wiley - playtime is over

gumdrops

Well-known member
thought there might as well be a thread for this seeing as theres one for dizzees album (shows where dissensus's bias lies in this 'war' doesnt it?!)

random thoughts -
ive said what i think of letter to dizzee already (its mawkish and embarassing for all involved) but its a wise move on wileys part isnt it considering how much attention has been lavished on the wiley-dizzee rupture
not saying its fake (wileys inability to let go seems genuine enough), but its done them both, wiley esp, a lot of good in terms of generating press
i detest all the slow tracks on this, even the one about his kiddie (sorry)
it makes a great 35 minute album
i get the impression he doesnt spend too much time writing his bars or recording them as theres a rushed quality to his music, which sometimes translates as urgency, other times translates as just well, a bit dashed off (eg - the lyrics on 50/50)
maybe if he stopped putting out so many bloody mix cds, he might be able to just concentrate on making one really good album (although im guessing thats just not how he works)
not sure wiley will ever make a truly great album but this is as good as hes done so far IMO
its amazing how much press hes gotten for this - covers of the wire, plan b, echoes, the independent on fridays magazine (!)
i hope it does well for him - even if he doesnt sell very much, the media success of this shows that not everyone has to go the dizzee/pop route to get coverage, you can still stay 'true' to what the music you want to make
 
i really like it when wiley does some slow tracks. it at least shows a different side to his character which seems to be lacking in most other one-dimensional mc's. i think the reason he can pull it off is because it sounds so genuine, like hes some sort of schizophrenic or something. letter 2 dizzee and nothing about me arent bad songs, ok the chorus on the second one is a bit shit, but his bars arent bad, come lay wiv me, baby girl are swag.
if it'd make a good 35 minute album then thats not bad considering the original length is only about 50mins
the beat for playtime's over is SICK
50/50 is swag, i cant believe they made a video for that one out of all of the songs on there
 

Jezmi

Olli Oliver Steichelsmein
gumdrops;i get the impression he doesnt spend too much time writing his bars or recording them as theres a rushed quality to his music said:
Skepta was criticising this approach though, on Logans show. Saying that you should purely have banging lyrics. Wiley has some bars that he has honed on radio, which aren't on this (or other album). Dizzee used bars he spat in 2002 on Showtime! No dashed quality there. Here's hoping the same thing will happen on Skeptas album.

But most of the album isn't that new to most on this board. I think it's a good album, though you could easily select the best 16 tunes of his tunnel vision serie and have a better collection......
One other thing, Manga/Little D/Tinie Tempah have no business being on this record. It shouldn't be about bringing anyone through, only features that make the album stronger have a place.
I'm glad it's out and I'm glad I have a copy and I'm psyched to be seeing him performed on Saturday :cool:
 

gek-opel

entered apprentice
I actually really like "come lay with me", the broken garage feel is a nice change, and I like the fact the female singer he's got in doesn't sound too slick.

Overall lyrically its not a great record, but then I don't think most people rate Wiley as either an awesome hype man or a great storyteller/rhyme crafter. Its a really solid proper grime album, better than "Treading on thin ice" by far, better than the roll deep effort, but not amazing. Could probably do with a bit more variety production-wise to be honest. But it is enjoyable, though relatively risk-free as experiences go...
 

petergunn

plywood violin
I think it's a good album, though you could easily select the best 16 tunes of his tunnel vision serie and have a better collection......

yup...

and 50/50 was a terrible video choice... can't imagine anyone who's not already a wiley fan digging that tune...
 

Pulchritude

Active member
I think he's been pushing for as much press coverage as possible. He seems to be wanting more success with this album than he got with Treddin' On Thin Ice or his mixtapes. I think his claim of deciding to retire from the grime scene, earlier this year, reflects his general disenchantment at the lack of success he's achieved- particularly in comparison to Dizzee. I think that, if he garners sufficient success with this album, Wiley has the talent to genuinly create a brilliant grime album; I don't believe he'll move away from the genre in the way that Dizz has.

As for this album, it's definitely not brilliant, but I think it's good and certainly better than Dizzee's most recent offering. I know most people don't agree with 50/50 being a suitable choice for the first single but I really like it, and it is kind of an apt introduction for those who aren't as familiar with his other stuff. I think the general sound of the album does suggest he needs to spend more time on his bars and Letter 2 Dizz is pretty much a rubbish gimmick, and there's not really any reason to listen to it more than once.
 

Mr Jeg

suck your thumb
I know most people don't agree with 50/50 being a suitable choice for the first single but I really like it, and it is kind of an apt introduction for those who aren't as familiar with his other stuff. I think the general sound of the album does suggest he needs to spend more time on his bars and Letter 2 Dizz is pretty much a rubbish gimmick, and there's not really any reason to listen to it more than once.

thing is, it just seems a ridiculous choice when you have a tune as MASSIVE as bow e3 on the b-side. i think wiley really would have benefitted from having that as a pure 'what the FUCK is this?!?!?!' single - would have grabbed the interest of anyone not familiar with his stuff, and impressed anyone who was as it's one of the best songs he's ever made. 50/50's just a bit bland and glossy. bow e3's very cinematic to me as well, it could have made a much better video than the bog standard rapper-rapping-at-camera fare. maybe they just wanted a wiley produced single?

seconded on the 'come lay with me' love as well. that beat sounds like nothing else before it, though it is ruined a bit by the singing. there's just too much of it - it could have been interspersed with more wiley bars - and the singer hasn't been bled into the track properly. just sounds like a dodgy acapella thrown over the top. pisses all over any of the laydeeeeeeeeeez tracks on the album though.

also - how immense is "where's wiley?" just an obscene beat.
 

gumdrops

Well-known member
my mistakes is just an awful song though. boring 'regretful' song with wiley getting into painfully earnest mode.

