Wiley

Born in Bow in east London, Richard Kylea Cowie Jr. established himself as Wiley at the crossroads of UK garage and grime, early on shaping part of the genres’ sonic vocabulary. He came up on London pirate radio and through the crews Pay As U Go and Roll Deep, and in the early 2000s released a series of white‑label instrumentals — including “Eskimo”, “Ice Rink” and “Avalanche” — that set out a dry, cold and minimal style often referred to as eskibeat. As an MC and producer he also blended hip‑hop, jungle and drum and bass, delivering a nervous flow and angular rhythms. His discography alternates between harsher phases and more accessible turns, from Treddin’ on Thin Ice (2004) through Playtime Is Over (2007), See Clear Now (2008), 100% Publishing (2011), The Ascent (2013), Snakes & Ladders (2014), Godfather (2017), Godfather II (2018), The Godfather III (2020) to Boasty Gang - The Album (2020). Wiley has moved between grime stages, clubs and more radio‑friendly formats — notably with “Wearing My Rolex”, “Too Many Man”, “Heatwave” and “Boasty”. Over the years he has collaborated with artists and collectives close to Roll Deep, Boy Better Know, Ms D, JME, Skepta, Idris Elba, Stefflon Don and Sean Paul, remaining a recurring reference in the history of British grime.