Wiley

Wiley is the recording name of Richard Cowie, a British MC and producer central to the emergence of grime. His instrumentals Eskimo and Ice Rink helped define the sparse, electronic sound he called eskibeat, while his work with Roll Deep connected a network of east London MCs.

His debut solo album, Treddin’ on Thin Ice, appeared on XL in 2004, followed by releases across independent and major labels. His later public career has also been marked by antisemitic social-media posts. His MBE was revoked in 2024 for bringing the honours system into disrepute.