Dizzee Rascal - 'Flex'

What this video is

Released on 19 November 2007 via XL Recordings as the third single from Dizzee Rascal's third studio album Maths + English, 'Flex' arrived at a pivotal moment in UK grime's commercial trajectory. By 2007, Dizzee Rascal had established himself as grime's most visible mainstream crossover figure following his Mercury Prize-winning debut Boy in da Corner (2003). 'Flex' reached number 23 on the UK Singles Chart and…

Why it matters

The video is a significant document of grime's mid-period negotiation with British mainstream pop culture. By lampooning The X Factor — the dominant arbiter of UK pop stardom — through the 'Flex Factor' conceit, Dizzee Rascal asserts genre identity and street credibility while fully inhabiting the…

The director

Ed Tracy is a British television writer and director. He studied film at Central St Martins in London. He co-created, wrote and directed the multi-award-winning BAFTA-winning comedies Fonejacker (2007) and Facejacker (2010) with comedian Kayvan Novak. His…