"Wot Do U Call It?" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Wiley | ||||
from the album Treddin' on Thin Ice | ||||
Released | 5 April 2004 (UK) | |||
Recorded | 2003 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:20(radio edit) | |||
Label | XL | |||
Songwriter(s) | Richard Cowie | |||
Producer(s) | Wiley | |||
Wiley singles chronology | ||||
|
"Wot Do U Call It?" is the debut single by British grime artist Wiley, released on 5 April 2004 as the lead single from his debut album Treddin' on Thin Ice (2004). It is a vocal version of the instrumental song "Igloo", which he also produced. [1]
The song addresses the debate around the name of the then-emerging grime genre, which some commentators considered a derivative "grimy" form of UK garage and others such as DJ EZ had branded "grime" for short, while Wiley himself had been using the term "eskibeat" for his music. [2] [3] [4] Dan Hancox has described how Wiley "speculates derisively" about the correct name for the sound in the song's lyrics "without providing a definitive answer", referencing the options "garage", "urban" and "2-step". [5] Writing for NME in 2012, Kieran Yates described the song as a "seminal single" which "helped define the genre". [6]
A short documentary of the same name, directed by Adam Smith and produced by Raw TV for XL Recordings, aired on Channel 4 in 2004 and included interviews with Roll Deep, Terror Danjah and Nasty Crew's Stormin and Ghetts among others, discussing how they described the style of music they made. [7]
The music video, directed by Adam Smith, [8] was shot in various locations including the record shop Rhythm Division on Roman Road [5] , pirate radio stations and raves. [4]
Chart (2004) | Peak position |
---|---|
UK Singles (OCC) [9] | 31 |
UK Indie (OCC) [10] | 2 |
Country | Date | Format | Label |
---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 5 April 2004 |
| XL |