E3 AF

Dizzee has accomplished a lot in two decades, from pioneering a genre as a hotly tipped teenage prodigy to collaborating with pop stars on chart-topping hits, but his dedication to his craft has never been stronger, and E3 AF is proof of his lasting vitality.

On this endlessly inventive seventh album, the east London MC assesses his enormous contribution while reminding everyone that he’s not done – not yet.

Sure, there’s a few lyrical clunkers on show, but taken as whole ‘E3 AF’ finds Dizzee Rascal navigating the perilous landscape of 2020 with remarkable assurance.

The rapper who reinvigorated British popular music has returned to his roots, with – when it isn’t being sentimental – an excellent album.

It feels like there’s one last great album in him, even if this isn’t quite it.

E3 AF sounds like Dizzee making the album he wants to make, rather than the one he thinks people want to hear.

While it doesn’t quite display the finesse of his first three albums it’s a welcome trip down memory lane.

Dizzee remains in touch with the youthful verve of earlier efforts with ‘E3 AF’.

Despite the impressive variety, the production choices on E3 AF do feel safe at times ... the album certainly isn’t as bold or innovative as his legendary debut. Although it’s not as vital as his early work, it’s a fun and confident return from one of the kings of grime.

The album is by no means a failure: the strength of the emceeing alone will be of note to many fans, and the highlights will undoubtedly be revisited often. Yet as with many of his generational peers, Dizzee Rascal is perhaps in the process of handing the baton of innovation down to the next crop of talent – but maybe that’s not an issue at all.

If his need to restate authenticity is depressing, having escaped expectations so fully, it’s another honest artistic turn.