There would be no Grime scene if it wasn’t for Wiley and now, he’s returned with a new album titled Back to the Village. It is the third installment in the Godfather of Grime’s series, which includes 2017’s Godfather and 2018’s Godfather II. This new LP marks the artist’s 13th album release.

Back to the Village was due some time ago, but intermittent rap beefs with artists including Drake, Dizee Rascal, and Stormzy to name a few, delayed the release. The album comes on the heels of the successful song “Boasty” featuring Stefflon Don, Sean Paul, and Idris Elba.

Wiley dropped “Drip Insured” with Lotto Ash earlier this month, as well. Multiple tracklists have surfaced over the past few years, so the final selections weren’t revealed until the release. Ever an enigma, Wiley was keen to keep his fans on their toes. Like all good things, good music takes time.

Wiley changed gears midway through the project, which was nearly canceled at one point earlier this year. His new direction was perhaps sparked by the aforementioned word skirmishes with his peers.

In a tweet posted on Valentine’s Day this year, he wrote, “I’m not putting out a Wiley album. I’ve decided I just wanna rebuild my scene back to the way it used to run, but in this modern time, so yes, I have to adapt to what’s going on.”

Fortunately, this proved to be a premature sentiment. With the arrival of Back to the Village, it seems the grime legend expressed the last part of that tweet, which stated, “We need to get the wheels turning properly again.” The artist’s realignment is what sparked the project’s title change and opened the way for it to drop today.

Turn up with Back to the Village and catch a vibe.