The 25 Best Wiley Songs

Eski Boy's the reason why everybody's here.

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wiley

It was on Roll Deep's breakout single, 2004's "When I'm Ere", that Wiley proudly (and rightfully) boasted: Eskiboy's the reason why everybody's here. As testament to the influence and staying power of the emcee in grime—over a decade later, this still rings true. Instrumental in uncovering and pushing the talents of everyone from Dizzee Rascal and Skepta to Chipmunk and Stormzy, the most remarkable facet of Wiley's continued relevance has been his ever-present status amongst the grime scene elite over the last fifteen years. 

Still the avant-garde oddball of the scene and still a major crowd draw, Wiley's music remains a must-have in record collections. The Complex music crew pored over the painstaking task of selecting the cream of his output over the years, and as possibly the most prolific British musician since the turn of the century, it was one of the hardest lists we have ever compiled. Having whittled down hundreds of tracks across albums, mixtapes, random online drops and white labels—​here we are now with The 25 Best Wiley Songs.


 

25. "Never Be Your Woman" f/ Emeli Sandé (2010)

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Like most of grime's first generation, Wiley's been culpable of shamelessly hunting chart success. There's been downright awful attempts ("Cash In My Pocket", "Summertime"), whilst other times he's managed to get it just right2010's "Never Be Your Woman" being the best example of this. As well as introducing the masses to the talents of Emeli Sande and Naughty Boy, Wiley finally proved that he could produce a credible and radio-friendly pop hit, too. Tobi Oke

 

24. "Last Ten Years" (2010)

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An hour after Dazed & Confused asked Wiley for a quote on what his life had been like over the last decade, an inbox checked revealed he'd cooked up his response in the form of this here track. Intended for (what could have been his seminal album) The Elusive, four years ago, this ended up being leaked as part of the 200-deep ZIP Files. While still relatively unknown, it's a solid example of the kind of honesty people have come to expect from Wiley's bars but more importantly, demonstrates his unrivaled output and unique approach. —Chantelle Fiddy

23. "Aim High" (2012)

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In July 2010, Wiley uploaded over 200 tracks in 11 zip folders and shared them on his Twitter for free. In a moment of frustration with his record label, after publicly sacking his manager, he dropped the ZIP Files and explained to The Guardian why he leaked them: "I've got all this music sitting on hard drives, and in the end it started to make me feel sick. I thought, let me give it away, and then move on to make the greatest music I've ever made. I just had to get this out from under me, then start again from scratch. The ZIP Files are just the foundation."

Releasing this was a suicide note, to some, however it turned Wiley into somewhat of a Robin Hood character, sharing the wealth of his music with his fans while the labels tried to lock it all away. "Aim High" was one of the Files' standout cuts: it gave an insight into the mindset of E3's finest and how he coped with his day-to-day struggles. Laura 'Hyperfrank' Brosnan

22. "Sorry, Sorry, Pardon, What?" (2007)

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Top-form Wiley usually includes flat-out energy, gut-tugging productions, references to Bow E3 and an attack on another MC trying to steal his crown. Sampling Dizzee Rascal's Sorry, Pardon? line over the ear-blistering "Ice Rink" instrumental, "Sorry, Sorry, Pardon, What?" saw Wiley in his rowdiest moment and was one of the more memorable cuts featured on Tunnel Vision Vol. 5Laura 'Hyperfrank' Brosnan

21. "Crash Bandicoot Freestyle" (2006)

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Lifted from his first Tunnel Vision release, Wiley effortlessly rides the bongo-driven production without losing a breath on "Crash Bandicoot"; he's energetic, focused, lyrically lit and moves nimbly on the beat that he made with his own bare hands. The bite on this freestyle is absolutely deadly. Laura 'Hyperfrank' Brosnan

20. "Mum I'm Stronger" (2007)

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"Thanks, mum. You gave birth to the greatest grime MC of all time," says Wiley before the beat drops. And right before the mic catches fire, you know something epic is about to happen: Thanks mum, it's been 27 years / I thought of you when I was having beef with 27 brehs. Imagine trying to explain hood politics to your own mother! "Mum I'm Stronger" was featured on the third of Wiley's ten-strong Tunnel Vision mixtape series. After that, it was off to Big Dada to drop the seminal Playtime Is OverLaura 'Hyperfrank' Brosnan

 

19. "So Amazing" (2006)

