The charges against Wiley, 43, were due to be processed in Snaresbrook crown court on the 11^th of November 2021 for burglary and assault by beating. The incident in question took place on the 28^th of August 2021 which allegedly saw the London rapper entering the home of Ali Jacko and attacking the former world champion kickboxer. As well as both stealing and damaging property within the residence.

The Metropolitan Police force stated; “At around 2200hrs on Saturday 28 August police were called to a flat in Forest Gate. Officers attended the location. It was alleged that a man had entered the flat, assaulted the occupant and caused criminal damage to property. The man was arrested and taken into custody. The occupant, an adult male, sustained a minor injury. London ambulance service were not required.” 

Now, 6 months after the date of the trial, Newham MPS have issued a statement of inquiry for Cowie Jr’s whereabouts. Highlighting that his last known location was the Tower Hamlets & Newham area in London’s East End.

WANTED: Can you help? We would like to speak with Richard Cowie for failing to appear at Snaresbrook Crown Court. pic.twitter.com/242BUUNJQW

— Newham MPS | North East BCU (@MPSNewham) May 10, 2022

The victim Ali Jacko, now works in the entertainment sector, having written and directed a number of short films with his production company JKO Films, as well as running his own music studios which were attended by Wiley prior to the attack.

Wiley was awarded an MBE for his services to music back in 2018n and has earned the moniker “Godfather of Grime”. Although in recent years he has been at the centre of a handful of controversies. Not Least, his self-published tirade of antisemitic speech. You can see the reposted video from the CAA down below:

“Why did Hitler hate you? For nothing?”

A reminder of what Wiley thinks about Jews.

This was posted days prior to his tirade last week, which could have been prevented were our laws fit for purpose and had @Twitter and @Instagram kept their promises to ban him. pic.twitter.com/gbhDjX9Jr6

— Campaign Against Antisemitism (@antisemitism) December 6, 2021

The rapper went on to say in another post; “The more they block me the harder I go and when I get through the door I will stand there and look in their faces with the same look they don’t wanna see….They are just angry they can’t control me…”

The statement led to his being dropped by his management company (A-List Management) and a permanent ban from the social platform Twitter on the 25^th of July 2020. With these statements also drawing the attention of the MET police force, who stated; “The Met takes all reports of antisemitism extremely seriously. The relevant material is being assessed.”

Wiley has been embroiled in controversy recently, following an Antisemitic rant on Twitter. Twitter, YouTube and Instagram banned the rapper, proceeding the outburst. Poet quizzed Wiley on these issues.

However, he failed to recognise the error of his ways. He blamed the Jewish community for his social media ban by claiming: ‘Twitter, shut down – who owns Twitter, do you reckon? Instagram, shut down – who owns Instagram, do you reckon? Facebook – shut down – we all know who owns Facebook‘. ‘YouTube, Google, who owns that do you reckon?  That’s the first lot of people who have shown who they are‘.

He did admit that he could have worded his tweets better, but the lack of regret will continue to damage his career. The interview appeared on the Football Youtube channel, The Filthy Fellas. The channel condemned Wiley’s comments. They wrote, on their channel, that the rant was ‘wrong and poorly considered and very dangerous‘.

Wiley rounded off the interview with a message for Alan Sugar. He said ‘Alan Sugar I don’t hate you the way you think I feel’. But ‘you love your people and you want to make jokes about mine‘.

Wiley has burned a lot of bridges since his Antisemitic outburst. The interview gave him the opportunity and the platform to express regret. However, he failed to denounce his previous statements and, as a result, his career may be in jeopardy.

You can watch the interview below:

The blunder caused The Guardian further embarrassment, as it accompanied an opinion piece addressing Wiley’s antisemitic tweets.  An Instagram post outlined the publication’s regret at the mistake. It said: ‘The Guardian apologises unreservedly to Kano and our readers‘. The paper was quick to vindicate Owen Jones, the writer of the article, as he ‘was not involved in this error‘.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Guardian (@guardian) on Jul 29, 2020 at 7:56am PDT

Kano defined his frustration at the incident through an Instagram post. The East London emcee uploaded a screenshot of the article, and captioned it: ‘I don’t want my likeness to be associated with this rhetoric for any longer than it already has. But YO @guardian/ @owenjones84, I’m the other rapper from East London. Fix Up‘. Kano underlines that the blunder has the potential to damage his image. This is because he has now, wrongly, been associated with Wiley’s racist outburst over Twitter. 

