Thank you, Wiley
TRENCH founder Joseph ‘JP’ Patterson pushes the controversy to one side as we thank Wiley for birthing a scene and cultural movement still felt today.
When Wiley said "Eskiboy's the reason why everybody’s here", on the Roll Deep classic "When I’m Ere" in 2006, he wasn't lying.
Grime pioneer Wiley at KOKO in Camden by Courtney FrancisTRENCH
In all honesty, half of the game changers and establishments featured in this mag are here—directly and indirectly—because of grime, a music and culture movement conjured from the mind of this (controversial) creative genius.
Grime pioneer Wiley at Eski Dance in Leeds by Courtney FrancisTRENCH
From established music writers to A&R execs and other industry professionals, the emergence of grime in 2001 opened the gateway to new possibilities, giving many of us the launchpad to create pretty great lives for ourselves.
It was the first genre that we wrote about, the first sound DJs-turned-record label owners spun on their come-up, the first movement that inspired streetwear brands like Benjart and Trapstar.
Grime pioneer Wiley by Laura BrosnanTRENCH
It also opened doors for other sounds and subcultures, like UK drill and Afroswing, to come through and show what they’re made of—thanks to the mid-2010s grime "resurgence", which attracted a global audience and reignited interest in the commercial world.
Grime pioneer Wiley by Laura BrosnanTRENCH
Let us collectively thank Richard “Wiley” Cowie, the godfather of grime, for unearthing this treasure we can call our own and for blazing the trail for Black British greatness to follow.
This digital work has been produced in collaboration with PRS Foundation and POWER UP. The article first featured in TRENCH x Union Black's Chapter One: Game Changers zine.
Words by Joseph 'JP' Patterson
Photography by Courtney Francis and Laura Brosnan [Frank Archives]
Videos by Risky Roadz, Lord Of The Mics, Roll Deep, Wiley
Commissioned by TRENCH
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