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After leaving XL Recordings, Wiley released Da 2nd Phaze through Skepta and Jme's record label Boy Better Know. Up to the time of this release, Dizzee Rascal had a successful album, a Mercury Award, and had put out his second LP with XL. Meanwhile, Wiley hibernated back into the underground to marinate his grime juices and delivered this spicy-hot record. "So Amazing" samples—just like "Stormy Weather"Rihanna's "Now I Know", and it's the only calm part of the song. Lyrically, he addresses issues with his former label and also the promoters who tried to mug him off with cheap fees. Wiley's energy and hunger after linking up with the BBK brothers kick-started a huge momentum. Not just for him, but the grime scene in general. Laura 'Hyperfrank' Brosnan

18. "From The Outside" f/ Teddy & JME (2014)

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On your first listen of Wiley's Snakes & Ladders album, "On A Level" was the instant, and obvious, favourite. Many hailed it as a return to form, but once you dug a little deeper, the album really grew (as all great albums do). It's in those extra listens that "From The Outside" comes into its own. If you're looking for an 8-bar banger, keep scrolling. But if you like hearing your favourite MC mature both as an artist and as a person, and express unparalleled levels of honesty, then this is your jam. Featuring Teddy and Jme, "From The Outside" sees Wiley at his most honest, weighing up his own career and his art (and being honest about it) while ultimately coming to the conclusion that as long as you're proud of what you've achieved, nothing else really matters. James Keith

17. "Stormy Weather" (2006)

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Out of the many gems floating on Da 2nd Phaze LP, "Stormy Weather" saw Wiley at his most vulnerable point. Tackling everything from money-grabbing majors and "the system" to the jealousy of others around him, the drawn-out, wallowing low-end on the Rihanna-licked production saw an urgent but passionate delivery that came from the depths of Wiley's inner-being. A reflective grimey number for the chill-out room. —Joseph 'JP' Patterson

 

16. "I'm A Sinner" (2006)

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Helmed by grime DJ and then-Kiss FM host Logan Sama, "I'm A Sinner" was the cloud of darkness Wiley summoned over Scorcher, Ghetts, and the rest of The Movement for the infamous War Report season in 2006. Although the track ended up on Tunnel Vision Vol. 2 for added mockery, today, even those the dub was made for will attest to the sharp precision of this superb shot. Joseph 'JP' Patterson

15. "Ice Cream Man" (2004)

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Another example of Wiley's knack for convincingly blending whimsical 8-bit sounds with dramatic low-end, "Ice Cream" was originally released as a white label with a remix of "Fire Hydrant" on the B-side, before being collected on the Avalanche Music comp. Just like "Eski-Boy" and even "Boom Boom Da Na" ten years later, Wiley balances hyperactive, almost absurd refrains with rugged bars and riddims. It's all the more impressive that he's able to keep coming back to that technique without it becoming tired or, worse still, self-parody. James Keith

14. "50/50" (2007)

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We were privy to some of the ins-and-outs of Wiley's cushty deal with Big Dada on "50/50". Over the years, his relationship with the major-indie has seemingly been above board—and that's seemingly to say: it's the only label that he hasn't publicly slewed! After Playtime Is Over was distributed through said label in 2007, Wiley went on to discern the big boysWarner, Atlantic, Island Records—but as we know, none of them worked out for him. Today, though, much to the joy of the industry, he's back where many feel he has always belonged (which, at the time of writing, is): Big Dada. Joseph 'JP' Patterson

13. "Nightbus Freestyle" (2006)

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Wiley has found it near-impossible to stay out of beef during his career. With the exhaustive list of spars, clashes, and all-out wars reaching well into double figures, it's hard to think of a war dub as devastating as the "Nightbus Freestyle". A comprehensive takedown of The Movement (Ghetts, Scorcher, Mercston, Devlin and Wretch 32), it dropped at the height of the Logan Sama-led War Report season of 2006. With "I'm A Sinner" serving as a warning shotupon further provocationWiley unleashed a six-minute barrage of hectic flows and insults hurled over his own notoriously tricky "Nightbus" instrumental. How can one man take on a super-crew of grime greats, single-handedly? Well, this is Wiley we're talking about. —Tobi Oke

 

12. "Gangsters" (2007)

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A goon anthem for the ages. Joseph 'JP' Patterson

11. "Where's My Brother?" (2009)

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"Where's My Brother", littered with lyrical non-sequiturs, is a flow-filled fireball of a record. As frequenters of grime forums at the time will tell you, 20-page threads rumbled on dedicated purely to deciphering the lyrics of this song. Purposely left ambiguous by the fact that Wiley failed to explicitly call out names, it's a convoluted diss track that manages to be both wonderfully melodic and technically tight all at the same time. Incredible. —Tobi Oke

10. "Nicole's Groove" (2000)

