Wiley

◊
59
THE ICEMAN
COMETH
W◊ Helen Jennings
RING RING! RING RING!
PAUSE, 30 SECONDS OF A
GRIME TUNE, THEN BEEP!
REPEAT. THE SOUND OF
SILENCE IS DEAFENING
AS K-MAG TRIES TO GET
WILEY ON THE PHONE…
It takes two weeks and countless phone calls with his 2004 album ‘Treddin On Thin Ice’, the cusses his spot of bother in South West London
to get hold of Wiley. The gritty beats on his time has come to take a serious step up. The (“I escaped danger. If I hadn’t got away I wouldn’t
voicemail message become very familiar. I leave first single ‘50/50’ / ‘Bow E3’ is familiar territory. be here today.”), ‘Gangsters’ and ‘Johnny Was A
messages. I begin to give up hope. And then, While ‘50/50’ brags about his cushy new record Bad Boy’ discuss the realities of inner city life.
at last, one sunny evening, he answers. “You’re deal with Big Dada, ‘Bow E3’ states his rightful ‘Getalong Gang’ mocks the scene’s beefs and
the girl who’s been trying to call me?” he asks, claim to East London’s grime thrown. It’s not until rivalries. And on ‘Stars’ he and Jukie Mundo
rhetorically. “Let’s do the interview now.” you delve deeper into the album then, that you show off their superior mic mechanics.
Yes, let’s. The godfather of grime is in high spirits gain some deeper insights into man like Wiley. All in all, the album puts paid to Wiley’s very
today having just done a photo shoot in a bar On ‘My Mistakes’ it’s confession time. “That song public statement of 22 January 2007 that he
made of ice. “It was freezing in there, man. I was is talking about mistakes I’ve made. For instance, has actually retired. Retired in the Jay-Z sense,
about to have some alcohol but then decided to cheating. A young boy is always going to cheat. it seems i.e. not at all. “I’m retired from MCing in
get out of this cold place,” he chuckles. The irony Not because he isn’t content but because he’s the grime scene because the kids today deserve
of picturing this scene is that Wiley is Eski-Boy. growing. I’d say I wasn’t going to do it any more to do their own thing. I want to be able to do mu-
Wiley is Igloo-Boy. He created and pioneered and then do it again. It’s a learning curve.” So has sic freely. I don’t have to do it but if I do do it, it’s
his own strain of frosty grime so dark and cold he learnt his lesson? “Yes, I stopped cheating a a bonus. And I’m doing it quite a lot right now.”
no heat could melt it. And on his new album little while ago. I understand relationships now. It’s true. As well as working on the follow up
‘Playtime Is Over’, his eskibeat sound is showing I believe you have to be on your own and find to Roll Deep’s recent ‘Rules & Regulations’ LP,
no signs of thaw. yourself again before…” he’s producing solo efforts for the crew’s MCs
Flowdan, Skepta and Trim. There’s also more Boy
“I’m trying to make a progression. I’ve stuck to The phone goes dead. Ten minutes pass before Better Know on the way and the next installment
grime and have kept it is as grime as I could,” he Wiley’s label manager calls with an alternative of his Tunnel Vision mixtape series. Perhaps
muses on its non-sell-out sound. “If you’re one number. “Sorry about that, my battery died,” he playtime really is over. “I’m saying it’s over but
of the inventors you’ve got to be careful. You explains. Anyway, where were we? Oh yeah, his it’s not even over. I’m taking it to the next level. I
change and people start to write you off. Not softer side. The track ‘Come Lay With Me’ sees don’t want to be 35 or 40 and still trying to make
that I listen to what people say because I love Wiley spitting about girls fuzzing up his focus it. I’ve done music for fun and now I’m business
grime so much but they moan and it upsets me. and on ‘Baby Girl’ it’s his “one and a bit” year old minded. I’m running it all properly and I’m going
I want people to buy this album because they daughter who becomes the object of his sonic to be rich. Everyone around me will be rich.”
like it not because it’s been stuffed down their affections. “Now I’m not just on this earth for Then the line goes dead again. He calls back.
throats on the radio.” myself, I have to put her first. A child doesn’t just “I’m going to buy you dinner after all this!” I’ll hold
The title speaks volumes. Having been in the need money, it needs attention. I don’t want my him to that, when he’s rich.
game for ten years, initially as part Pay As You child to grow up thinking I’m a bad dad.”
Go Cartel, then Roll Deep and as a solo artist Elsewhere on ‘Playtime Is Over’, ‘Slippin’ dis- Playtime Is Over is out 4 June on Big Dada.
K59_Wiley.indd 59 8/6/07 19:26:40
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