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Wiley was one of many first grime artists, with groundbreaking tracks like Eskiboy and Ice Rink
The report label boss who signed Dizzee Rascal and Wiley says Grime saved UK rap.
"It was always difficult making rap records in the UK and getting anyone to care," Richard Russell informed a viewers at Brighton's Great Escape Festival.
With uncommon exceptions like Monie Love and Slick Rick, British acts struggled abroad within the early days of rap.
Russell mentioned hip-hop producers like himself and The Prodigy's Liam Howlett ended up making rave music as an alternative.
"The rave records were effortless. The rap records were a lot of work," he added, admitting he initially had misgivings concerning the rave scene.
"Then, by 2002, I began listening to these first grime [tracks] and I simply thought, 'Thank God somebody's carried out that.'
"It was such a very long time coming. Garage was hinting at it however the MCs in Garage have been extra party MCs… within the membership hyping the gang up.
"But Dizzee and Wiley were really lyrical, and both really great producers."
Rusell signed each acts to his label, XL Recordings, propelling Grime's first industrial breakthrough within the UK.
"I actually think those records are still sonically ahead now," he informed BBC Radio1's Abbie McCarthy, citing examples like Dizzee Rascal's I Luv U and Wiley's Eskimo and Ice Rink.
With Grime now a world, mainstream phenomenon, Russell in contrast the style's largest stars to Bob Dylan.
"You may argue that [a musician] who's an artist and producer is the modern-day singer-songwriter.
"You was once there with a guitar singing and strumming, and that might be it. That's a complete report, that is every little thing you want, that is Bob Dylan.
"That occurred to me about these [grime] guysthey do everything. The level of self-reliance, and autonomy is pretty mindblowing."
Russell went on to signal artists like Giggs, Novelist and Nines to XL Recordingshowever the indie label's largest star is undoubtedly Adele.
"I definitely always felt confident for her. And also I think I just got a general feeling of confidence from being around her," he mentioned. "She is confidence-inspiring somehow."
Adele's achievements are "subtly political", he added, "simply in succeeding as a feminine artist at that degree [while] not becoming the mould of what a feminine artist was meant to be like.
"I feel she sort of loosened that each one up.
"I've spoken to artists who are quite different from her, musically, who felt more free to do what they wanted to do as female artists because she was doing what she wanted to do and not conforming to a certain look or type."
Russell admitted he'd by no means anticipated the extent of her successhowever "I did know she was going to get it right somehow."
He mentioned with all of his artistsfrom Adele to MIA by way of Damon Albarn and Radiohead"the important thing is to make something that means a lot".
The subsequent query is "does it imply a lot to a small variety of individuals, which is probably wonderful, or does it imply a lot to a large variety of individuals?
"A typical hit song means a small amount to a huge number of people," he defined.
"So I think what [Adele] has achieved, of making music which means a huge amount to a huge number of peoplethat is probably the holy grail in music."