The London Issue will be distributed exclusively to Living Proof Members. Sent to our members for June, 2026.

Wiley for The London Issue, Living Proof’s first regional Issue.

Universally hailed as “the Godfather of Grime”, Wiley played a massive role in bringing UK Grime to a world-stage with a life marked by the extreme highs and lows of violence, controversy and global stardom.

Coming from London’s culture of pirate radio stations and garage music during the early 2000’s, Wiley followed in the footsteps of his father – a reggae musician who introduced him to hip-hop at a young age – and began producing instrumentals mixing dancehall and jungle music.

At the turn of the millennium, UK garage was the dominant sound of London – champagne-soaked, Gucci loafer optimism, music that felt like the good times were finally arriving. It was seductive, polished, and for plenty of young people navigating daily life in London’s inner city, it simply did not reflect the reality of things. They had more to say than the genre was built to hold. Wiley was a member of Pay As U Go Cartel, a collective pushing UK garage into darker territory alongside So Solid Crew and Heartless Crew.

Read the full feature in Living Proof Magazine Issue 14, available to Living Proof members and in our Online Shop.

Photography by Matthew Benson