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in school and the only class he wasn't expelled from was music. Encouraged by music teacher, Dizzee began making music on the school's computer. His mother recognized his talent, and agreed to buy him his first pair of decks. Experimenting with his decks and musical styles ranging from grime to ragga, Dizzee became an amateur DJ, with occasional appearances on a local pirate radio station. At 16 years old, he self-produced his first single, "I Luv U," a tune about teenage pregnancy that became one of grime's key singles. After winning a Sidewinder award for "best newcomer MC" in 2002, the single was re-recorded and re-produced by Jacob Freit and became a top 30 hit single in 2003, In the same year, Dizzee released his debut album Boy in da Corner to immense critical praise, and in August 2003 it entered the UK top 40 at #40. The album would go on to peak at #23. The second single from Boy in da Corner was "Fix Up, Look Sharp". The single, released in August 2003, gave Dizzee his first UK top 20 single and also became the biggest hit from his debut album. In September, Dizzee was awarded the prestigious Mercury Prize for the best album of 2003. He was the youngest person (at 19) to do so and only the second rapper to receive the coveted award. Boy in da Corner was also chosen as one of the top 50 albums of the year by Rolling Stone, joining the likes of Kanye West, Mos Def, Eminem, and Jadakiss for 2004, and establishing Dizzee as a star in his own right.



In 2004, Dizzee released his sophomore album, Showtime, which eclipsed his debut by entering the UK album chart at #8, powered by the singles "Stand Up Tall" and "Dream." Dizzee's third album Maths + English was released in June 2007 and was once again nominated for the Mercury Prize. Between the release of the two albums, Dizzee set up a fledgling label for younger talent called Dirtee Stank. "Everything I do is for the music - I want to master it like Bruce Lee mastered martial arts," Dizzee has said. Fans would argue he already has.