Realistically, almost any Wiley album could have made this list. Treddin' On Thin Ice, In At The Deep End, Da 2nd Phaze... All are utterly compelling insights into the terrific production style, quirky lyrics and unique vocal style of this exceptional grime figurehead. Wiley is grime's main man. He is its godfather - the man that pretty much dragged the scene into the public eye when its biggest success story (Dizzee Rascal) chose to leave it behind. Wiley Volume 1 makes the cut despite not being an official release because it captures absolutely everything that is to be celebrated about the artist. It's basically a compilation of his best and craziest moments, lacking in coherence and jumping off in a million directions at once. In other words, it's a collection that effectively summarises the career and personality of Wiley. Impossible to pin down, insanely prolific, easily bored and determined to make it big without sacrificing his artistic integrity, any attempt to summarise Wiley's work in a comprehensive and carefully formatted album would be foolish and wrong. Much better to listen a compilation of his maddest tunes from across his career in one unfocused and utterly mind-blowing compilation. Get this and the aforementioned Avalanche Music 1. They are the perfect introduction to the multiple worlds of Wiley, who is at the centre of a huge universe that rewards the efforts of those that dive straight in.