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Released on Relentless back in 2000, many a man (and woman) are still unaware that Phaze One was in fact Wiley's UK garage alias. Sampling Nicole Wray's "Boy You Should Listen", this was—and is—a seminal dance record. Sonically speaking, it was also one of the last times this strain of garage was heard coming out of the east London streets ahead of grime's birth and the eventual separation that led to a standalone genre being born. In 2013, Wiley was also said to be starting a club night under the name Phaze One—but we must have missed that one. —Chantelle Fiddy

9. "Eski-Boy" (2005)

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Why do you like Wiley? Is it his larger-than-life personality? His overwhelming stage and mic presence? Is it his sense of humour in his bars? Or, is it his ability to churn out a banger? If you answered "yes" to any of those questions, "Eski-Boy" (assuming you haven't heard it yet) contains everything that makes Wiley great. It's fast-paced, bouncy and you'd have to be a joyless, fun-hating bore to not dance like a lunatic, shouting "My name's Eskiboy!" —James Keith

8. "No Qualms (Wear My Own Garms)" (2007)

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There's an argument to be had that Tunnel Vision-era Wiley is, in fact, the greatest form of Wiley we've witnessed. As scattergun as his overall approach seemed, amidst the relentless drops that made up Volumes 1-6 (not to mention the cut-offs that comprised much of the ZIP Files), some of Wiley's best work was produced over that legendary stretch. Such work including the inspired sampling of a throwaway Jme brag-line, which became "I Wear My Own Garms"a track with a hook so random and inane, that it became a solid radio/rave bar and eventually made the cut on Wiley's Playtime Is Over LP. —Tobi Oke

7. "Morgue" (2003)

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For the uninitiated, besides being one of the greatest grime MCs to have ever lived, Wiley is also a gifted producer. In fact, as "Wot Do U Call It?" tells us, he created the beats that would define grime (though he's since credited Heartless Crew as the originators). Later, the Avalanche Music compilation brought together a tonne of these instrumentals including the icy-cold "Morgue", a chugging low-end monster. What's more is that these tunes Wiley created over a decade ago, still sit at the cutting-edge of electronic music and are constantly mined for inspiration by a lot of the "sinogrime" producers of today. Guys are still trying to catch up with him. James Keith

6. "Igloo" (2003)

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"Igloo", another 2003 classic that pertained to Wiley's definitive Eski vibe of the time, was one of the records that saw him make near-on a million of the Queen's finest just from shotting white label vinyl from the comfortable surrounds of his car boot. Going on to become the backing track for his debut single on XL, "Wot Do U Call It?", if you own this on white label, it'll probably be worth a few bob now. —Chantelle Fiddy

5. "On A Level" (2014)

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Having long battled himself over the need to make music that charts and the music he actually feels in his bones, Wiley is the master of striking hot when you least expect it. When "On A Level" dropped in 2014, for many Wiley fans, this was the return they'd been waiting for. Skepta's production here utilised those dripping icy sounds synonymous with the old skool Eski riddims we bought on white label over a decade ago. And as for flow, Wiley remains in a league that few others in grime have reached. —Chantelle Fiddy

4. "Bow E3" (2007)

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It's a known fact: Wiley is grime's greatest A&R, having helped develop the careers of Dizzee Rascal, Tinchy Stryder, Chipmunk, et al. In selecting 16-year-old Bow resident, Maniac, to produce the first single on his Playtime Is Over album, Wiley had again propelled another career. For Wiley, "Bow E3" was personal and powerful, in that he re-outlined his importance to the scene and the culture at a time many were attempting to place his crown elsewhere. Following this track, Maniac became the most prolific beat-maker in the scene over a two-year period, until regrettable circumstances later occurred. Even with Maniac failing to achieve his full potential, after weighing the other co-signs and step-ups Wiley has given young talentagainst his peersthere really is no comparison. —Tobi Oke

 

3. "Eskimo" (2002)

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An instrumental which has stood the test of time, "Eskimo" went on to be remixed and updated several times, including a mash-up with "Pulse" under the name "Gun Shot Riddim" by Boy Better Know's own Skepta. Put this on in a rave today and it'll get the exact same reception it got 13 years ago: pure and utter hype! James Keith 

2. "Ice Rink" (2003)

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First surfacing as a favourite among MCs on pirate radio sets and a hit at any Eskimo Dance or Sidewinder, "Ice Rink" nods to a time when instrumentals within grime were as powerful as any riddim with a vocal. Released in 2003, Dizzee, Kano, Tinchy, Riko and Scratchy were among those who donated a version to the two vocal EPs. Going on to feature on his debut album, Treddin On Thin Ice, as a 30-second interlude, sonically this is one of the most important grime beats ever created. —Chantelle Fiddy

1. "Wot Do U Call It?" (2004)

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Joseph 'JP' Patterson

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