Griselda Records, 2020
The Griselda take-over is well underway. For those who are unaware, the Buffalo rap trio consisting of brothers Westside Gunn and Conway the Machine, and their cousin, Benny the Butcher, released their first album as a group titled WWCD, in November, 2019. All three members have had promising solo careers as some of the grimiest rappers in the game throughout the past several years, so when the three heavyweights came together under the name Griselda, even more attention was paid. The album was released under Eminem’s Shady Records and included guest verses from Em himself, as well as Raekwon and 50 Cent. It was a generally well-received album and also served as many listeners' introduction to them, also leading to them receiving praise for their movement and sound from the likes of Drake and JAY Z late last year. However, their sound is the polar opposite of today's mainstream hip-hop; no melodic flows, no complex production with 808s and hi-hats.. just straight bars with an old-school sound.
For those who are unfamiliar, here's a great example of their lethal sound and abilities:
Fast-forward to April, 2020 and Westside Gunn is preparing to release a heavily anticipated solo album, titled Pray for Paris. For some, this is the introduction to Westside and for others, this is just another Westside release, except this time, with mainstream attention. The project was inspired by the 37-year-old Buffalo native’s first time ever leaving the United States; when he travelled to France last year to attend Paris Fashion Week. The event lead to him sitting next to the Migos at runway shows, as well as linking with Virgil Abloh, who insisted he be responsible for the project’s album art upon hearing about its existence. Rapping about his journey from his upbringing on the streets of Buffalo and his participation in the drug game to his luxurious lifestyle being lived out now, we, as listeners, are taken on a musical journey to experience the lavish and exquisite persona that is Paris. In a time when the world as we know it has stopped due to the current global pandemic, Westside Gunn takes us on a ride to experience all that Paris has to offer through his music.
The album begins with a skit titled “400 Million Plus Tax,” which is taken from the auction of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundi” painting in 2017, which sold for a whopping $450.3 million and set the record for the most expensive painting ever sold in an auction. This short skit which serves as the album’s intro, perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the album and lets it be known that fine art and luxury in its highest forms are what acted as inspiration for this album. Welcome.
On the second track, we hear Westside Gunn’s distinctive, high-pitched voice for the first time as he formally welcomes us to the project with a simple “bonjour.” Of course, only after he lets off his signature ad-lib of a gun being fired: “BRRRRRR.” While this project is inspired by luxury, a Westside Gunn album is not complete without bars riddled with drug dealing and threats. Bars like “I’ll blow your brains out in broad day light” instantly remind us right off the bat that Westside Gunn is still a savage, both on and off the mic.
The third track, “George Bondo,” is a Griselda cut that features both Benny the Butcher and Conway the Machine, where all three rappers deliver raw bars about drug dealing and the street life. It seems as though the placement of a track by the group was purposefully placed near the beginning, both to welcome unfamiliar listeners to the other two members and to show that regardless of luxury, these are Westside Gunn’s roots. Conway raps “my shooter don’t speak, but you can tell that he dangerous” and that's easy to believe by the way it's delivered. If you need more convincing, his slanted mouth by which it's rapped from, is not something he does on purpose; he was shot in the back of the head, leaving the bottom half of his face paralyzed. Westside raps “you ever sold a hundred, then spent it all in the same weekend? / Razors leave your face leakin’,” showing us the contrast between his life as a rapper and a gangster in the same bar. Perhaps nothing speaks more to the rise of Griselda than Conway when he raps “my life is definitely changin’ / Roc Nation brunch, I’m with an R&B singer gettin’ better acquainted.” They've recently gained a lot of well-deserved attention and the group is letting us know that they are aware they're taking over.
The song that follows is also a collaboration with two other artists, but this time it's a star-studded and unlikely trio, as Westside taps Joey Bada$$ and Tyler, The Creator to each deliver a guest verse. The song is titled "327," named after the unreleased New Balance sneaker that Westside was seen rocking at Paris Fashion Week; another testament to wealth and luxury. Regardless of if you're an old fan or a new fan, I think it's fair to say that this is the biggest stand-out of the album. While it's an unlikely trio, they bring the best out of each other and all of their rapping abilities are put on display. Billie Esco takes care of the hook; “I swear Paris will be prayed for / Unreleased Off-White to the ankles / I’m in them places that you can’t go.” Joey comes thru with an unforgettable verse about his luxurious lifestyle and quotables such as “I went to school high, forgot to pick up my diploma." Tyler reassures that he can still rap just as well as ever and reminds us that he'll forever be himself, when he tells us that the glitter on his neck matches the glitter on his fingernails. Westside brings another angle to the lavish lifestyle riddled throughout the project when he touches on his designer fashion being used as protection; “my 327’s was blessings, leather Vuitton vests / Keep a loaded firearm in Mercedes armrests.” Yes, these are luxurious items, but they serve a higher purpose for Westside.
