Wiley
The Godfather of Grime. Richard Cowie, born in Bow in 1979, spent teenage years selling crack and heroin before dealer threats pushed him toward music. Started as DJ Wildchild on pirate stations, switched to Wiley Kat (a Thundercats reference), eventually just Wiley. His eskibeat instrumentals—'Eskimo', 'Ice Rink', 'Igloo'—defined the early sound, cold by design. 'Sometimes I just feel cold hearted,' he explained. 'I felt cold at that time, towards my family, towards everyone.' The Korg Triton became his signature synthesizer. Formed Pay As U Go Cartel, then Roll Deep, mentored Dizzee, spent years releasing white label vinyl from the boot of his car. Multiple stabbings left him with a visible scar on his face. His 2008 track 'Wearing My Rolex' took him mainstream but caused unrest—he'd vowed never to compromise the sound. Stripped of his MBE after antisemitic social media posts in 2020, but his influence remains the foundation everything else built on. Created the 140 BPM template—claims he chose it because it's FL Studio's default setting. Accidental but definitive.
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Discography
Treddin' on Thin Ice
Wiley's debut album on XL Recordings, featuring 'Wot Do U Call It?'—a track questioning what to name this new sound, cementing the eskibeat template. Released after years of Wiley releasing white label vinyl from his car boot, the album represented the Godfather's first major label statement. The title referenced the precarious position grime occupied: too dark for UK garage, too slow for drum and bass, not American enough for hip-hop. The album established Wiley's cold, minimal aesthetic—those harsh Korg Triton presets, the 140 BPM backbone, the space between sounds. 'Eskimo', 'Ice Rink', 'Igloo'—the titles told you everything about the sonic temperature.
Godfather
Wiley's highest-charting album at number nine, winning NME's Outstanding Contribution to Music award and reasserting his position as grime's founding father. Released during grime's 2010s resurgence—the same period when Skepta and Stormzy were bringing international attention back to the scene—the album reminded everyone who had created the eskibeat template, who had mentored Dizzee, who had formed Roll Deep. After years in the wilderness, after the mainstream had moved on, after being stabbed multiple times and stripped of his MBE, Wiley was still here, still the Godfather, his influence undeniable.