Wiley (musician)

Wiley
Wiley in 2011
Born
Richard Kylea Cowie Jr.

(1979-01-19) 19 January 1979 (age 45)
London, England
Other names
  • Eskiboy
  • Wiley Kat
  • King of Grime
  • Godfather of Grime
  • Phaze One
Occupations
  • MC
  • songwriter
  • DJ
  • record producer
Years active1994–present
Children3
Musical career
Genres
DiscographyWiley discography
Labels

Richard Kylea Cowie Jr. (born 19 January 1979), better known by his stage name Wiley (formerly Wiley Kat),[1] is a British grime MC, songwriter, DJ and record producer from Bow, London. He is regarded as a pioneer in the British underground music scene, known for his prolific work rate and versatility, with many crossover hits.

Wiley is considered a key figure in the creation of grime music and often labelled the "Godfather of Grime".[2] In the early 2000s, he independently released a series of highly influential eskibeat instrumentals on white label vinyl,[3][4] such as the first in the series "Eskimo" and is known as a grime MC both for his solo work and for material released with his crew Roll Deep.

Wiley first tasted success as a member of UK garage crew Pay As U Go, with whom he had a top 40 hit, "Champagne Dance" in 2001. Wiley has continued to make grime music while also releasing mainstream singles, such as the UK Singles Chart top 10 hits "Wearing My Rolex", "Never Be Your Woman", and his UK number-one "Heatwave". Wiley's eleventh album, Godfather (2017), peaked at number nine on the UK Albums Chart, becoming his highest-charting album of his career, and also won an "Outstanding Contribution to Music" award by NME.

Wiley has been stabbed on several occasions. In 2008, a stabbing left him with a visible scar on the left side of his face.[5] On 24 July 2020, Wiley made a series of posts and videos on social media, widely condemned as anti-semitic.[6] Having been appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2018 New Year Honours for services to music,[7] in February 2024 Charles III formally stripped Wiley of his honour following the posts and criminal charges for assault and burglary.[8][9]

  1. ^ Kellman, Andy (2008). "Biography". Allmusic. All Media Guide. Archived from the original on 25 November 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2008.
  2. ^ Wolfson, Sam (28 July 2012). "Wiley: 'I could have been as big as Tinie, anyone can play the O2'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 18 August 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  3. ^ "The 20 best Grime records ever made". FACT Magazine: Music News, New Music. 22 April 2012. Archived from the original on 1 September 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  4. ^ Cliff, Aimee. "The 10 best grime tracks, according to Ruff Sqwad". dummymag.com. Archived from the original on 18 August 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  5. ^ "The Godfather of Grime: From drug dealing to MBE honour". expressandstar.com. 25 July 2020. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  6. ^ Spring, Marianna (28 July 2020). "Facebook removes Wiley over Jewish critic abuse". BBC News. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  7. ^ "No. 62150". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2017. p. N17.
  8. ^ "No. 64326". The London Gazette. 26 February 2024. p. 358.
  9. ^ "List of individuals who have forfeited their honour (since August 2023)". Gov.uk. 23 February 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2024.