All year I've gotten requests to review new albums from Griselda records big three artists Benny the Butcher, Conway The Machine and Westside Gunn. Given the heads that the trio have turned in 2020 I didn't want to let the year slip away without talking about their projects. The difference between these projects can often be slight aside from which MC is taking point, they are all reminiscent of classic hip hop, they all dive into personal history of street life and they all feature Freddie Gibbs. But there's a surprising amount of variance between the Mc's styles that made some of the records far more enjoyable than others.
Westside Gunn - Pray For Paris
This is the one Griselda record from this year that I'm already seeing pop up on year end lists from major outlets so I thought I would take it on first. It's easy to see why the record has stuck with people so much since it's release all the way back in April starting with the fantastic instrumentals. A set of producers including some significant underground names show up to provide one old school style instrumental after another with stark beat crafting and great sampling. On top of these beats Westside Gunn and a number of excellent guests from Joey Bada$$ to Freddie Gibbs to Tyler the Creator and the rest of the Griselda crew show up to deliver some pretty satisfying performances. The only major issue I have with the record is that sometimes when Westside Gunn leans into the more unique parts of his vocals and performance style it doesn't go over perfectly. A few tracks on the record are more awkward than their worth and the albums runtime as a whole feels extended by many tracks ending with seemingly unrelated samples that are meant to push the records gangster image. Overall I think the record is pretty good and has some major highlights across it's tracklist that justify it's critical acclaim, but some moments I could do without. 7/10
Conway The Machine - From King To A GOD
Conway was the Griselda member that had impressed me the most having heard these guys a lot on features and on some of their mixtapes over the past few years so I wanted to take on this record next. Compared to the other records here Conway aims for a grandeur beyond the street hustling bars of his contemporaries. Both in the often grand and bombastic sound of these instrumentals and the braggadocio that works its way into nearly every verse he delivers Conway is clearly shooting for a significant statement of purpose and stature. The problem that presents itself here however is that some of these songs and instrumentals far very short of that promise. Conway is a fundamentally sound performer but verses and particularly hooks on the record have a tendency to be low impact despite their big promises. Make no mistake I think this is a good album with quality features and a number of great tracks but compared to the rest of the crews catalogue it seems to promise a lot more than it can deliver. 6/10
Benny The Butcher - Burden Of Proof
This record was the wild card for me going into all these albums since I have heard Benny's name much more in the last two months in relation to him being shot in the leg than I have over the music he's actually released. I was wondering why this record hadn't received quite the same publicity the other two studio releases did in 2020 before I listened to the album but after hearing the music it makes even less sense. While Benny has a relatively tame personality compared to Westside and Conway he is fundamentally sound across this entire record front to back. The beats here run the gambit between classic hard-hitting beat crafting and more smooth and modern styles of the 2000's with ease and Benny handles it all. While somebody with as unique a character was Westside may have a higher ceiling I have to admit finding complaints about Burden Of Proof is tough. Lyrically Benny is sharp and while he may dabble in comfortable subject matter for rappers he does it with an often personal edge. While I think the record is derivative of all kinds of different hip hop history it feels more like a tribute from a true student of the game rather than biting to make up for a lack of ideas. If Benny could come up with one or two truly incredible standout songs on a record this this consistent of a bassline he could have something truly special on his hands. 7.5/10
Westside Gunn - Who Made The Sunshine
I'm actually kind of glad that I decided at the last minute to include this record and get all the studio material Griselda released this year but not for the reason you might think. While my reviews of the first three records I talked about may tend to run a bit similar because the records have a LOT of similarities, Who Made The Sunshine takes some pretty bold stylistic and artistic risks, almost none of which pay off. That makes the record an often difficult listen with beats that are often incredibly awkward and a number of poorly interpolated features. While a number of people still show up and clearly give it their all on the record specifically Slick Rick who drops two killer verses on the project this record has some of the worst hooks, instrumentals and vocal performances of any Griselda stuff I've ever heard. Honestly it does still have some bassline of talent that prevents it from being an actual disaster and the roster of producers and features involved makes sure the record isn't arduous or a complete waste but it certainly doesn't hold up to any of the others. 5/10
