More about: Dizzee Rascal

Dizzee Rascal is to be awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of East London today, 18 November, 2013.

The rapper grew up in the area, and the award is for the amount he has given back to the community and the arts in the area since his rise to stardom. It will be a welcome boost for Dizzee, who has been involved in a couple of high profile spats over the last fortnight.

Watch: Dizzee perform 'Bonkers' at Glastonbury

First he reacted angrily to the news that Radio 1 were refusing to playlist his music in the future, telling the studio's bosses "suck my dick". Hot on the heels of that controversy he sent beliebers bonkers by announcing their hero Justin Bieber as the winner of the best supported act award, as a joke.

Dizzee has worked hard to put back into the community in recent years, working on community projects and setting up music programmes so that young people from East London can break into music in the same way that he has. For all his recent problems, it's hard to argue with the doctorate given the amount of work he's done.

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More about: Dizzee Rascal