Finding myself mildly entertained, a flick back to Raskit and Don't Gas Me confirms a dip In my personal investment. Coming of the back of strong releases, the Rascal returns with this brief thirty three minute stint that lacks a commanding grip on the listener. Flipping back and forth between dirty Grime bangers and warm friendly tracks with brighter vibes, it feels all to routine. Last outing, sixteen tracks indicated an artist in a fruitful moment, yielding invested emotional lyrics and challenging himself, pushing his craft to the edge. It had me excited for this next one.
With E3 the edge is gone, his hooks lack a spark, relying on the puns and loose rhyme links to punch a theme into the songs. Although there is topicality and Dizzee has plenty to say, his verses often fall off into the routine of braggadocio and stance affirming that doesn't seem routed in anything deeper. Moments of technicality and swift delivery are impressive but its been heard before. He has his moments but with the mediocre production of atypical beats the record feels dull and run of the mill.
With guests on all but two tracks, Dizzee gets out shined on occasion. Although not to my liking, the hyper masculine, violent raps of his friends have so much energy and immediacy they become the most memorable parts of the record, possibly for being new and fresh voices to digest. Ocean Wisdom catches the ear with his hasty wordings. The vulgar, over the top back and forth on the mic is a blast. A highlight among a record that failed to grab me despite plenty of spins.
Rating: 4/10