Dizzee Rascal Stuns Everyone With His Secret Lockdown Skill
Dizzee Rascal swapped the mic for a trowel during the COVID-19 lockdown, using the downtime to earn a City and Guilds Certificate in plastering.
The Mercury Prize-winning rapper told Fix Radio he “needed to learn to do stuff” when the pandemic halted live performances and studio sessions.
“I did a plastering course for however long,” Dizzee said. “I got the certificate and everything.”
Despite being one of the most recognizable names in British Hip-Hop, Dizzee said it took weeks before his classmates realized who he was.
“Towards the end, there was a couple dudes, I’ve been with them for weeks. They were like, ‘Hey, oh my God, it’s you, hey man, he’s rich man, he’s famous man. Right at the end is when they clocked it.”
After mastering the art of smooth walls, Dizzee returned to music in late 2024, dropping the surprise EP I Invented Grime. The project arrived just months after his eighth studio album, Don’t Take It Personal, reaffirming his place in the genre he helped pioneer.
Last year, Dizzee also marked the 15th anniversary of Tongue N’ Cheek, the album that produced hits like “Bonkers” and “Dance Wiv Me.”
His debut album Boy In Da Corner, released in 2003, is widely credited with bringing grime — a rapid-fire blend of Hip-Hop and electronic beats — into the mainstream.
Dizzee’s latest releases continue to build on a career that has shaped the sound of British music for over two decades.