Westside Gunn | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Alvin Lamar Worthy |
Also known as |
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Born | Buffalo, New York, U.S. | July 27, 1982
Genres | East Coast hip hop |
Occupation(s) |
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Years active |
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Alvin Lamar Worthy (born July 27, 1982), known professionally as Westside Gunn, is an American rapper. He is a co-founder of independent hip-hop label Griselda Records. He is the paternal half-brother of rapper Conway the Machine [1] and cousin of rapper Benny the Butcher, both of whom he frequently collaborates with. Westside Gunn has released five studio albums in addition to an extensive catalog of mixtapes. Gunn was affiliated with Shady Records from 2017 to 2020, but has since returned to independent status.
Westside Gunn released his first mixtape in 2005, however his career was derailed by run-ins with the law. Gunn did not release any music from 2006 to 2011. [2]
In 2012, Westside Gunn co-founded the Griselda Records label with Conway the Machine and Mach-Hommy. [3] Gunn was inspired to revitalize his career by the shooting of his brother Conway that same year, which left him with permanent disabilities, as well as by the 2006 murder of his cousin Machine Gun Black. Gunn's first project for Griselda was the mixtape Hitler Wears Hermes. While the name attracted controversy for its reference to Adolf Hitler, Gunn explained that the name is a play on The Devil Wears Prada . [2]
Over the next few years, Gunn released a steady stream of mixtapes and EPs, including multiple sequels to Hitler Wears Hermes, on the Griselda label. Gunn's official studio album debut was Flygod, released on March 11, 2016.
On March 3, 2017, Griselda Records signed a deal with Eminem's Shady Records, making Westside Gunn and Conway the first rappers from Buffalo to sign with a major label. [3] After signing with Shady, Gunn played at Coachella, Firefly and Governors Ball. [4] On October 2, 2020, Westside Gunn released his Shady Records debut, Who Made the Sunshine , his only solo project with Shady Records.
Shortly after signing with Shady Records, Westside released Flygod Is Good... All the Time, as a collaborative EP with producer Mr. Green. [5] Ambrosia For Heads named 2018's Supreme Blientele one of the best albums of 2018. [6] He also signed with Roc Nation alongside label mate Benny the Butcher on August 6, 2019, under a management deal. [7]
On April 17, 2020, he released his third studio album, Pray for Paris . The album has features from artists such as Tyler, the Creator, Wale, Joey Badass and Freddie Gibbs. [8] On July 3, 2020, Westside Gunn released his tenth mixtape Flygod Is an Awesome God II, the sequel to his July 2019 mixtape Flygod Is an Awesome God. The album features guest appearances by frequent collaborators Benny The Butcher, Keisha Plum, Boldy James, and Daringer. [9]
On November 14, 2020, in an interview with Joe Budden, Gunn announced he had fulfilled his contractual obligations to Shady Records and had become an independent artist. [10]
In 2021, he released two songs titled "TV Boy" and "Julia Lang". The track "Julia Lang" was titled after fashion entrepreneur Julia Lang. [11]
In 2022, Westside Gunn posted on Twitter (now called X) that he would be retiring form rap music at the end of 2023. Stating that he has nothing left to prove. On Twitter he stated “23’ def my last year doing this shit, I don’t have nothing else 2prove, I put my team on, I put my city on, I worked w/everybody I ever wanted to work with, plus MFs still don’t even understand 1-10, FLYGOD, Awesome GOD, or Pray for Paris (mind u Virgil did the cover),”. [12] He considers himself as the greatest of all time.
