In the year that grime was pretty much pronounced dead, Wiley returns with his take on the production style with Race Against Time. With this release, Wiley has interspersed his own productions with Balistiq Beats, Nathan Retro, Danny Weed, Skream, Maniac, Skepta, Bless Beats, Skeamz, Deeco, and K.Wizz, giving varying styles within the genre.
Balistiq Beats and Nathan Retro hinting at better things to come with their next level productions, and Danny Weed taking it to a level I’ve never heard before, expecting something more roots oriented, but coming up with hard hitting boom-bap beats. Skream’ contribution is a tad disappointing, going for his rave anthem take, full of building analogue madness and annoying vocal hooks.
It’s the future r’n’b styles that leave me cold, wanting more from the void, and most of the tracks produced by Wiley and Deeco just don’ seem to offer anything new – it’s only K.Wizz that seem to elevate this style further with warm keys and lush hooks.
The album really belongs to the work of Danny Weed, adapting the hard edge of grime, but pushing through with his own template – something totally unexpected. Although Wiley himself has taken his fair share of criticism, he still manages to offer a fresh vocal as an MC, and he does work well with guests Ghetts, Kano, MC Dream, Shorty, Skepta, JME, Frisco, Giggs, and Trigga.
Grime is not dead, there is still life in the ugly beast, and it just maybe Wiley that resurrects the respect for the genre, because lets face it, artists like Dizzee Rascal have done nothing for the cause lately.
Wayne Stronell