View this post on Instagram

Won’t leave this up because I don’t want my likeness to be associated with this rhetoric for any longer than it already has. But YO @guardian/ @owenjones84, I’m the other black rapper from East London. Fix up. (@variety and @bbc for that matter, too. It’s not okay. Do better.)

A post shared by Kano (@therealkano) on Jul 29, 2020 at 3:13am PDT

It is not the first time that a major media outlet has made an error of this kind. The Manchester Evening News published a photo of a completely different woman, in a printed tribute to the recently deceased singer Denise Johnson, on the 28th of July.

The mistake threatens The Guardian’s reputation as an independent, intellectual, broadsheet newspaper. It demonstrates an archaic lack of awareness, which has no place in modern journalism.  The publication’s mistake underlines that members of the press require further education and accountability, in order to combat the innate stereotyping that courses through British reporting.

As Kano succinctly pleas at the end of his post, the media need to simply ‘do better’.

You can keep updated with the further reaction to Wiley’s twitter outburst here

41-year-old grime artist Wiley sparked outrage on Twitter last Friday when he posted a number anti-Semitic Tweets, which have now been deleted. What still remains is the hurt, offence, and pain that his words have caused, as well as more Tweets expressing that he stands by what he said, despite calls from Twitter users for him to remove them.

Moreover, many are outraged at Twitter for allowing this type of behaviour to happen and remain on their website. This has led to a 48-hour boycott of Twitter, joined by celebrities such as TV presenter Rachel Riley, actor Jason Isaacs, and singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor. For those two days – beginning yesterday, 27th July, and ending today – they have not used Twitter at all, to reflect the two days of inaction from Twitter last week. The hashtags #NoSafeSpaceForJewHate and #48HoursSilence are used by boycotters, along with the slogan ‘Silence Talks’.

Out. https://t.co/eVm6m4XZwi — Rachel Riley (@RachelRileyRR) July 27, 2020

According to numerous publications, Richard Kylea Cowie Jr, stage name Wiley, enforced conspiracy theories, calling them “snakes” and “cowards”, saying that they were at war with black people, and suggesting that they deserve to be shot. Wiley has now been banned for seven days, but will be allowed back on the site with no reprimand from Twitter.

Speaking against Wiley’s actions, and Twitter’s inaction, Labour MP Jess Phillips said, “Why on earth have @Twitter left up such blatant antisemitism and hatred? It hits all the dangerous beats, Jews get things you don’t get, they are in control, they think they’re better… This is dangerous stuff. Surely it should come down.” Neil Coyle, another Labour MP also spoke out and joined the boycott, along with many more Twitter users.

John Wolf, Wiley’s manager and head of management company A-List, has removed the artist from his roster, announcing, “Following Wiley’s anti-Semitic Tweets today we at @A_ListMGMT have cut all ties with him. There is no place in society for anti-Semitism.”

Following Wileys anti semitic tweets today we at @A_ListMGMT have cut all ties with him. There is no place in society for antisemitism. — John Woolf (@Jrwoolfw) July 24, 2020

Furthermore, London Metropolitan Police are investigating the situation, saying that they have “received a number of reports relating to alleged anti-Semitic tweets posted on social media.” UK Home Secretary Priti Patel said that she had asked Twitter for a “full explanation.”

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis wrote to Jack Dorsey, chief executive of Twitter, as well as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. In his letter, he said, “This cannot be allowed to stand. Your inaction amounts to complicity.” This has been a long time coming, since Facebook, Instagram (owned by Facebook), and Twitter have been accused of allowing racist posts to be promoted on their sites.

