Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

Wiley

100% Publishing

Label: Big Dada Release Date: 20/06/2011

77027
scleeve by Sam Cleeve June 27th, 2011

Prior to writing this, I knew very little about Wiley or his reputation as Grime overlord. I knew not of the fact that roughly a year ago Richard Cowie had both fired his manager, and given away over 180 tracks via Twitter. I was unaware of the inexplicably compelling banality of his Ustream. I did not know he had once been the subject of an Internet hoax that led many to believe that the rapper had been stabbed to death (not necessarily a stretch of the imagination, when you consider that Wiley has been the victim of stabbings on two previous occasions).

But while researching this unpredictable and erratic character turned out to be a more interesting task than my previously ignorant self would’ve assumed, I’m sure you can still imagine my scepticism when I received the press release for 100% Publishing and found the opening sentence to read 'Wiley is the Lord Byron of rap'. If I’ve learnt anything as I’ve accustomed myself to the 32 year-old Londoner’s creative output, it’s that Wiley is not the Lord Byron of rap. I don’t think anyone’s about to compare one of the greatest Romantic poets to an artist whose latest album includes the line “drop me out cabbie / you’re talkin’ poo in a nappy”. But then really, it’s a role that Wiley neither wants or is expected to fill.

As the record unfolds, it becomes clear that Wiley’s rhymes occasionally address something teetering on profound (“some days I’m asking God but then the internet is quicker” on ‘Information Age’), but are often largely mundane. But like his beloved Ustream stint, this prosaicness doesn’t necessarily mean tedious. Even ‘I Just Woke Up’, (which while in is part is about the measure of one’s creativity whilst still bleary eyed, is also just a Rebecca Black style run-down of the morning routine) is something of a gem. Who would’ve thought I’d end up forgiving the mundanity of a line like: “reading the Sun newspaper / 25p I’m a saver / might be 20 on another day / face getting hairy, send for the shaver”. Things pick up for the record’s title track, a very self aware commentary on his own work within the genre and industry “I know some don’t care about the grime scene but I’m gonna until I die … Nobody knows if it’s gonna work overseas but you wait until I try”.

It’s also nice to hear Wiley’s almost trademark unpredictability manifesting itself throughout the album, to varying degrees of success. The frankly annoying carousel motif on ‘Boom Boom Da Na’ for example, is neutralised by the frankly brilliant internal dialogue on ‘Your Intuition’ (“my family come from Trini” rhymes the foreground Wiley, before the schizophrenic translation “Trinidad”, is comically offered to those of us less well versed in East London abbreviations).

The production is sparse, often with just a few distinguishable components taking space at any one time. There’s still the odd surprise, not least the meditative, almost balletic piano loop on ‘Wise Man And His Words’. (I’ve no idea how this sort of thing sits with the average grime fan, but if like me, you’re that sort of middle class pesto-consuming listener that still considers “’ting” an irritating non-word, it’s an interesting and pleasing variation).

While the regimental beat of lead single ‘Numbers in Action’ showed promise in the idea that 100% Publishing could offer tracks that would repeat the commercial triumph of 2008’s 'Wearing My Rolex', there’s nothing here that suggests Wiley is about to follow Dizzee into the realms of international superstardom. Above all, I can’t help but feel that Wiley is still too much of a creative character, one relentlessly trying new and different things, to offer the sort of polished and succinct singles that would stick with a daytime radio audience. This unrelenting originality at least is something to be celebrated.

  • 7
    Sam Cleeve's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024


  • Drowned in Sound is back!


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing


  • Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alternative must sees



Left-arrow

Melvins

Sugar Daddy Live

Mobback
76877
76872

Handsome Furs

Sound Kapital

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    news


    Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024

  • 106145
  • news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143

    news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141
  • news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139

    Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138
  • Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137

    Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
  • Festival Review


    Way Out East: DiS Does Sharpe Festival 2019

  • 106135
MORE


    news


    The Neptune Music Prize 2016 - Vote Now

  • 103918
  • Takeover


    The Winner Takes It All

  • 50972

    Takeover


    10 Things To Not Expect Your Record Producer To...

  • 93724
  • review


    The Mars Volta - Deloused In The Comatorium

  • 4317

    review


    Sonic Youth - Nurse

  • 6044
  • feature


    New Emo Goth Danger? My Chemical Romance confro...

  • 89578

    feature


    DiS meets Justice

  • 27270
  • news


    Our Independent music filled alternative to New...

  • 104374
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2025 DROWNED IN SOUND