Wiley: The Ascent

East London rapper Wiley releases his ninth album The Ascent this fortnight, and though much of the collection is clearly geared towards (whisper it) mainstream chart success, there's plenty on here to remind us how the 34-year-old came to be known as the 'Godfather of Grime'.
Case in point: album opener ‘First Class’, a tongue-in-cheek grime-fest which sees Wiley, along with guest vocalists Kano and Lethal Bizzle, ponder the connotations of black working-class folk splashing out on the big seats: ‘Even though it might seem pricey/Me going first-class again is likely.’
‘Skillzone’, featuring Wiley’s old mate Manga from the Roll Deep collective and ‘Chainsaw’ are darker still, while drum ‘n’ bass stomper ‘Reload’, with vocals from Ms. D, is this reviewer’s album highlight.
It’s not all roses though, and the girl-singing-chorus-while-Wiley-raps formula feels forced at times – step forward Tulisa on ‘Hands In The Air’, and (cover your eyes, grime purists) Emili Sandé on ‘My Heart’. That said, when the underground/pop union works, it works a treat. ‘Heatwave’ is the summer jam to end all summer jams... think a grimier Sean Paul rapping about “getting a Slush Puppys with both flavours” (ooh-er). In all, a mixed bag, but not a bad one.

Key Track: ‘Reload’