Treddin' on Thin Ice

Wiley’s debut record—alongside other early 2000s releases by his sometime brothers-in-arms Dizzee Rascal and Kano—is held up as one of grime’s foundational texts. And this is true. But to focus onTreddin’ on Thin Ice’s historical significance to the genre that Richard Cowie helped create (a streak most vividly expressed on “What Do U Call It?”; the plinking, audacious breakthrough inspired by lack of consensus over what to actually call the then nascent style of British rap) is to skip over its boundless, weirdo versatility. British hip hop-indebted motivational anthems (“Pick U R Self Up”), terrace chant-inspired singalongs (“Pies”), space-age instrumentals that showcase his skills as a producer (especially the discordant, frostbitten “Avalanche (Interlude)”); in its every act, this is a restlessly creative endeavour—and artistic statement—that still stands as a monument to the Godfather’s strange, jittery genius.