British MC and producer Wiley pioneered the fusion of U.K. garage and hip-hop known as grime during the early 2000s, and remained a popular and prolific artist throughout the following decades, scoring several U.K. pop hits and releasing a bounty of acclaimed albums and mixtapes. Initially calling his knotty, brittle style “eski” or “eskibeat” before later proclaiming himself as the “Godfather of Grime,” he charted hits as part of garage crews Pay as U Go Cartel and Roll Deep before

before launching a successful solo career. Several groundbreaking instrumental rhythms, often released as white label 12″ singles or free downloads, preceded his 2004 debut album, Treddin’ on Thin Ice. From there, he constantly bounced between independent and major labels, issuing grime releases such as 2007’s Playtime Is Over and the Tunnel Vision mixtape series, as well as more pop-focused, danceable material, occasionally scoring major hits like 2008’s “Wearing My Rolex” and 2012’s chart-topping “Heatwave.” He returned to his grime roots with 2017’s Top Ten-charting Godfather, which was followed by two sequels, and he ventured into dancehall on 2020’s Boasty Gang – The Album.

Richard Cowie Jr. was born in East London in 1979. His father, a reggae musician, introduced him to early hip-hop as well as the drums, and he began to DJ, rap, and produce music as a teenager. He made appearances on pirate radio and joined several crews, including Pay as U Go Cartel. He co-produced the 2000 garage track “Nicole’s Groove” by Phaze One, and Pay as U Go scored a Top 20 hit with “Champagne Dance” in 2002. Crucially, he also released several instrumental singles under his Wiley Kat guise, all bearing chilly titles like “Eskimo” and “Ice Rink,” which helped lay the foundation for the grime sound.