I Luv U (Dizzee Rascal song)

"I Luv U"
Single by Dizzee Rascal
from the album Boy in da Corner
B-side"Vexed"
WrittenLate 2001
Released26 May 2003
Recorded2002
StudioBelly of the Beast (London, England)
GenreGrime
Length4:05
Label
  • XL
  • Dirtee Stank
SongwriterDylan Mills
ProducerDizzee Rascal
Dizzee Rascal singles chronology
"I Luv U"
(2003)		 "Fix Up, Look Sharp"
(2003)
Remix cover
Music video
"Dizzee Rascal - 'I Luv U'" on YouTube

"I Luv U" is the debut single by British rapper Dizzee Rascal from his debut studio album Boy in da Corner (2003). It was released by XL Recordings on 26 May 2003 as the lead single from the album, and first gained underground attention in 2002 after a test pressing had made rounds on UK pirate radio.[1]

The song peaked at number 29 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Dizzee Rascal's first top 40 hit in the United Kingdom. "I Luv U" received widespread acclaim from critics, and is retrospectively considered one of the most important songs in the development and mainstream breakthrough of grime music. It was also the only single of his to be released before his July 2003 stabbing in Cyprus, in which he almost died.[2]

Background and composition

I know I was in the middle of making it and Cage was on the phone. He got off the phone and he said: "Ah, it's not good." I said: "What's wrong?". He said: "It's not good." Then, he explained to me that the towers fell, and bin Laden, 9/11, and all that stuff. I didn't understand, 'cause I'd never heard of the Twin Towers; I didn't know what any of that was. But I remember that vividly happened when I was making this beat.[3]

After dropping out of college, Dizzee Rascal independently self-produced "I Luv U" around late 2001, at the age of 16. The instrumental was created in roughly 30 minutes.[3][4][5] Dizzee credits American hip-hop and crunk pioneers like Three 6 Mafia as major influences on the song, and was inspired in particular by the male-female back and forth structures of Ludacris and Shawnna's "What's Your Fantasy", and the Timbaland-produced "Is That Your Chick?", the former of which was Dizzee's attempt of replicating the strings to.[6]

The song features additional vocals from Jeanine Jacques, who portrays the girl on the chorus. She was a local girl from Dizzee's estate who he didn't get along with, but sought her nonetheless because he needed a female rapper on the song and didn't know any professional ones.[7][8] Jacques asked "what the fuck is this...?" when she first heard the production she was tasked with rapping over.[9] The song opens with a stuttering voice repeating the song's title, leading into a bass-heavy rhythm.[1]

Critical reception

"I Luv U" received widespread critical acclaim upon its release. Drowned in Sound gave the song a perfect 10/10 rating in their review, as well as proclaiming it as "single of the goddamn year" and championing Dizzee as "the saviour of UK music".[10] Pitchfork was also highly positive of the record, ranking "I Luv U" at number 7 in their list of the best songs of 2003 and calling it a "contemptuous smackfest" with its "grim and hateful lyrics". They also placed the song at number 56 in their 2009 ranking of the "200 Best Songs of the 2000s".[11][12] AllMusic highlighted the song as a standout track from Boy in da Corner.[13]

The Wire described "I Luv U"'s impact on grime as "analogous to "Anarchy in the U.K." for punk rock."[14] The track was named as one of the best songs released between 2000 and 2003 in the 2008 book The Pitchfork 500: Our Guide to the Greatest Songs from Punk to the Present.[1] XL Recordings owner Richard Russell wrote in his 2020 book Liberation Through Hearing that the first time he heard "I Luv U", he felt "Dizzee was creating what could clearly be an entirely new day for British music."[15]

Tom Ewing of Freaky Trigger described "I Luv U" as "a bomb-burst of noise, invention, attitude and spite – people who'd been following the underground evolution of grime for years were shocked by how new, how hard, how fully realised it sounded."[16] Kieran Yates of Resident Advisor writes, "Most people of a certain age will remember where they were when they first heard Dizzee Rascal's riotous 'I Luv U'—some in the schoolyard, others in a sticky rave."[17]

Commercial performance

"I Luv U" instantly became a top 40 hit in the United Kingdom, debuting at number 29 on the UK Singles Chart on 7 June 2003 and staying in the top 100 for three weeks.[18] The song also peaked at number 2 on the UK Dance Singles Chart for two consecutive weeks, and at number 5 on the UK Independent Singles Chart.[19][20]

Additionally, "I Luv U" would re-enter the UK Dance Singles Chart for one week on 11 April 2009.[21]

Track listing

UK CD single[22]

  1. "I Luv U" (clean radio edit) – 2:36
  2. "I Luv U" (Remix) (featuring Wiley and Sharkey Major) – 4:25
  3. "I Luv U" (Original Mix) – 4:05

UK 12-inch vinyl[23]

