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Monday, October 30, 2017 7:15am ET by  

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Wiley: 'If I knew you were going do that I wouldn't have done the interview'

Wiley has given a rare interview to the BBC's Newsbeat to promote his autobiography, 'Eskiboy'.

The 'Godfather of Grime' explains that he's hesitant to talk to the press due to how his quotes are misconstrued, he said:

"If you've read a story and the interviewer tore the artist down and ripped them apart then in hindsight the artist can say, 'If I knew you were going do that I wouldn't have done the interview.'"

Speaking about the rise of grime music in the pop charts, he said:

"No-one's had a grime number one. Any number one that anyone's had, it's pop music. England is built on pop music, that's why the show was called Top of the Pops. It's a strong pop market,"

"I haven't had any glory. I've had a number one [single] but in my world going number one is like going number 200."

'Heatwave' featuring Ms D reached No.1 in the UK singles chart in August 2012, selling over 114,000 copies in its first week of release and 44,000 copies in its second week of release. By December 2012, it had sold almost half a million copies. 

Born Richard Cowie Jnr, said: "If you want to see the essence of grime then there's a rave called Grime Originals.

"Go find it - it's the only real form of grime that exists."

"I respect everyone is just doing their jobs. It's just sometimes I feel like the people I'm talking to are not human."

Eskiboy is published by Penguin and is available from November 2 at £20 for the hardback edition.  

According to the Penguin sales literature:

"Eskiboy tells his story in full, for the first time, from childhood trauma to white-label releases, to lifetime achievement awards and beyond. Structured in 140 short parts, it covers the friendships and rivalries, and the tragedies and triumphs, of two decades in music, and explores the history and future of grime and the Eskimo Sound.

Featuring lyrics, never-before-seen photographs and contributions from the people who know him best, Eskiboy is a celebration of a singular musical icon, and the world he has created."

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