Kevin Coley a.k.a. Wio-K was blessed to be the son of Edith and Delroy Coley who immigrated to Toronto, Ontario from Jamaica in the early 70s. Having no less than five siblings, Wio-K found hip-hop like a sixth sibling who was steady by his side through thick and thin. In the early 90s, Wio-Ks talents and determination proved worthy of being undertaken by Canadas finest hip-hop management team, Full Flex. Owner and manager, Farley Flex, now of Canadian Idol fame, had managed the first black platinum recording artist in Canada, Maestro Fresh-Wes. Farley had seen undeniable talent in a trio of 14-year-olds known as MVP, of which Wio-K was a member. Having opened for such hip-hop heavyweights as Boogie Down Productions and Lords of the Underground in both Toronto and Montreal, in addition to numerous venues across Canada, MVP garnered attention from Tommy Boy Records. The popular hip-hop label, who was home to artists like De La Soul, agreed to have MVP represent Canada on its Planet Rap hip-hop compilation which featured artists from all over the world. In 1996, Toronto-based record label Beat Factory, selected a track from the now-solo, Wio-K entitled Sunlight to be released on RapEssentials Volume One. This compilation included artists from all over Canada including Rascalz, Kardinal Offishall, Dan-e-o and Choclair. Subsequently, Wio-K shot the music video for Sunlight, toured Canada with Choclair and Dan-e-o (part of Wios ensemble, Monolith) and continued his …
Kevin Coley a.k.a. Wio-K was blessed to be the son of Edith and Delroy Coley who immigrated to Toronto, Ontario from Jamaica in the early 70s. Having no less than five siblings, Wio-K found hip-hop like a sixth sibling who was steady by his side through thick and thin. In the early 90s, Wio-Ks talents and determination proved worthy of being undertaken by Canadas finest hip-hop management team, Full Flex. Owner and manager, Farley Flex, now of Canadian Idol fame, had managed the first black platinum recording artist in Canada, Maestro Fresh-Wes. Farley had seen undeniable talent in a trio of 14-year-olds known as MVP, of which Wio-K was a member. Having opened for such hip-hop heavyweights as Boogie Down Productions and Lords of the Underground in both Toronto and Montreal, in addition to numerous venues across Canada, MVP garnered attention from Tommy Boy Records. The popular hip-hop label, who was home to artists like De La Soul, agreed to have MVP represent Canada on its Planet Rap hip-hop compilation which featured artists from all over the world. In 1996, Toronto-based record label Beat Factory, selected a track from the now-solo, Wio-K entitled Sunlight to be released on RapEssentials Volume One. This compilation included artists from all over Canada including Rascalz, Kardinal Offishall, Dan-e-o and Choclair. Subsequently, Wio-K shot the music video for Sunlight, toured Canada with Choclair and Dan-e-o (part of Wios ensemble, Monolith) and continued his drive for success by performing at several showcases and events throughout the country. In 1998, Wio-Ks Scarborough-based hip-hop conglomerate, Monolith, founded One Rock Records and independently released the EP, The Long Awaited Spawning two well-received music videos in At The T.O.P. and Plan Eh, this project helped put Wio-K and the 14-member Monolith crew permanently on the hip-hop map. In 2002, Wio-K joined forces with Monolith crewmates Irs and Canadian heavyweight Kardinal Offishall to combine on one of hip-hops biggest tunes and certified classics, Ol Time Killin and received enormous accolades. Wio-k has recently completed his debut album entitled "In Real Life." The hip-hop masses have waited far too long for this project! The album is a classic, adding, once again, to the legacy of Torontos dominance in the world of true-to-life, masterful hip-hop music making. Wio-K is poised to lead the way to a future where Canadian urban artists become huge successes in the marketplace.
