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Wiley speaks dancehall influences on him & grime [interview by Marvin Sparks]

This came about so mad. Like, a week after the debate on whether grime is a sub-genre of hip hop or a reflection of London influences including Jamaica, the opportunity to speak with grime's Godfather arose. More than just talking to a legend, it was an opportunity to speak in great detail about his love for dancehall and reggae - something I don't recall him ever doing before. I think he enjoyed the interview a lot. There's more to forward from the interview in different way so stay tuned. There are so many funny moments too. Big up Wiley and Large Up dot com. That is one of the best sites on the net for dancehall and reggae stuff, based in America. They are a channel on big American website Okayplayer. Check them out here

Wiley is often called the Godfather of the UK’s vibrant grime scene. Having burst on the scene as a member of garage crew Pay As U Go Cartel, the prolific MC has been considered among the best UK wordsmiths for over ten years. He’s been involved in countless pivotal moments in underground music history, discovered and nurtured more artists than your average A&R, sparked the recent wave of grime MC’s scoring hits with electro-pop fused singles, and is generally an all-around legend. That said, Evolve or Be Extinct is an apt title for his eighth full-length release. The Bow E3, London-raised MC explores various styles, fusing grime, electro, hip hop, dancehall and just general Wiley productions you can’t call anything (is the Wiley-coined term “Eski” still available?).

Marvin Sparks spoke with Wiley about his musical foundations, how he modeled the grime scene using elements of dancehall, Jamaican music’s underrated influence on London’s music scene, and how all of these elements are coming more into focus on his latest tracks.


Read full interview here

Comments

  1. Grime without Wiley is not possible... I think even part of the west coast US glitch hop scene has had some inspirations with him... looking forward to read parts of the interview
    regards Joe

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