Rise of a rascal: Dizzee starts working on his autobiography

It's a rap: Dizzee with Florence Welch. Telling his story was 'like therapy', he says
11 April 2012
The Weekender

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Dizzee Rascal has begun work on his autobiography - and says telling his life story is like a "therapy session".

The rapper, 25, from Bow is collating the book with ghostwriter Ben Thompson. It charts his rise from MC on London's pirate radio to chart-topper.

He is due to start work on a fifth album this year. "The book has been pushed back a bit - I'll probably get the album out first," he said.

"I sit there with Ben Thompson and tell him everything. Everyone's got secrets and I've got more than plenty.

"You know what? I enjoyed it. It was a bit of a therapy session, because I ain't had no therapy sessions before. Telling someone everything has been great." The book will cover Dizzee's difficult childhood - his father died when he was a child and he admits being "violent and disruptive" as a teenager. But he "cleared a lot of the nonsense out" to focus on his career.

"I got into trouble so much when I was younger, now I don't try to get too wild and rebellious or anything," he said.

Born Dylan Kwabena Mills in 1985, Dizzee was expelled from four schools in four years, and at his fifth, Langdon Park in Poplar, was excluded from most classes except music.

But he received encouragement from his music teacher and became a DJ. He joined grime group Roll Deep Crew and his first solo album, Boy In Da Corner, was released in 2003, winning the Mercury Prize. In the week it came out he was stabbed in Ayia Napa, Cyprus.

For his autobiography, the rapper has signed a deal with Canongate Books and the publishing arm of his record label, Dirtee Stank Recordings.

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