Dappy

Dappy

Dino Contostavlos, Template:Pron-en, better known by his stage name of Dappy, is an English rapper, singer and actor, who is the lead of MOBO award-winning English hip hop band N-Dubz. He is known for his slightly unusual dress sense and his love for what he describes as "eye-catching headwear". His trademark is wearing a selection of woolly chullos, (sometimes called Peruvian hats, other times called twat hats) sometimes referred to as "Dappy hats", turning up the right or left ear-flap of the hat.

Early life

Born 11 June 1987 and raised in Camden Town, North London, Dino grew up with his parents, Zoi Agorou & Byron Contostavlos, younger sister Melissa and older brother Spiros. Dino was fortunate in that he grew up in relative wealth and affluence (his father was a former member of Mungo Jerry). Dappy started performing in and around Camden Town from the age of 11 years old with band-mates Richard "Fazer" Rawson (who he met at karate lessons) and Tula "Tulisa" Contostavlos, who is his cousin. At the time they were called the Lickle Rinsers Crew. He and his band-mates all attended St Johns Wood (now known as Quintin Kynaston School) in Westminster, and although Dino was expelled from school for persistent truancy and fighting when he was 15, he returned later to study at college and received an A* in English. His father, Byron, who died on April 12 2007 after a heart-attack, found success with 1970s pop band Mungo Jerry, and to Dappy was the "inspiration behind the band". With the money he made from his music days, Byron set up a small studio for the band and worked in the local barbers' to pay for recording equipment and maintenance of the facility. Dappy said he had come back to his flat to find his dad lying unconscious on Dappy's sofa couch. He called an ambulance but he had already been dead for about 24 hours. N-Dubz wrote the song 'Papa (Can You Hear Me?)', which was played at his funeral and became the group's second biggest hit at #19, and at #17 in the download charts. Dino later had the words "RIP Dad" tattooed on his neck and doesn't like to say his dad's name, instead referring to him as "B" or "Uncle B", which was also the name of N-Dubz's debut album.

Before Byron died, he said he'd like their album to be called Against All Odds but after his death, the group called their debut album Uncle B in tribute, with their second album being called Against All Odds.

N-Dubz and other projects

Dappy appeared on the television show Never Mind the Buzzcocks on 29 November 2007, on Phill Jupitus's team, and wore a trademark "Dappy hat", also giving one to Simon Amstell to wear as part of the gag. Despite vowing he would not return to the show he appeared for a second time on the guest team on 4 December 2008 and for a third time, on Phill's team, which was broadcast on 18 November 2009. He appeared in Chipmunk's video Chip Diddy Chip, as a one of Chipmunk's school friends, where he wore a messy school uniform and bandana on his head with a baseball cap on backwards. He is known to be a good friend of Chris Moyles and also gets on well with Tinchy Stryder after releasing a single together, called Number 1, although in the past they have said to have fallen out many times over credits for the song etc. They responded by telling the crowd after their performance at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in May 2009, "and remember, don't believe what the media say 'cos it ain't true".. Dappy has appeared many times on GMTV with Fazer and Tulisa and also went on Big Brother's Little Brother with Tulisa, to discuss the contestants in the 2008 celebrity series. He made a cameo appearance on K.I.G's Head, Shoulders, Kneez and Toez music video alongside fearless and mazer. He also featured on Gracious K's 'Migraine Skank' video. He normally raps a few verses in N-Dubz's songs and writes "the hooks". Dappy is the only N-Dubz character to appear in their songs 'Sex', which is featured on Channel AKA past 11pm because of the explicit lyrics and the explicit video.

Criticism

In mid 2007 Dappy released 'Love For My Slum' with fellow UK rap artist Baker Trouble, which was number one on Channel U (now Channel AKA) for several weeks and was a big hit in the underground urban scene. However didn't do as well with the media and was heavily criticized for a scene in which Dappy is stood outside a block of expensive luxury flats with a "rich kid" who is trying to look like a gangster. The Independent wrote "His lyrics combine jealousy with anger: 'You got too much to lose / You're in a great position... You wouldn't last a minute where I'm from / You'd go missing / So appreciate what you got / 'cos I'm still wishing.' And then he grabs the rich kid by his coat, pulls him toward him, and punches him in the face. The silent boy falls instantly to the pavement...", they then went on to put "Do scenes like these suggest that music videos are encouraging their viewers to indulge in criminality?". Other papers put that he was "idolising thuggery". When asked in interviews about the single, following these comments he said "these people need to listen to the lyrics, they are about showing appreciation to what you've got".

In December 2008 Contostavlos pleaded to guilty to two accounts of assault at Chelmsford Magistrates Court, Essex after reportedly spitting in a girl's face while drunk on a night out. Dappy pleaded guilty to the offences and for each count received four weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, to run concurrently and 100 hours community service. He was also ordered to pay £50 compensation to girl and her friend and £300 costs. sentence.

On Thursday 29 January 2009, Contostavlos was arrested and bailed after he was accused of making death threats with a gun. He denied the allegation. His home in Camden was raided following the incident, by police looking for a firearm. Three days later (Saturday 31 January) he was then hauled off a BA flight from Edinburgh to London by police after it touched down, with fellow N-Dubz performer Fazer, after appearing to be acting disorderly. A source said: "They were swearing at kids on the plane, being foul and threatening passengers. Cabin crew called ahead to the police, who were waiting when the plane landed. They were taken away by armed officers."

Personal life

Dappy currently lives near to the N-Dubz studios, however has said he would like to own a thatched cottage in Kent. He is of Greek origin, and he does not consider himself to be English in any way and at home he speaks Greek. He says he is a "foreign guy that lives in Camden". He is sometimes teased as "the little man" as he is only 5 foot 3 inches tall.

N-Dubz were forced to reschedule some of their live shows from the Uncle B tour after Dappy was diagnosed with temporary deafness. He later said the ordeal "was terrible and it has really taught me to take better care of my ears because I wouldn't be the musician I am today if I couldn't hear."

Dappy and band-mate Fazer are said to be keen fishermen and Dappy has often expressed his love of Phil Collins. On Never Mind the Buzzcocks he famously failed to make the audience sing along with him to Careless Whisper by George Michael. In November 2009 in another appearance on the show, he embarrassed himself by mistaking Martha Wainwright for Cerys Matthews.

When asked about girlfriends on the BBC Switch 5:19 show he just shrugged and said "I mingle around, I'm not with a 'lady friends' though at the moment", but Fazer and Tulisa said that he has "no taste in girls" and Tulisa also said "It doesn't mean they all have to beastly though!". Several girls have written letters to magazines such as KISS and Bliss describing Dappy as a hunk and rated #4 in OK! Top 100 Hottest Men.

Dappy has a son named Gino, who is 8 months old, with ex girlfriend Kaye. He said to the News of the World: "Me and the mum had a huge fight this week and I'm with other girls now. But I'm going to look after the baby. I want it to live in a castle with lots of toys. I give a lot of money and will support it. Dappy and Kaye are now back together."

It has been claimed that Dappy has an obsessive habit of crashing model planes and also an obsession with hats.Dappy said at one of his shows that he loves maniac mans music and wants to do a hit with him. Dappy also has his own greek kebab shop in London called DapzBabz.