“This cannot be allowed to stand. Your inaction amounts to complicity.” The Chief Rabbi writes to @Jack and Mark Zuckerberg to demand #NoSafeSpaceForJewHate pic.twitter.com/s0AFO4HPSx — Chief Rabbi Mirvis (@chiefrabbi) July 26, 2020

It is a move away from the comedic style or grime, for which Big Narstie is renowned. ‘Legacy‘ is an homage to the struggles that fame can bring. ‘There is something special about me‘, the iconic rapper muses. He rhymes about ‘the paranoia‘ he suffers with, and his wariness of ‘evil in the dark‘. However, over an upbeat instrumental, Narstie’s prose is hopeful as he points out that ‘God loves a trier‘.

Big Narstie has become a household name away from music over recent years. He collaborated with comedian Mo Gilligan to bring a hearty chat show, the aptly named ‘Big Narstie Show‘, to prime time Channel 4. His stock has gone through the roof, and he has subsequently appeared on national television shows such as ‘The Big Fat Quiz of The Year‘. This simply augmented the fame he had cultivated from the British music scene, hard earned by smash collaborations with Craig David.

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Ebony and ivory lol we got a banger coming lol @devlinartist @dicerecordingsltd #bdl

A post shared by Big Narstie (@bignarstie) on Jun 9, 2020 at 11:11am PDT

A grime track named ‘Legacy‘ makes Devlin an obvious feature. The Bermondsey-based emcee rose to prominence with his album ‘Bud, Sweat and Beers‘ in 2011. Several high profile feature have followed, as well as a vicious sound clash with grime godfather Wiley. He has therefore moved onto the pantheon of greatness amongst the British rap scene. However, the rapper maintains that this success has left him with ‘no tears left‘, because he feels as though ‘life has no meaning‘. He uses the track to reflect that confidence in his own ability has propelled him to his current status’. Problems I work them out, barriers I break them down‘ is his enduring message.

‘Legacy’ is a collaboration between two of grime’s most recognisable figures. It may not fill dance halls or threaten the Top 10, but it is a track which serves to remind aspiring artists of the dedication needed to become the best. It is advice worth listening to, as both Devlin and Big Narstie are grime icons within their own right. 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

“Legacy” @bignarstie ft myself out now link in bio

 

A post shared by Devlin (@devlinartist) on Jul 10, 2020 at 3:52am PDT

The album is a long one, including 19 tracks and the run time comes in at a bloated 57 minutes. Given this is the second album of the month, from what I have heard, this album is still as tight as ever from the 41 year-old ‘godfather of grime’. If you are not too au fait with the grime scene in England, Wiley is usually labelled the godfather of grime and has been a stalwart of the scene since it was in its infancy so the godfather label is well deserved.

https://t.co/OUiPPyY3Xs

— Wiley (@WileyCEO) June 22, 2020

Recently Wiley has hit the headlines for another reason but this was his long standing ‘beef’ with UK grime superstar Stormzy. This had spilled over onto Twitter as they were embroiled in an ugly spat that birthed Stormzy releasing two diss tracks aimed at Wiley. But they have said that they have managed to put this all behind them and now have a mutual respect for eachother.

Though this is his first album after his ‘retirement’ you get the feeling Wiley will be an ever present figure within the grime scene. The 41 year old has plenty of petrol left in the tank and the fact that he has managed to release and record two separate albums during a global pandemic shows the work rate from the oft-proclaimed ‘grime scene godfather’. 

But considering he has already announced his retirement once, I would also say to maybe not expect too much more in the way of full length album releases. The godfather of grime has paid his dues and is already a certified English rap legend and deserves to down as such. Maybe he should leave Stormzy and other younger rappers alone; a 41 year old rapper going after a younger rapper is not a strong way to go out.

He says of the track’s release at the time that, when he heard Sheeran “tried to put out that grime remix, I was like: nah, man, this is not sitting well with me,” asserting his discomfort with the artistic choice stemming from Sheeran’s alleged exploitation of grime’s entrenched fan base without actively supporting any of its attributed artists. As Wiley says, his vexation derives from the stricture that “we’re not allowed to use you [Sheeran]: you haven’t given a shit about us, since the time you started, until Stormzy came along. I don’t like the way that grime gets used.”

