Wiley

His work around the East London scene and Roll Deep formed an important setting for the solo records. The instrumental language associated with “Eskimo” gave icy synthesizer sounds and carefully spaced percussion a distinctive physical character. The apparent emptiness was productive: there was room for a voice to move quickly, change direction or establish a rhythmic pattern against a track that offered very little conventional comfort.

Treddin’ on Thin Ice in 2004 brought that world into an album setting through XL Recordings. Songs including “Wot Do U Call It?” made the question of musical identity part of the material itself. The album carried local voices and specific production choices into a wider release without making the sound entirely smooth. Its value lies partly in hearing a developing form retain the unsettled edges of its original scene.

Playtime Is Over in 2007 offered another concentrated statement, while later records and singles moved between grime-focused work and much more openly commercial settings. “Wearing My Rolex” in 2008 showed how far a recognisable vocal presence could travel inside a dance track. That crossover occupies a different space from the more austere material, but it also reveals an ear for a concise, immediately functional hook.

Godfather in 2017 returned attention to grime’s group energy and production language. The catalogue is best approached with those different settings kept distinct enough to hear their purposes. Wiley’s musical importance comes from the way beats, voices and local collaborations helped define a form, as well as from the individual songs that reached beyond it. The early records remain especially useful for hearing the architecture take shape.