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Album Review
by SashaS
29-4-2004
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| Wiley: ready for a ruff ryder, babes? |
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Wiley: 'Treddin' on Thin Ice'
(XL Recordings)
Wiley sets the milestone
The founder of Roll Deep Crew, whose alumni includes Dizzee Rascal, has dropped an album that is of such avant-urbanity to make Diz sound commercial. Wiley’s the man whose debut ‘Treddin’ on Thin Ice’ could be one of the albums of the year - Urban or any other division.
It burns some serious beats and melodies, it doles out current subjects, reflects and comments the violent, vicious and vulgar reality. It really hops in huge bounds, almost to the level of the old Wu-Tang Clan. One feels that there is an attitude at work here to equal Chuck D of Public Enemy and with all Wiley’s achieved - he might be a Brit P.Diddy in the making.
Also sounding candid and defiant, it is not like So Solid Crew adopting a pose - this feels and sounds - it. Wiley is currently the biggest star on the UK's underground urban music scene who is taking garage into a new direction. Having co-produced fellow label mate and Roll Deep Crew member Diz's Mercury Award winning album 'Boy In Da Corner', Wiley’s ready to invade the airwaves with his unique sounds far deeper than the recent hit.
And, the single ‘Wot Do U Call It?’ may end up being the year’s best 3-minutes with its hard, fast beats, squelching acidy effects and throbbing bass, followed by many other super-cuts to shame a lot of the competition that doesn‘t cut it as fine as this man. His is the take the UK garage sounds combined with various urban elements from US hip-hop to Jamaican ragga.
The East End-based producer/rapper has been a major influence on the new class of British urban music sometimes called ‘sub-lo’. But, on his debut solo album, Wiley is so determined to defy categorisation to write a whole song on the matter, the hit single, that wittily mocks attempts by music buffs to attach a label which he refers to as ‘Eski’. It is also known as ‘grime’.
Many tracks reek of the raw, street-level, urban-decaying set-ups but turned into a downtown experience. Not the whole album is perfect - a couple of slower songs are a-lacking ‘fcuk’ factor (that’s ‘F**k culture UK’], for instance - but the rest provide plentiful of jolly rides. ‘Pies’ is the nuttiest contender for a terrace chant ever committed to polymer…
Wiley has the lyrical skills, knack to can the tunes and wicked sense of humour; it sets him apart from the following pack. ‘Treddin’’ is a sure-fire Mercury contender.
As refreshing as an extra-strong mint.
8.6/10
SashaS
29-4-2004
Wiley’s album ‘Treddin’ On Thin Ice’ is released 26 April 2004 by XL Recordings
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