Wiley is being called out for anti-semitic comments online.
The grime legend has delivered two albums in 2020, showing two distinct sides to his art.
Alongside this, he’s also beefed with other UK rap legends, and shown the other, rather more controversial, aspect of his personality.
As we type this, Wiley is continuing an hour-long rant about Israel and the Jewish community on Twitter.
It’s not certain what sparked it, but it seems to be linked to the rapper’s displeasure in the UK music industry.
If you work for a company owned by 2 Jewish men and you challenge the Jewish community in anyway of course you will get fired.
— Wiley (@WileyCEO) July 24, 2020
Infact there are 2 sets of people who nobody has really wanted to challenge #Jewish & #KKK but being in business for 20 years you start to undestand why
— Wiley (@WileyCEO) July 24, 2020
After being called out on this, Wiley then doubled down – he dismissed the Israeli right to a homeland, and utilised anti-semitic tropes.
Listen to me Jewish community Israel is not your country I’m sorry .
— Wiley (@WileyCEO) July 24, 2020
Red Necks Are the KKK and Jewish people are the Law…Work that out
— Wiley (@WileyCEO) July 24, 2020
Forget anti Semitic racism is racism and ya can’t hide the fact that systemic racism exists and it wasn’t set up by us
— Wiley (@WileyCEO) July 24, 2020
As the row deepened, Wiley seemed to answer some of the online critics directly:
I am not embarrassing myself at all I am standing out.
— Wiley (@WileyCEO) July 24, 2020
My ex manager was South Africa/ Jewish and I promise you he taught me so much about how this all works I was shocked.
— Wiley (@WileyCEO) July 24, 2020
It’s sad to see. We’ve covered Wiley’s music for years now, and often given him the benefit of the doubt during his controversies, but anti-semitism isn’t something that can ever be swept under the carpet.