New York, 10 May 2008--Sixty minutes before Webster Hall was overrun by Saturday night clubgoers, East London's grime rapper Dizzee Rascal took to the stage and made good on his reputation as one of the UK's preeminent MC's. Saturday night was but the second date of a North American tour he is co-headlining with El-P in support of Dizzee's album Maths + English, which was released last month for the American market on El-P's record label Definitive Jux.

Dizzee Rascal was clearly hyped to be doing a show in New York, which during his set he acknowledged as the birthplace of hip hop. At one point he encouraged the crowd to form a dance circle in order to give b-boys and girls enough floor to break dance, but disappointingly, the crowd was not equal to Dizzee's vision of New York. Wild Style it was not, but to be fair this had less to do with Dizzee's cred than the dramatic demographic shift of hip hop and rap audiences over the last twenty-five years.

Earlier in the evening El-P had a chance to perform before a crowd more diverse than at last month's show at NYU. He was later joined by a now shaggy haired Aesop Rock to perform "We're Famous" and "Run the Numbers."

El-P and Dizzee Rascal will be on tour throughout North America through May 22nd. - Damien Neva

Photos: Damien Neva