Grime rapper Dizzee Rascal has denied headbutting his ex-girlfriend at a property in south London earlier this summer. Rascal, real name, Dylan Kwabena Mills, pleaded not guilty to “pushing his head into” Cassandra Jones nor “pushing her to the floor” at a house in Streatham on June 8, as was heard by Croydon magistrates court.
The Boy in da Corner mastermind attended the court in a suit and tie, a far cry away from his normal attire. His defence lawyer, Iskander Fernandez, said the rapper “denies pushing his head into the complainant’s head and denies pushing her to the floor”.
Rascal’s manager, who “received a phone call when the altercation took place”, will give evidence at the trial. Jones’s mother, Dawn Kirk, is also set to give evidence, the court heard. The Metropolitan Police previously revealed that Jones had reported minor injuries following the alleged incident.
Rascal released his debut album, Boy in da Corner in 2003 to universal acclaim. He won the prestigious Mercury Music Prize for his effort, and has subsequently been hailed as one of the founding fathers of grime. The album was the first sign of the true potential of grime as a cultural phenomenon and a market force, and without Boy in da Corner, it is likely grime would not be the same today.
The rapper has had a long career, and his seventh studio outing, E3 AF, is due out on 30 October. He was awarded an MBE for his services to music in the 2020 Queen’s birthday honours list, and has performed at festivals up and down the country since Covid restrictions were relaxed, including Boardmasters in Cornwall and Live at Lydiard in Swindon.
He was charged with assault by beating on 2 August. He was released on conditional bail and will return to court for trial on 18 February.
Listen to Boy in da Corner, below,