On “French Toast,” Westside teams up with Wale for the closest thing to a hit we’ve ever heard him attempt. He repeatedly confesses his love for a French woman on the hook; “I’m out here in Paris, just crushin’ on you” with soulful backup vocals from Joyce Wrice. He wants to “hold hands by the Louvre” and insists they “can laugh over French toast," but also acknowledges that "y’all don’t call it French toast.” While Wale’s verse is ultimately rather predictable, it still suits the song and the collaboration works, serving as the most fun song on the album.
What most have seemed to dub as the weakest point of the project is when Westside is responsible for delivering the hook on the second Griselda song, “Allah Sent Me” and he does so by practically singing, or at least trying to. The verse is all three members going back and forth. With bars like Conway’s “we the last of the hard rappers / Feds ain’t work, but found the garbage full of soft rappers” and Benny’s “y’all keep the accolades / I’ll take the stacks, Maybachs and things,” it’s clear that their passion remains in delivering raw, uncut bars like these. These bars, along with Westside’s signing speak to them paving their own way with their own, distinct sound that differs from the mainstream of today, and not compromising in order to make hit records. For anyone new to Westside’s music, WWE references are practically a staple throughout his discography. This song ends with a skit taken from former WWE wrestler Ted “Million Dollar Man” DiBiase talking about creating a million-dollar championship belt, and ends with him exclaiming “everybody knows when the Million Dollar Man wants something, he gets it the way he wants it. I always get what I want.” It’s clear that Westside is comparing himself to the “Million Dollar Man,” as they share similar mindsets when it comes to money; it can get them whatever they want. In this case, it’s a million-dollar championship belt for the “Million Dollar Man” and it’s luxurious items for Westside.
“Claiborne Kick," a collaboration between Westside and Detroit rapper Boldy James, is another song whose name is inspired by a wrestling reference. This time, “hit the brick with a Claymore kick, rock a Liz Claiborne” depicts breaking up a brick of cocaine like one of wrestler Drew McIntyre’s signature kicks. Comparisons like these are all over the project, reflected in both song titles and lyrics, which help add to his musical creativity.
Production credits on this album come from all over the map, as we even hear Westside rap over production by internet comedian, Jay Versace. However, the beat is no joke and is rather quite beautiful, allowing for Westside to deliver threatening bars such as “everybody gotta go one day, but you goin’ sooner." Somehow the beat allows it to come across as more of a sophisticated threat than it sounds.
The DJ Premier produced track, “Shawn vs. Flair,” named after the wrestling match between Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair in Wrestlemania XXIV, finds Westside yet again flaunting designer names; “the Murakami collector, the Geigers on the Hebrus / Banana, the Mona Lisa on the Off-White sneaker.” It begins with a sample from Mobb Deep’s “Eye for an Eye”; “another war story from a thirsty young hustler” is chopped up by DJ Premier. The chorus finds Westside asking if “you ever ate burgers on a Wednesday? You ever ate chicken on a Thursday?” This is a reference to the time Westside has served in jail, where these were the scheduled meals.
The outro, “LE Djoliba,” perfectly sums up the themes of the album and ties everything together into a complete ending. The track is named after a West African restaurant in Paris and finds Westside rapping with an extremely delayed flow. His verse ends with; “had a n**** tap dancin’ on the blow,” which is then followed by a tap dance solo by Cartier Williams. In this case, it's used as a metaphor for lacing cocaine. This is the perfect ending that successfully ties together the drugs and the street life with luxury.
Overall, the album's theme is consistent throughout and Westside shines as the grimy rapper that he's known to be. This time, he brought along a more diverse group of guests and producers, and they all contribute in a great manner to successfully tell a story. It seems as though with this release, Westside Gunn has successfully garnered mainstream attention, without straying away from his signature sound that so many have come to love him for. Not even a little bit.
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