50/50 has grown on me but yeah when i first got it, it seemed a bit safe and nothing too special compared to bow e3 which kinda jumps out at you cos its so hard and more exciting and new sounding. shame but oh well.

i want them to release no qualms. or fly boy. or stars.
 

DJL

i'm joking
I like My Mistakes. More about humility than regrets imo.

Agree about releasing Flyboy and Stars.
 

Immryr

Well-known member
i think i like My Mistakes more than Flyboy and i definitely prefere it to stars -_-

i also like 50/50, but yeah, the obvious tune to video would have been Bow E3. No Qualms is huge too.

I'm assuming as this is on Big Dada it has got a vinyl release?? I hope so. I'm going to go get a copy on my lunch break if it has.
 

mos dan

fact music
My Mistakes is appalling in every single way. pointless strings, boring lyrical content (haven't we heard wil talking about his mistakes and his past enough already?), uninspired delivery, the most annoying, mumbled, dry 'chorus' EVER, a dull and pointless contribution from little dee, and as for manga... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh

obviously the album's great though. lol.
 

gumdrops

Well-known member
i wouldnt be surprised if this was printed up in very limited quantities. mos dan totally OTM about my mistakes. i was shocked when i heard that turgid slice of eminemery for the first time cos it was the 'bonus' track being added to the album. i mean, not exactly the type of track to get you excited to buy the album properly after downloading the promo is it?
 
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simon silverdollar

Guest
i think the whole record is a huge disappointment. not to say that they're aren't some great moments on there (although it's notable that the best bits are from 2nd phaze...), but the album just seems so lazy. many of the productions are incredibly slapdash- i can't see anyone who hasn't heard wiley's earlier beats, and just heard playtime is over, seeing why he's so respected as a producer at all.

also, lyrically wiley's just not up to par, either compared with the peaks of his stuff on tunnel vision(s), or his legendary ghetto War report track. compared to what trim and skepta are doing at the moment, he doesn't acquit himself well on this at all.

i think perhaps wiley's had too many people telling him he's too good for too long, and has become a little complacent.
 

Jezmi

Olli Oliver Steichelsmein
50/50 is a great song. Think the video for 'My Mistakes' is better thoughQUOTE]

well the part of My Mistakes; yes, but how could they do thAt to Gangsterz......I mean, how? Animated cars, it reminds me of musicvideos from the mid 90's (those happy hardcore ones).
If they wanted a Wiley produced single, with enough edge and enough appeal and decent lyrics --> Playtime's over
Otherwise I'm sure they could of thought up better concepts for Gangsterz; Johnny was a badboy; Bow e3; Flyboy; Slippin; Eski-boy.........
50/50 has grown om me though.
 

gumdrops

Well-known member
lyrically its not very memorable really is it. quite ephemeral. but then i dont think wiley of today is generally a patch on wiley of 2002/2003 but ive said that a billion times. its a good album though in the sense its a true grime album - i think saying none of the beats live up to his potential is a bit harsh. theyre at least proper grime beats which get you hype (not like rules and regs which was all half step or midtempo sounding stuff) which is what grime albums should be like IMO. thats good enough for me. i much prefer it to treddin which i find pretty hard to get through. but wiley is basically the timbaland of grime - genius producer, sometimes inspired but now mostly adequate to poor MC - i wish he would kinda stop rhyming like he said he would and just concentrate on instrumentals cos hes become very hit and miss.

hes got an interview in the new hip hop connection (quite amusing in places - he thinks the next generation of grime mcs could be trillionaires lol) and album review too. just saw him on the cover of one week to live too.
 
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mos dan

fact music
i don't buy this idea that he's lost his way as an mc or producer at all.

i know it's a year old and isn't on playtime, but the most clear-cut example of this i can cite is crash bandicoot and the freestyle.. effing insane.
 

gumdrops

Well-known member
as a producer i dont think hes lost his way at all. i love stuff like slippin in south and various other beats hes had out (eg - youre not real). as a rapper though, i can only take wiley in small doses. too monotone or something. prefer him sandwiched (ahem) between other MCs on a track like on the songs with jme or jookie mundo. although even then, since he churns out so much, sometimes its a bit half-arsed, like his verse on sidewinder, which is a bit dissapointing compared to everyone else on there. he could sometimes do with someone to tell him what the best vocal takes are.
 
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simon silverdollar

Guest
i don't buy this idea that he's lost his way as an mc or producer at all.

i know it's a year old and isn't on playtime, but the most clear-cut example of this i can cite is crash bandicoot and the freestyle.. effing insane.

i think wiley still makes quite a few really good beats, but he's nowhere near as good as he used to be; i couldn't stop listening to stuff like igloo, blizzard, eskimo, ground zero, fire hydrant, ice rink, ice-pole, when i first heard them. as good as, say, crash bandicoot, is, it doesn't excite me in the same way.
 

Immryr

Well-known member
i wouldnt be surprised if this was printed up in very limited quantities.

I think youre right. my local HMV didnt have any copies in stock so i had to order one (i would have went to a record shop but ive had an HMV gift card for ages, and it would be nice to put it to some use!).
 
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