D Double E

One of the forefathers of grime, Darren Dixon (January 19, 1980), aka D Double E, is an English rapper, DJ, and producer who jumped to fame with his vibrant amalgamation of jungle, dancehall, and hip-hop. Known for his fast-paced delivery, Dixon started off as a DJ in the mid-90s before taking his first steps as an MC at underground house parties in London. Towards the end of the decade, he teamed up with Dizzee Rascal, Ghetts, Kano, Marcus Nasty, and longtime collaborator Terror Danjah to form N.A.S.T.Y. Crew, a project he would abandon in 2004 citing creative differences with Marcus Nasty. That same year, Dixon formed the grime outfit Newham Generals alongside Monkside and Footsie, who left the group shortly after its inception. The duo dropped Generally Speaking, their debut album, in 2009, after which Dixon decided to focus on his solo career. Following the creation of his own label, Bluku Music, the grime MC released a handful of standalone singles such as 2015’s “Street Fighter Riddim” and 2017’s “That’s How I Like It” before the arrival of Jackuum (2018), his studio debut, which climbed to Number 61 on the UK charts. Two years later, he returned with a second album titled D.O.N. and “Fresh N Clean 2020,” a remix of his 2019 single “Fresh N Clean (Silence the Critics).”