Wiley Flow by Stormzy Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Tribute to Grime’s Godfather

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Stormzy's Wiley Flow at Lyrics.org.

Lyrics

Bruv, I didn’t look at it this way before
But as I approach my birthday
All you man are my youngers
You man are my youngers, bruv

If you can’t do 10K first week
Then I don’t wanna’ hear no chat about numbers
You man are my youngers
All blacked out like grungers
Tens and twenties and hundreds
Tens and twenties and thousands
I can’t never just lowe dem (no)
On Mount Everest shoutin’
Soon go back to the mountains
Third album, nigga I bless the beat with smoke
And my day one bros they kept me close
Then I sip my Tetley take a toke
They’re tryna get me on the ropes
Ayy, bro got the speshy in his coat
So please man let’s just be adults
And don’t be flexin’ in my boat
Nigga, you can’t test me, I’m the G.O.A.T.
Rolex collections lookin’ dope
I got the Pepsi and the Hulk
And I ain’t flexin’ on you niggas
Cah I’ll still be sexy if I’m broke

Wait there and I was made to win like I’m designed to blow
We’re doin’ major things, but it’s a minor though
I used to pay for things but that was time ago
And now I hit you niggas with the Wiley flow, it’s like

Bad ’em up, bad ’em up, bad ’em up once
Never could you take me for a dunce
Been on the scene for a hundred months
All I met is bare cunts
Take man for lunch
Eediat youts get punched
Pick one boy from your bunch
Tell man “Jump”
Oh what, you didn’t wanna’ jump? Well
Oh, well look now you’re slumped
Lil’ nigga I swerve (lil’ nigga I swerve)
Get out my lane (get out my lane)
North and East and West are hot but the South’s on flames
This year I’ma be a household name
I grew up in a house of pain
I don’t do it for the clout or fame
All the real niggas gonna vouch on my name
All the real niggas gonna vouch on my (vouch on my, woo, vouch on my, vouch on my)

Yeah
Yeah

If you ain’t got more than five top 10s
Then I don’t wanna hear no chat about chartin’
You man are just startin’
Comin’ like a young Chris Martin
Start swingin’ with my arms like Carlton
Start swingin’ with my arms like Anthony
All my niggas been charged, don’t AMP me
Have your Mrs. in her bra and panty
If you see me in the dance, I’m anti, quite frankly
Heavyweight champion of the world
They wanna’ war me for my belt
If you ever hear Stormzy caught an L
Know I stood stall before I fell
There’s a couple birthdays comin’ up
So I took like a quarter from the shelf
Spent like a 100 on my mum then about 140 on myself
The Mille, I sport like Pharrell
But I bought the Nautilus as well
All of the stories that I lived, my nigga
These are the the stories that I tell

Wait there and I was made to win like I’m designed to blow
We’re doin’ major things, but it’s a minor though
I used to pay for things but that was time ago
And now I hit you niggas with the Wiley flow, it’s like

Run up on them man laughing, fuck it
You got a chain but you tuck it, fuck it
Man throw dirt on my name, blud, fuck it
Slew anybody in the family, fuck it
Run up on them man laughing, fuck it
You got a chain but you tuck it, fuck it
Man throw dirt on my name, blud, fuck it
Slew anybody in the family, iyt, iyt

Last three tunes kinda prove that I did this
Mind what you say, I put a yout on my shit list
Must be the same old yout in the dinner hall
Primary, sippin’ on my juice with my biscuits
I’m from a place where we move to da witness
Stare in your face, tell ’em “Business is business”
Came for the fame but she stayed for the litness
Ask your new girl, she loves Mr. Skeng
You’ll never ever see me with guys known for verbals
My bruddas pull up and sky no rehearsals
Don’t switch sides, there’s no role reversals
How’s the best spitter in Grime so commercial?
Wait, nobody said you’re good, dun your chat
Your girl take the wood lumberjack
Hit ’em with the lighter flex, humble brag
I can’t drop the bag, I’m the bag

Yeah
Yeah
If you ain’t got no platinum plaques
Then I don’t wanna hear no chat about
Nah I’m jokin’ man

In the pantheon of Stormzy’s electrifying tracks, ‘Wiley Flow’ emerges as a brazen homage to the Godfather of Grime, Wiley. Impregnated with punchy lines and chest-thumping beats, the song is not just a display of lyrical bravado, it’s a textured narrative on success, legacies, and the torch-bearing nature of modern music culture.

