On a Level

Last updated

"On a Level"
Single by Wiley
from the album Snakes & Ladders
Released25 September 2014 (UK)
Genre Eskibeat
Length3:02(single version)
Label Big Dada
Songwriter(s) Richard Cowie
Producer(s) Skepta
Wiley singles chronology
"F**k It"
(2013)
"On a Level"
(2014)
"Ah Yeah, So What!"
(2014)

"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 .

Contents

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]

Music video

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]

Track listings

Digital download
  1. "On a Level" – 3:02

Credits and personnel

Release history

CountryDateFormatLabel
United Kingdom25 September 2014 Digital download Big Dada

Related Research Articles

Dizzee Rascal British rapper

Dylan Kwabena Mills, better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a British MC and rapper. A pioneer of grime music, his work has also incorporated elements of UK garage, bassline, British hip hop, and R&B.

Grime is a genre of electronic music 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.

Paris Moore-Williams, better known by his stage name P Money, is a British grime MC, rapper and songwriter from New Cross, South East London, who is also active in the Drum and bass scene. He is best known for his live performances as well as for songs such as Slang Like This, Anthemic and Round the Clock. N.E was the founding member of Lewisham-based grime crew OGz and p-money released one album with the group entitled OGz Season Vol. 1. He also appeared on the sixth edition of highly popular grime DVD Lord of the Mics in a grime clash (battle).

Wiley (musician) British rapper (born 1979)

Richard Kylea Cowie Jr., better known by his stage name Wiley, is a British grime MC, rapper, songwriter, DJ and record producer from Bow, London, currently wanted by the Metropolitan Police under an arrest warrant due to failing to appear at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 11 November 2021.

Roll Deep British grime crew formed by Wiley in 2001

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.

Kano (British musician) British rapper

Kane Brett Robinson, better known as Kano, is a British rapper, songwriter and actor from East Ham, London. A significant contributor to grime music, Kano is widely considered one of the pioneers of grime music and culture, alongside artists such as Wiley and Dizzee Rascal. In 2004, Kano released his debut single "Ps and Qs", which was an underground hit within the grime community.

Preeya Kalidas British singer, actress (b. 1980)

Preeya Kalidas is a British singer and actress. She played Amira Masood in the soap opera EastEnders, from 2009 to 2012. She released the single "Shimmy" in July 2010, taken from her proposed debut album (I'm Over It) Constant Craving; however, the album was never released.

Boy Better Know Music collective and label in Britain

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. The first of them 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 and songwriter 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.

Toddla T Musical artist

Thomas Mackenzie Bell, better known by the stage name of Toddla T, is an English DJ, record producer, remixer and songwriter from Sheffield, South Yorkshire.

Amber Liu (singer) Taiwanese American singer

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.

Skepta British rapper and record producer (born 1982)

Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr., known professionally as Skepta, is a British grime MC, rapper and record producer. Alongside his younger brother Jme, he briefly joined Roll Deep before becoming founding members of Boy Better Know in 2005.

Jme (musician) British grime MC (born 1985)

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.

Skepta discography

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.

Rescue Me (Skepta song) 2010 single by Skepta

"Rescue Me" is a song by British rapper Skepta. It released as a digital download on 27 June 2010 as the second single from his third studio album Doin' It Again (2011). The song peaked at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart, beating the chart position of Skepta's previous single, "Bad Boy". The track is produced by Agent X – who had also produced "Bad Boy". It is the second single released from his third studio album. The official music video was directed by Shane Davey.

Can You Hear Me? (Ayayaya) 2012 single by Wiley

"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.

<i>The Ascent</i> (Wiley album) 2013 studio album by Wiley

The Ascent is the ninth studio album by English grime artist Wiley. The album was released on 1 April 2013, via Warner Music Group and Boy Better Know, after originally being slated to be released on 4 February and 11 March, respectively. 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. The lead single "Heatwave", featuring Ms D, peaking at number 1 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Wiley's first number 1 as a solo artist. This was followed by "Can You Hear Me? (Ayayaya)" featuring Skepta, JME and Ms D, "Reload" featuring Chip and Ms D, all of which peaked in the top 10.

Shutdown (Skepta song) 2015 single by Skepta

"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 and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 and Watch Dogs: Legion.

<i>Konnichiwa</i> (Skepta album) 2016 studio album by Skepta

Konnichiwa is the fourth studio album by British rapper Skepta. The title is the greeting "hello" in the Japanese language. After numerous delays, it was released on 6 May 2016 by Boy Better Know. Konnichiwa features guest appearances from Jme, Boy Better Know, D Double E, Novelist, Wiley, Chip, Pharrell Williams, ASAP Nast and Young Lord. Konnichiwa was executively produced by Skepta himself, who produced all but three songs on the album. Pharrell also worked on production with Skepta on the album.

Deshane Cornwall, known professionally as Frisco, is a British grime MC, songwriter and record producer who is part of the Boy Better Know (BBK) music label which includes Jme, Skepta, Jammer, among others. He has released three solo albums and a series of mixtapes, guested on tracks by his label mates and established a successful monthly grime event in East London, contributing to the popularity of grime within the UK music scene.

References

  1. "Watch the video for Wiley's 'On a Level' produced and directed by Skepta". 25 September 2014.
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 24 September 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. "Premiere: Watch Wiley's "On a Level" Video".
  4. "Wiley Kat* / DJ Vader - The Morgue / Bang Zero". Discogs. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  5. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : Wiley - 'On A Level'. YouTube .