The Importance of Not Being Dizzee

Forgive me, but these things have to be said. I was struck the other day by this clip of Dizzee Rascal on Newsnight. Mr Rascal’s sentiments are fine - it doesn’t matter what colour you are, if you’re here your’re British etc. What struck me though was how spectacularly inarticulate this young man is. Of course, you could play it the other way and say he shows how disenchanted young people are with stuffy old politicians and so on, people who don’t speak their language etc. Fine, but if Dizzee is anything to go by, that sort of language doesn’t equip you to think or say much. If you want to mull over that though, think back to those debates about restricted codes; but I’d argue this is a different matter, not about the style, but the substance.

For me, his glossing over the issues of race, ethnicity and identity, are important for what they miss. Sure, you might agree with his values. But it’s important to understand what ethnic identities are, and how and why they came to be as they are, and also to understand that they are contested. That involves power and politics; and that’s why indifference is not a very useful strategy. My guess would be that, like a lot of people, Dizzee thinks he’s free. But he’s not. Social structures get to us all, one way or another.

I’m not saying Dizzee is a moron. But he is a great advert for political and social education. For the need for it, that is.