More than 2,000 people have joined a campaign to erect a statue of UK grime musician Wiley in the rapper's home borough. Supporters drafted a petition for Lutfur Rahman, mayor of Tower Hamlets, asking the local government to raise a monument in Bow.
"Richard Cowie (aka Wiley) has undoubtedly inspired an entire generation," wrote Julie Adenuga, the campaign's instigator, in her Change.org petition. "A man who has put his heart and soul into what he believes in and consistently shows passion and perseverance … As we journey through our day-to-day lives as commuters, as cyclists, as pedestrians and [as] road users, it's refreshing to be reminded of uplifting and entertaining role models, especially ones who were born and nurtured on the same streets as us."
At the time of writing, 2,041 people had signed Adenuga's petition, including rapper Dizzee Rascal, along with supporters from France, Florida and – in copious numbers – East London. "Wiley is London," wrote one fan. "He's so E3," wrote another. "[HE] IS THE KING OF GRIME AND HE WILL BE FOR A VERY LONG TIME," declared a third.
Wiley has been resistant to the campaign for a statue. Responding to a Quietus tweet about the petition, he wrote simply: "No". The 34-year-old musician grew up in Bow, rising up through the underground grime scene until his 2008 mainstream breakout album, Wearing My Rolex. His ninth album, The Ascent, was released in April and reached No 26 on the charts.