  1. "I Luv U" (Original Mix) – 4:05
  2. "I Luv U" (Dirty Radio Edit) – 2:33
  3. "Vexed" – 4:12

UK remix 12-inch vinyl[24]

  1. "I Luv U" (Remix) (featuring Wiley and Sharkey Major) – 4:25
  2. "I Luv U" (Clean Radio Edit) – 2:36
  3. "I Luv U" (instrumental) – 4:08

US promotional mini CD[25]

  1. "Fix Up, Look Sharp" – 3:45
  2. "I Luv U" – 4:04

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "I Luv U"
Chart (2003) Peak
position
UK Singles (Official Charts)[26]29
UK Dance (Official Charts)[27]2
UK Indie (Official Charts)[28]5
2009 weekly chart performance for "I Luv U"
Chart (2009) Peak
position
UK Dance (Official Charts)[29]34

Release history

Release dates and formats for "I Luv U"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom 2002 White label record Self-released
26 May 2003 XL
Digital download
June 2003[a] 12-inch vinyl
United States 20 January 2004[b] Mini CD

Notes

  1. ↑ The remix version of "I Luv U" also received a standalone physical release.
  2. ↑ In the United States, "I Luv U" was released as a double A-side promotional CD with "Fix Up, Look Sharp".

References

  1. 1 2 3 Plagenhoef, Scott; Schreiber, Ryan, eds. (November 2008). The Pitchfork 500. Simon & Schuster. p. 176. ISBN 978-1-4165-6202-3.
  2. ↑ "Garage star stabbed in Cyprus". BBC News. 8 July 2003. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Together We Rise (Documentary)". YouTube. GRM Daily. 28 September 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
  4. ↑ Abiade, Yemi (25 May 2018). ""I LUV U" HAS STOOD THE TEST OF GRIME'S TROUBLED TIMES". Trench. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
  5. ↑ Flint, Tom (15 January 2004). "Dizzee Rascal & Cage". Sound on Sound. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
  6. ↑ Hancox, Dan (5 May 2016). "Dizzee Rascal & Cage". Red Bull Music Academy Daily. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
  7. ↑ Hermes, Will (26 January 2004). "Dizzee Rascal, 'Boy In Da Corner' - SPIN". Spin Magazine. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  8. ↑ "Dizzee Rascal Reveals The Story Behind 'I Love You'". YouTube. Kick Game. 14 March 2024. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "Dizzee Rascal Reveals The Secret History Of 'Boy In Da Corner' - Okayplayer". www.okayplayer.com. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  10. ↑ Anonymous, Adam (2 June 2003). "Single Review: Dizzee Rascal – I Luv U". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "Top 50 Singles of 2003". Pitchfork. 29 December 2003. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "The 200 Best Songs of the 2000s". Pitchfork. 21 August 2009. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  13. ↑ "Boy in da Corner Tracks & Reviews - Dizzee Rascal". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  14. ↑ Young, Rob, ed. (2009). The Wire Primers. Verso Books. p. 80. ISBN 978-1-84467-427-5.
  15. ↑ Russell, Richard (17 April 2020). "How Dizzee Rascal's 'I Luv U' Revolutionised UK Music Forever". Vice. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  16. ↑ Ewing, Tom (23 November 2023). "Band Aid 20 – "Do They Know It's Christmas?"". Freaky Trigger. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
  17. ↑ Hawthorn, Carlos; Szatan, Gabriel; Almedia, Rachel Grace (11 December 2025). "The Best Electronic Records of 2000-25". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  18. ↑ "Official Singles Chart". Official Charts Company. 1 June 2003. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  19. ↑ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. 1 June 2003. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  20. ↑ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. 1 June 2003. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  21. ↑ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. 5 April 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  22. ↑ Dizzee Rascal (2003). I Luv U (CD single). United Kingdom: XL Recordings. XLS165CD.
  23. ↑ Dizzee Rascal (2003). I Luv U (12-inch single). United Kingdom: XL Recordings. XLT 165.
  24. ↑ Dizzee Rascal (2003). I Luv U (Remix) (12-inch single). United Kingdom: XL Recordings. XLR 165.
  25. ↑ Dizzee Rascal (2004). Fix Up Look Sharp/I Luv U (CD single). United States: XL Recordings, Matador Records. OLE 608-2P.
  26. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 7/6/2003 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  27. ↑ "Official Dance Singles Chart on 7/6/2003 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  28. ↑ "Official Independent Singles Chart on 7/6/2003 – Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Official Dance Singles Chart on 11/4/2009 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  30. ↑ "Dizzee Rascal – I Luv U". Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  31. ↑ "I Luv U – Single". Apple Music. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
  32. ↑ "Dizzee Rascal – I Luv U". XL Recordings. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  33. ↑ "Dizzee Rascal – I Luv U (Remix)". XL Recordings. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  34. ↑ "Dizzee Rascal – Fix Up, Look Sharp / I Luv U". Retrieved 6 July 2026.
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