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Grime pioneer Dizzee Rascal will be performing his entire 2003 debut album 'Boy in da Corner' live for the first time ever in the UK at Red Bull Music Academy (RBMA) on October 21. He’s only performed some of these tracks live once since recording them at the tender age of 18, effectively ripping through early noughties mainstream music and securing the Mercury Prize along the way.
A petition calling for a full album gig in London was signed by almost 1,500 people earlier this year after it was announced he was doing all of 'Boy in da Corner' in May for the New York leg of the Red Bull Music Academy Tour. Comments included: 'We need a homecoming from the Jesus Christ of Grime', 'it would be rude not to' and the simple, plaintive 'pls'.
Alongside this headline show the annual RBMA Tour is also serving up a batch of homegrown talent to share insights from their careers and basically act as the best supply school music teachers, ever. The ‘classes’ are kept intimate in small-ish venues across London so you don’t need to crane your head to hear idols dropping gems of wisdom.
Highlights include Gorgon City on handling mainstream appeal and Lady Leshurr chatting production skills and running down her favourite beats to spit over. The Academy also throws special parties by night: east London’s Jay Prince has invited a bunch of collaborators to The Macbeth pub to drop his latest mixtape live and beautiful label Awesome Tapes From Africa will haul their ginormous collection of African cassette rarities to their tenth-anniversary party at Corsica Studios. While Father, Abra and other hot acts signed to Awful Records will fly over from Atlanta and perform amongst the crowd in what’s being described as a ‘360 degree experience’.
Red Bull Music Academy Tour takes place at various London locations Oct 19-21.
Check out our pick of the (other) top gigs in London in October. And bone up on the genre with our 'Brief history of Grime'.