{
  "slug": "wiley",
  "name": "Wiley",
  "description": "Wiley appears 4 times in our Grime, The Waxonia Desk — Ghosts, and The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred lists, placing as high as No. 3. Hand-curated, with a reason for every pick.",
  "updated": "2026-08-29",
  "url": "https://waxonia.com/artist/wiley/",
  "appearanceCount": 4,
  "distinctRecordings": 2,
  "years": {
    "first": 2002,
    "last": 2004
  },
  "highestPlacing": {
    "rank": 3,
    "list": "Grime"
  },
  "appearsOn": [
    {
      "kind": "genre",
      "slug": "grime",
      "name": "Grime",
      "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/grime/",
      "entries": 2
    },
    {
      "kind": "curator",
      "slug": "the-desk-ghosts",
      "name": "The Waxonia Desk — Ghosts",
      "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-ghosts/",
      "entries": 1
    },
    {
      "kind": "curator",
      "slug": "the-desk-the-hundred",
      "name": "The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred",
      "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/",
      "entries": 1
    }
  ],
  "tracks": [
    {
      "trackKey": "wiley--eskimo",
      "trackUrl": "https://waxonia.com/track/wiley--eskimo/",
      "title": "Eskimo",
      "year": 2002,
      "label": "Wiley Kat",
      "isrc": null,
      "whyItMatters": "The instrumental that named a subgenre and set the emotional temperature: cold, hollow, and deliberately unwelcoming. Wiley's whole theory of the music is audible in ninety seconds.",
      "alsoOn": [
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-ghosts",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — Ghosts",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-ghosts/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-the-hundred",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/"
        }
      ],
      "links": {
        "spotify": {
          "url": "https://open.spotify.com/search/Wiley%20Eskimo",
          "exact": false
        },
        "youtubeMusic": {
          "url": "https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=u3rWH9pWkVQ",
          "exact": true
        }
      },
      "rank": 3,
      "on": {
        "kind": "genre",
        "slug": "grime",
        "name": "Grime",
        "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/grime/"
      },
      "artist": "Wiley"
    },
    {
      "trackKey": "wiley--wot-do-u-call-it",
      "trackUrl": "https://waxonia.com/track/wiley--wot-do-u-call-it/",
      "title": "Wot Do U Call It?",
      "year": 2004,
      "label": "XL",
      "isrc": null,
      "whyItMatters": "A single whose entire subject is the argument about what to call this music. Wiley refuses garage, refuses urban, and in refusing them names the thing by negation.",
      "alsoOn": [],
      "links": {
        "spotify": {
          "url": "https://open.spotify.com/search/Wiley%20Wot%20Do%20U%20Call%20It%3F",
          "exact": false
        },
        "youtubeMusic": {
          "url": "https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=tvCaWKqyKjg",
          "exact": true
        }
      },
      "rank": 6,
      "on": {
        "kind": "genre",
        "slug": "grime",
        "name": "Grime",
        "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/grime/"
      },
      "artist": "Wiley"
    },
    {
      "trackKey": "wiley--eskimo",
      "trackUrl": "https://waxonia.com/track/wiley--eskimo/",
      "title": "Eskimo",
      "year": 2002,
      "label": "Wiley Kat",
      "isrc": null,
      "whyItMatters": "The coldest record here and the one with the least obvious Jamaican inheritance. It earns its place by testing the line: grime keeps the sound system and throws the warmth away.",
      "alsoOn": [
        {
          "kind": "genre",
          "slug": "grime",
          "name": "Grime",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/grime/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-the-hundred",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/"
        }
      ],
      "links": {
        "spotify": {
          "url": "https://open.spotify.com/search/Wiley%20Eskimo",
          "exact": false
        },
        "youtubeMusic": {
          "url": "https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=u3rWH9pWkVQ",
          "exact": true
        }
      },
      "rank": null,
      "on": {
        "kind": "curator",
        "slug": "the-desk-ghosts",
        "name": "The Waxonia Desk — Ghosts",
        "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-ghosts/"
      },
      "artist": "Wiley"
    },
    {
      "trackKey": "wiley--eskimo",
      "trackUrl": "https://waxonia.com/track/wiley--eskimo/",
      "title": "Eskimo",
      "year": 2002,
      "label": "Wiley Kat",
      "isrc": null,
      "whyItMatters": "Cold, hollow and deliberately unwelcoming. An entire scene's emotional temperature set by one instrumental in ninety seconds.",
      "alsoOn": [
        {
          "kind": "genre",
          "slug": "grime",
          "name": "Grime",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/grime/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-ghosts",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — Ghosts",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-ghosts/"
        }
      ],
      "links": {
        "spotify": {
          "url": "https://open.spotify.com/search/Wiley%20Eskimo",
          "exact": false
        },
        "youtubeMusic": {
          "url": "https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=u3rWH9pWkVQ",
          "exact": true
        }
      },
      "rank": null,
      "on": {
        "kind": "curator",
        "slug": "the-desk-the-hundred",
        "name": "The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred",
        "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/"
      },
      "artist": "Wiley"
    }
  ],
  "curates": null
}