"On a Level" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Wiley | ||||
from the album Snakes & Ladders | ||||
Released | 25 September 2014 (UK) | |||
Genre | Grime | |||
Length | 3:02(single version) | |||
Label | Big Dada | |||
Songwriter(s) | Richard Cowie | |||
Producer(s) | Skepta | |||
Wiley singles chronology | ||||
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"On a Level" is a single from English grime artist Wiley, produced by longtime collaborator Skepta. It is the first official single released from Wiley's tenth studio album Snakes & Ladders .
The song intentionally recalls the eskibeat style of the material on Wiley's early white label releases and debut album Treddin' on Thin Ice , [1] it was made after Skepta suggested Wiley return to his "original element". [2]
The music video was directed by Skepta and premiered on the website of Complex on 24 September 2014. [3] The video was set in an English country mansion and begins with a clip of eskibeat instrumental The Morgue which was released by Wiley on white label in 2003. [4] It features cameos from various prominent UK MCs including Boy Better Know, Giggs, Stormzy and Novelist all dressed in black. [5]
Country | Date | Format | Label |
---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 25 September 2014 | Digital download | Big Dada |
Grime is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) that emerged in London in the early 2000s. It developed out of the earlier UK dance style UK garage, and draws influences from jungle, dancehall, and hip hop. The style is typified by rapid, syncopated breakbeats, generally around 140 beats per minute, and often features an aggressive or jagged electronic sound. Emceeing is a significant element of the style, and lyrics often revolve around gritty depictions of urban life.
Richard Kylea Cowie Jr., better known by his stage name Wiley, is a British rapper, songwriter, DJ and record producer from Bow, London.
Roll Deep are a British grime crew. They were founded in 2001 by Wiley shortly before the disbandment of UK garage crew Pay As U Go Cartel.
Kane Brett Robinson, better known as Kano, is a British rapper, songwriter and actor from East Ham, London. A significant contributor to grime music, he is widely considered one of the pioneers of the grime culture, alongside artists such as Wiley and Dizzee Rascal. His fifth album, Made in the Manor was shortlisted for the 2016 Mercury Prize and won Best Album at the 2016 MOBO Awards. On screen, he is best known for playing the role of Sully in Top Boy.
Boy Better Know, often abbreviated as BBK, is a British grime collective and record label. The collective was founded in North London in 2005 as an independent record label by brothers Jamie and Joseph Adenuga, better known as Jme and Skepta, respectively. The former also serves as a sole owner and director of an associated company, Boy Better Know Limited, incorporated in 2008. All members of the collective use the record label as a means to publish their music, and is digitally distributed by The Orchard, a subsidiary of Sony Music.
Jahmaal Noel Fyffe, better known by his stage name Chip, is a British rapper from Tottenham, North London. In the past 14 years he has collaborated with the likes of Skepta, T.I., Meek Mill, Young Adz and many others. In 2009, he released his debut album, I Am Chipmunk, featuring four songs which peaked in the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart, including the chart-topping "Oopsy Daisy". In 2011, Chipmunk released his follow-up album, the American hip hop-influenced Transition. It included the single "Champion" featuring Chris Brown, which peaked at #2 on the UK Singles Chart.
Amber Josephine Liu, also known mononymously as Amber, is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter. She debuted as a member of the South Korean girl group f(x) in September 2009. In 2015, she became the first f(x) member to make a solo debut with the release of her first extended play Beautiful and has since released solo singles in Korean, English, and Mandarin.
Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr., known professionally as Skepta, is a British grime MC, rapper, record producer and DJ. Alongside his younger brother Jme, he briefly joined Roll Deep before they became founding members of Boy Better Know in 2005. With Boy Better Know, Skepta clashed with fellow MC Devilman for the video release Lord of the Mics 2, in what is remembered as one of the biggest clashes in grime history.
Jamie Adenuga, known professionally as Jme, is a British grime MC, songwriter, record producer and DJ who was born in Hackney, and raised in Tottenham. He is the co-founder of the crew and label Boy Better Know. He also serves as a sole owner and director of an associated company, Boy Better Know Limited, which he incorporated in 2008. He was previously part of the grime collective Meridian Crew and later Roll Deep alongside his older brother, Skepta.
The following is a discography of Skepta, a British MC from Tottenham, London. He is a producer and DJ commonly associated with the North London grime scene, including Roll Deep and Boy Better Know. Skepta released his debut album Greatest Hits on 17 September 2007. It was released on the Boy Better Know label. Skepta self-released the first single "Rolex Sweep" in September 2008, which reached number 89 on the UK Singles Chart. He released the album Microphone Champion on 1 June 2009. The single "Too Many Man", with JME, Wiley, Frisco and Shorty, charted at number 79.
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Brandon James Theophilus Jolie, known professionally as Maniac, is a British grime producer. Maniac has produced for various artists such as Wiley, Tinchy Stryder, and Chip.
"Can You Hear Me? (Ayayaya)" is a single from British grime artist Wiley, featuring vocals from Skepta, Jme and Ms D. It was released as the second single from his ninth album, The Ascent, on 28 October 2012 for digital download in the United Kingdom. It was written by Richard Cowie, Joseph Adenuga, Jamie Adenuga, Dayo Olatunji and produced by Rymez and Sillkey.
The Ascent is the ninth studio album by English rapper and producer Wiley. The album was released on 1 April 2013, by Warner Music Group and Boy Better Know, after being delayed twice. The Ascent succeeds Evolve or Be Extinct which was released in January 2012. The album features a variety of experimental genres, varying from dance pop to grime.
Tahliah Debrett Barnett, known professionally as FKA Twigs, is a British singer, songwriter, and dancer. She was a backup dancer for numerous musicians, and made her musical debut with EP1 (2012). Barnett's debut studio album, LP1 (2014), reached number 16 on the UK Albums Chart and number 30 on the US Billboard 200. It was nominated for that year's Mercury Prize. She released the EP M3LL155X (2015) and took a four-year hiatus, after which she released her second studio album, Magdalene (2019). After signing with Atlantic Records, she released the mixtape Caprisongs (2022). Her work has garnered acclaim and has been described as "genre-bending", drawing on various genres including electronic music, trip hop, R&B, and avant-garde.
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Kwadwo Quentin Kankam, better known by his stage name Novelist, is a British grime MC and record producer from Lewisham in South London. He was a founding member of the Square crew and was nominated for Best Grime Act at the 2014 MOBO Awards. He has been called the "new face of grime" and was described as "the poster child for the first generation of real grime kids" by DJ Logan Sama.
"Shutdown" is a song by English rapper Skepta, released as the second single from his fourth album Konnichiwa (2016) on 26 April 2015 through his Boy Better Know record label. A music video for the song was uploaded to YouTube on the day of the song's release. "Shutdown" peaked at number 39 on the UK Singles Chart. The song samples speech from a Vine video created by Canadian rapper Drake. The song was covered by English rock band Slaves in the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge and has since been included in the band's live setlists. The track is featured in NBA 2K17,Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 and Watch Dogs: Legion.
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