The latter comment relates to the fact that Sheeran’s first record deal was secured as a result of his 2011 collaboration with Wiley, on his eight-track EP No 5 Collaborations Project. All eight tracks featured grime MCs. Elsewhere, the two grime artists had variously hurled shade at one another since the beginning of the new decade, with a slew of “diss tracks” between Wiley and Stormzy, one of which being the latter’s aptly titled ‘Disappointed‘. The single – which has tallied a YouTube hit-rate in excess of 7,250,000 views since it dropped in early January – saw the 26-year-old vilify his former mentor as a “crackhead” and a “c**t“.

Yet Wiley seems cooler on the issue now, having told The Guardian in the above cited interview,  “We’re over it now. I’ve spoken to Stormzy, I’ve got love for him.” Adding further clarity as to the intent behind his animosities, he says, “I just wish he hadn’t jumped in the way to defend Ed; that’s the only reason it happened. Ed Sheeran, England’s golden boy – he can use you, but you’re not allowed to use him.”

Wiley has embraced a new sound recently, teasing various tracks through his Instagram account and we expect to see a new project from the East London native soon. This track is no different; the upbeat dance instrumental allows the Godfather to come with that summer heat, with Tory Lanez, Dappy and Kranium supplying their melodic vocals for this club banger.

At first glance, the visuals look to be shot somewhere abroad with the vegetation, scenery and architecture having an exotic feel. However, it’s filmed on the Alexandra and Ainsworth Estate in North West London and depicts the essence of a British summer where everything looks less grey. Four dancers in brightly coloured tracksuits set the pace for this buoyant track, providing endless positive energy in the form of dance.

Wiley set a milestone for British music last year when he was honoured an MBE for his services in music, the recognition he deserves for pioneering the genre of this generation. Speaking on his achievement Wiley said, “This could open up doors for me in terms of going back to teach, to help, because I don’t care about myself anymore, I care about others.”

You can watch the video to ‘My One’ below.

“This is my last album, in theory. You know, Wiley the brand, you’re not going to see me trying to cane the arse out of tens of Wileys, you will not. I’ll always use my money to do other, smart things.” Wiley said. It is well known that the road to creating The Godfather has not been a smooth one, with the MC initially intending to release the album on September 2 last year, as well as the threat of cancelling the project altogether on multiple occasions.

Mc Wiley-Godfather Album Out September 2nd 2016 . 16 Track Bonanza . 3 Singles then album.

— Chasing The Art #BBK (@WileyUpdates) March 17, 2016

Speculation is no beginning to mount that Wiley’s retirement from music will follow the album’s release, although he did previously, briefly quit music for a time in 2014. Elsewhere in his Noisey interview, the grime icon did appear to criticise a fellow stalwart of the genre, in Kano. Wiley dismissed Kano’s 2016 LP Made in the Manor as “A good Damon Albarn album.”

Wiley elaborated on this saying “I think it was the wrong album to be made by him [Kano] at a time when grime was in fashion” continuing in a less critical fashion: “You know what I’m saying? I’m happy for him and all the success, but that was the wrong album to be made in this time by that artist. If grime is in and it’s popping, and you can see Stormzy and anyone else bringing it back, and you’re so good at it, you could have just given a fifteen track grime classic to follow up Home Sweet Home.”

When quizzed about his own personal satisfaction with The Godfather, Wiley was rather philosophical about his own music, answering “I don’t think it’s my choice to be happy. Once you’ve made something it’s for other people to comment on. Artists are always gonna be biased. They’re always gonna say, “This is good.” Anything they do next they think is good. But in England, no one really knows. It’s all a gamble.”

Jammer echoed Wiley’s sentiments concerning a respectful clash, writing on the Instagram post: “Wiley wants a respectable rematch with @therealkano the reasons these clashes was good is the artist both respect each other!!!! It’s not a hate clash it’s a clash about skills and the art-form of battle”

So with the Prospect of a rematch between the Grime Godfather and N.A.S.T.Y. Crew’s finest, here’s their first showdown – and maybe you can decide who won LOTM1?