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"Wot Do U Call It?"
Single by Wiley
from the album Treddin' on Thin Ice
Released5 April 2004 (UK)
Recorded2003
Genre
Length3:20 (radio edit)
LabelXL
SongwriterRichard Cowie
ProducerWiley
Wiley singles chronology
"Wot Do U Call It?"
(2004) 		"Pies"
(2004)

"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]

Music video

[edit]

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]

Track listings

[edit]
CD single
  1. "Wot Do U Call It?" – 3:20
  2. "Problems" – 3:49
Digital download – EP
  1. "Wot Do U Call It?"
  2. "Wot Do U Call It?" (instrumental)

Credits and personnel

[edit]
  • Lead vocals – Wiley
  • Producer – Wiley
  • Lyrics – Richard Cowie
  • Label: XL Recordings

Chart performance

[edit]
Chart (2004) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[9] 31
UK Indie (OCC)[10] 2

Release history

[edit]
Country Date Format Label
United Kingdom 5 April 2004
  • Vinyl
  • digital download
  • CD single
 XL

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Fiddy, Chantelle (9 June 2015). "The 25 Best Wiley Songs". Complex UK.
  2. ^ Collins, Hattie (2016). This Is Grime. Hodder & Stoughton. pp. 77–78. ISBN 9781473639270. Archived from the original on 26 September 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  3. ^ "Wiley : Wot Do U Call It?". NME. 12 September 2005.
  4. ^ a b David, Daniel (23 October 2019). "Wot Do U Call It? 15 Years After Wiley Debut Album 'Treddin On Thin Ice'". Link Up TV.
  5. ^ a b Hancox, Dan (2018). Inner City Pressure. London: William Collins. p. 68, 237. ISBN 978-0-00-825713-2.
  6. ^ Yates, Kieran (8 August 2012). "Wiley, Camden Barfly, London, July 30 - Live Reviews". NME.
  7. ^ Raw TV (2004). "Wot Do U Call It?". In Duthy, Seb; Andrews, Steve (eds.). Television special. Channel 4.
  8. ^ Renshaw, David (14 May 2018). "Wiley biopic gets the green light". The Fader.
  9. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  10. ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
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