Written Before Listen
Westside Gunn is considered to be one of the most promising rappers in the realm of east coast hip hop. His Ghostface Killah-like persona and his beat selection have old heads reminiscing and new heads surprised. Unlike the other new boom-bap rappers, Westside (and the other Griselda members and affiliates) have created a newer sound using slower tempoed beats, gritty instrumentation, and more abstract undertones. Westside Gunn is not my favorite out of the three, but I do enjoy his work a lot as his persona is the most standout out of the Griselda members. With that being said, he just released two projects, and I’m here for it.
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Sincerely Adolf
Production
With Westside Gunn, he chooses a significant style of production. The beat is rather super luxurious and soulful or the beat is extremely gritty. What makes it entertaining at points is that Westside Gunn always sounds gritty. I will say that there are only one or 2 beats that I wasn’t a fan of. I like the sampling and drum choices a lot. I love the jazzy flip on “Margiela Split Toes” and I love the 90s sounding beat right after with “Draymond”. What I will say is that the beats are very expected. A lot of the beats are the usual Westside Gunn beats as the drum breaks and samples could’ve been on a completely different project and I wouldn’t be surprised. It’s not a terrible thing really, it’s just predicted. I still love the production on this.
Features
In the 40 minutes this album runs for, every track has at least one feature. There are also multiple placements on this record too as Conway appears twice and Stove God Cooks appears 5 different times. Other than that, there are features from Mach Hommy, Boldy James, Benny The Butcher, Lil Wayne, and many more. With the Stove God Cooks features, it starts pretty well but his voice gets redundant quickly. On “Margiela Split Toes”, Mach Hommy delivers another amazing verse as his lyrical ability remains underrated. On “Bash Money”, we have another great feature from Lil Wayne as he doesn’t seem to miss in 2021. On “Spoonz”, we get an amazing tradeoff from Westside Gunn and Conway that we desperately needed to hear. What about the other features on this album? Well..they’re alright, Jadakiss had some good lines, Rome Streetz impressed me, Boldy James had a couple of good appearances as well. I’m not complaining about the features because even Westside Gunn knows that 40 minutes of him can be way too much.
Influences
For being my first Westside Gunn review, let me kind of give you his musical pedigree like you haven’t heard of him. The first person that comes to mind for him is Ghostface Killah. His production, his voice, and subject matter take a lot from Ghostface Killah. Other people like Mobb Deep and Kool G Rap come up as well due to his late 90s hip-hop-influenced style. It’s just kind of instinct.
Appeal
If you haven’t gotten the list by now, Westside Gunn’s whole aesthetic and appeal is a lot like the New York rappers from the late 90s. Rappers like Jay Z, Raekwon, Nas, Big Pun, and Kool G Rap are a blueprint for Westside Gunn. Alongside his Griselda label mates, he is reviving the style of Mafioso Rap. Taking influences from his upbringings with old Gangster Films and blending them to make something cinematic. I will say that he previously has aced this, and he aces it again. He’s kind of like the Tommy DeVito of Griselda.
Cons
A lot of what makes Westside Gunn’s projects weaker than they could is that it’s redundant. This is an easy gripe for me. The slow BPMs, the warped drum breaks and jazz samples happen over and over again. It also does help that Stove Good Cooks appears and five tracks. The 8th segment of the Hitler Wears Hermes series shows strong lyricism and production like usual, but it does stick near the midpoint of Westside Gunns catalog
Verdict
Honestly, this is for the Griselda enjoyers. I liked it a high-quality amount, but it’s far from a high-tier Griselda record. It’s very similar to the project Conway released this year, It’s good but nothing super special. It’s unfortunate because Westside Gunn is easily the most distinct on Griselda, but his project-making ability is not near someone like Benny The Butcher or Boldy James yet.
6/10
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Side B
Production
As I said in the first album, a lot of Westside Gunn’s production leans towards that old school Boom Bap sound. This album has taken the Flygods sound to the extreme. From the Mobb Deep inspired “Hell On Earth Pt 2” to the warped soul sample on “Munch”. We also get notable guest producers on here such as Madlib on “Richies” and The Alchemist on “Ostertag”. Daringer returns with “Best Dressed Demons” and “TV BOY” DJ Green Lantern also comes in on “99 Avirex”. I think one of my absolute favorite beats on this thing has to be the beat for “Celine Dion”, the second one that is. That beat right there is everything I love about Griselda’s production. It’s surreal, it’s vintage and it’s dark. This album has some of the best beats on any Griselda record…that’s saying so much.
Features
Compared to the original, this feature list is way more varied. The first real track is the Griselda posse cut and I’m glad to hear it. All 3 members rip this beat like it’s a cardboard box. It’s just the mixture of Flygods attitude, Bennys aggression, and Conway’s wordplay is just awesome. The track right after, “Free Kutter” has a guest appearance from Jay Electronica as he comes in with his usual abstract flow and thought process like bars and it works well with Westside Gunn’s schtick surprisingly well. On “Forest Lawn” we get features from trap legend 2 Chainz as well as Griselda labelmate, Armani Caeser. Over this slowtempoed beat, both features go with this trap flow that makes Westside Gunn’s flow stand out. On “99 Avirex”, New York legend AZ appears and does his job, and the track right after has none other than Tyler The Creator. I will say that Tyler’s feature is REALLY good. His flows, wordplay, and delivery all work perfectly with Westside Gunn’s persona. Other than that, we get the usual features from Stove God Cooks, Rome Streetz, and Mach Hommy as well. I will say, that every feature nearly kills it and that is saying a lot because once again, nearly every track has a feature.
Comparison to the Part 1
Well, let’s start by saying that this project is 20 minutes longer. I will also say that this project is way less luxurious. A lot of the luxury that surrounds Flygods sound is replaced by something artsier. Also, I’m glad to say that there is fewer Stove God Cooks features on this one. Despite all of those facts, there is one particular thing that I need to tell you….this record is better.
Album Comparison
This album honestly reminds me of one particular album. From the experimental production spots, the hardcore posse cuts and lengthy trackless. It reminds me of one particular album from his common comparison….Supreme Clientele by Ghostface Killah. Something about its arranging and abstract nature makes me think of Supreme Clientele. Luckily, that album is one of my all-time favorites in the Wu-Tangrealm. It also doesn’t make me want to just go toward Supreme Clientele either, it honestly likes our generation’s Supreme Clientele.
Cons
There’s only one true gripe that I have with this album, it does come off a little long at points. I also think the singularity of Westside Gunns style brings it down a little but luckily the features play a heavy role. What I’m trying to say is that Even though it’s a B-side record, Westside Gunn might have made his best project yet.
Verdict
God dammit this album is so great. I’m so glad Westside Gunn came out with one of the best Griselda made projects. The lyricism is strong, the production is flames from front to back and the features are perfect. Overall, great album
8/10
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