substance though. It actually has a lot to say, and has some compositions that will have you sitting up and taking notice. The collaborations help. Don’t Take It Personal features a cavalcade of collaborators – iLL BLU, Frisco, Predz UK, D Double E to name a few.

At the heart of it is classic Dizzee though. Stay In Your Lane is a single that rivals big hits like Bonkers and Fix Up Look Sharp. Across its sixteen tracks we get some big bass beats, quickfire vocal delivery and heaps of soul. The genre mix sees dubstep rubbing shoulders with house, garage and grime.

Dizzee latest is a treat for his fanbase, but I think it’s also an important reminder of how he has influenced those who have come since. Some of the biggest names in rap right now owe a lot to Dizzee and his generation, but it’s clear from this album that he’s not quite ready to pass on the baton to them completely just yet.

Don’t Take It Personal is out now through all major DSPs, and on CD and various colours of vinyl via Big Dirtee Records Ltd. You can check it out below.