Dizzee Rascal: 'Timbaland's too expensive for me'

Dizzee Rascal has revealed that he is not interested in working with superstar producers – because they're too expensive.

The London rapper, speaking at the launch of his customised Nike Air Max 90 trainers at the Nike 1948 store in London, said he wasn't interested in paying over the odds for big name hitmakers such as Timbaland or Kanye West, despite achieving mainstream success this year with Number One hits including 'Dance Wiv Me' and 'Bonkers'.

"I don't feel I should pay someone a quarter of a million [to produce me]," said the rapper, who has worked with the likes of Calvin Harris and DJ Armand Van Helden, respectively, for the aforementioned hits. "Timbaland's not cheap. That's a lot [of money]."

At the press conference Dizzee went on to explain that his biggest musical influences were, "Snoop [Dogg], Jigga [Jay-Z, whose gig at the Roundhouse he attended following the launch], Korn, Sepultura and Shy FX".

Answering a question from a journalist, he also revealed that the music video for his 2007 single 'Sirens' was the video shoot he found most challenging. "It was shot in Romania," he explained. "It was minus-something degrees, it was like shooting a movie. I stayed up for two days with dogs and horses chasing me!"

Watch the video for 'Sirens' by clicking below, then the promo video for Dizzee's Nike Air Max 90 trainers, released in the Shoreditch shop today (September 18) on a limited run of 200 pairs.

Dizzee Rascal's new album, 'Tongue N' Cheek', is released on Monday (September 21).

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