Dizzee Rascal signed a solo deal with XL record label

The 19-year-old, whose real name is Dylan Mills, was attacked by a group of unknown youths in the island's party capital of Ayia Napa on Monday evening.

He was rushed to hospital where he underwent an operation but a spokesman said he is now in a stable condition and is expected to leave hospital in the coming days.

Dizzee was in Cyprus performing with the Roll Deep Crew, a 13-piece garage collective from east London formed by former school friends.

As well as being an MC with Roll Deep, Dizzee has a solo deal with the XL record label, home to artists such as Basement Jaxx and Badly Drawn Boy.

His track I Luv U became an underground dance hit and he has a new album, Boy in Da Corner, due out on 21 July.

In a BBC News Online poll conducted among influential music critics and opinion-formers to predict talent to emerge in 2003, Dizzee Rascal came in fifth behind artists such as 50 Cent and Electric Six who have already scored top 10 singles.