The multifaceted gems hidden within this piece are not just reflections of Stormzy’s own journey but acknowledgments to the giants of the genre. This exposition will break down the layers of ‘Wiley Flow,’ interpreting its manifold meanings and delving into the unsuspected depths of its verses.

Pay Homage or Blaze the Trail? A Dual Purpose Lyrical Odyssey

Stormzy steps into the arena with the audacious announcement of his arrival, a birthright proclamation of sorts, as he nears his birthday. He ascends, holding Wiley’s fiery baton, forging a path in his name while securing his own foothold in the Scene. This confers both dedication to his forebear and a strategy of differentiation, using Wiley’s style as a catapult into a league of his own.

The rhetorical bravado about numbers in the opening lines isn’t mere performance— it’s a claim of industry dominance. In a stream-of-consciousness delivery, Stormzy embodies prowess and addresses the numbers game, the unwritten benchmark for modern musical success. This is Stormzy’s assertive staking of territory in a landscape that he already perceives as conquered.

A Rhythmic Reckoning: Stormzy’s Introspective Triumph

Overlaying personal introspection with aggressive self-assuredness, Stormzy dissects his rise and mindset. The verses serve a dual purpose, stringing together a showcase of achievements with a reminder of the roots that have kept him grounded. He ruminates on loyalty, legacy, and the intricate balance of maintaining authenticity amidst skyrocketing fame.

Sentiments like ‘then I sip my Tetley take a toke’ and elegies to his rugged upbringing suggest a convergence of the commonplace and the extraordinary. Stormzy offers listeners a glimpse into the eye of his storm, where vulnerability interlaces with the strength necessary to ride the rapids of fame and scrutiny.

Symbols of Status and Stature: Conspicuous Consumption or Underlying Irony?

Extravagance spills across the canvas of ‘Wiley Flow’ as Stormzy juxtaposes luxury brand-dropping against declarations of unaltered self-worth irrespective of wealth. By flaunting Rolex collections and expensive purchases, Stormzy may seem to glorify materialism, yet the subtext reveals a commentary on the transient nature of these treasures in defining true greatness.

The lyrics toy with the listener, as Stormzy asserts that his allure and impact remain undimmed in hypothetical insolvency. This levity within such ostentatious imagery implies a veiled critique—a wink that challenges the listener to distinguish the facade from the fortress of his real worth.

The Charging Cry of Stellar Aspirations and Defiant Declarations

As Stormzy gears to make himself a ‘household name,’ he imbues ‘Wiley Flow’ with the fieriness needed to forge a legend. Lyrically daring anyone to ‘war me for my belt,’ he casts his narrative in the form of a battle, framing his career as a series of fights – both in the musical arena and in terms of personal, internal battles.

This combative stance promotes a relentless pursuit of greatness, not just for glory but for the essence of his artistry. It’s a stance reflected in the artist’s refusal to fold in the face of adversity or scandal, affirming his steadiness even in hypothetical defeats— a resilience borne from the house of pain in which he was raised.

Unveiling the Song’s Hidden Meaning: An Ode to Legacy and Evolution

Although the aggressive tempo and heated verses might mask it, ‘Wiley Flow’ is a narrative of evolution. Stormzy acknowledges the shoulders of giants like Wiley on which he stands while forecasting the seismic rippling of his own impact. The song becomes a cyclic link between past and future, a binding force of gratitude and vision.

Through this lyrical essay, Stormzy posits that the stories he lives and tells will become the blueprints for the next generation. It is his experience, his version of the Wiley flow, that will inform and inspire upcoming artists, forming an everlasting continuum of grime music.