On October 13th, 2023, Westside Gunn released his final studio album "And Then You Pray For Me" with features from AA Rashid, JID, Conway The Machine, Benny The Butcher, Stove God Cooks, Rick Ross, Giggs, Ty Dolla Sign, Keisha Plum, Denzel Curry, Boldy James, EST Gee, Jeezy, Peezy, Rome Streetz, and KayCyy. This album was a sequel to the first studio album "Pray For Paris" with both album covers being created by his late friend and past Luis Vutton creative director "Virgil Abloh" Westside Gunn also says he might later on drop a 5-song EP in his future. [13]
Gunn has stated within various interviews that he's a "devout wrestling fan" and often references this within his song lyrics and song titles. He often can be seen in the front-row seats of the audience of Impact Wrestling, Major League Wrestling, WWE and All Elite Wrestling events. He maintains friendships with wrestlers Parker Boudreaux, Lio Rush, Finn Bálor, Bianca Belair, Montez Ford, Montel Vontavious Porter, Sonjay Dutt, Daniel Garcia, and Myron Reed. When asked who were his top 5 wrestlers on fellow rapper Smoke DZA's "Personal Podcast", he stated "It always changes but Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Bret Hart, The Undertaker and Chris Benoit". [14] On the September 7, 2022 edition of AEW Dynamite , Gunn escorted wrestler, close friend and fellow Buffalo native Daniel Garcia to the ring to face Wheeler Yuta in an ROH Pure Championship match, which Garcia won. [15]
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [16] | US R&B/HH [17] | US Ind. [18] | AUS [19] | CAN [20] | ||
Flygod |
| — | — | — | — | — |
Supreme Blientele | — | — | 26 | — | — | |
Pray for Paris |
| 67 | 39 | 8 | — | — |
Who Made the Sunshine |
| — | — | — | — | — |
And Then You Pray for Me |
| 29 | 8 | 6 | 81 | 95 |
Title | Mixtape details | Peak chart positions | |
---|---|---|---|
US [16] | US Ind. [24] | ||
Hitler Wears Hermes | — | — | |
Hitler Wears Hermes 2 |
| — | — |
Hitler Wears Hermes 3 |
| — | — |
Hitler Wears Hermes 4 |
| — | — |
Hitler Wears Hermes 5 |
| — | — |
Hitler Wears Hermes 6 |
| — | — |
Flygod is an Awesome God |
| — | 17 |
Hitler Wears Hermes 7 |
| — | 47 |
Flyest Nig@@ in Charge, Vol. 1 |
| — | — |
Flygod is an Awesome God 2 |
| — | — |
Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Sincerely Adolf | — | 34 | |
Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Side B |
| 196 | 34 |
Peace "Fly" God |
| — | — |
10 |
| 183 | 29 |
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [31] | US R&B/HH [32] | US Rap [33] | AUS [34] | CAN [35] | WW [36] | |||
"Keep My Spirit Alive" (Kanye West featuring Conway the Machine and Westside Gunn) | 2021 | 59 | 28 | 23 | 41 | 51 | 51 | Donda |
"Lost Forever" (Travis Scott featuring Westside Gunn) | 2023 | 46 | 22 | 20 | 71 | 39 | 47 | Utopia |
As lead artist | ||||
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Year | Album | Title | Director | Featured artist |
2015 | Flygod | Mr. T | One Dream Films | |
2016 | There's God and There's Flygod, Praise Both | Peter Luger | ||
Hitler Wears Hermes 4 | Summerslam 88 | n/c | ||
Flygod | Over Gold | One Dream Films | Meyhem Lauren | |
2020 | Pray For Paris | Euro Step | The Wizard | |
Allah Sent Me | Benny The Butcher, Conway The Machine | |||
2021 | WHO MADE THE SUNSHINE | Liz Loves Luger | Chariot Pictures | Armani Caesar |
Hitler Wears Hermes 8 | Julia Lang | Revenxnt | ||
2022 | 10 | FlyGod Jr | The Daily Gems | Doe Boy, DJ Drama |
Mac Don't Stop & Nigo Louis | n/c | |||
Peppas | The Daily Gems | Black Star | ||
2023 | Super Kick Party | |||
BDP | Rome Streetz, Stove God Cooks |
As featured artist | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Artist | Title | Director | Other featured artists |
2016 | Conway the Machine | Rex Ryan | Mobile Kitchen Sound | Roc Marciano |
2019 | DJ Premier | Headlines | Jason Goldwatch | Conway The Machine, Benny the Butcher |
2020 | RMR | Welfare | Cameron Dean | |
2021 | Mach-Hommy | Folie à Deux | The Daily Gems | Keisha Plum |
Brady Watt | The Narcissist | Jim Warren & Alexandra Derderian | DJ Premier | |
2022 | Conway The Machine | John Woo Flick | Langston Sessoms | Benny the Butcher |
Meyhem Lauren | Trigger Point Therapy | n/c | ||
2023 | Talib Kweli & Madlib | Richies Part Two | Unjust | Roc Marciano |
DJ Premier | Runway | DJ Premier | Rome Streetz |
Shady Records is an American record label founded by rapper Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg in 1999, following the commercially successful release of The Slim Shady LP that same year.
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Anthony Tremaine Dixson, known professionally as Westside Boogie, is an American rapper. His debut mixtape, Thirst 48, was released on June 24, 2014, followed by his second, The Reach a year later. He signed a recording contract with Interscope Records in 2015, which entered a joint venture with Eminem's Shady Records two years later. His debut studio album, Everythings for Sale, was released on January 25, 2019. His second album, More Black Superheroes was released on June 17, 2022.
Demond Price, known professionally as Conway the Machine, or simply Conway, is an American rapper. Alongside his paternal half-brother, Westside Gunn, and cousin, Benny the Butcher, Conway was a member of Griselda Records. On February 21, 2022, Conway announced his departure from Griselda Records.
Jeremie Damon Pennick, known professionally as Benny the Butcher, or simply Benny, is an American rapper and songwriter. He came to prominence in 2018 following the release of his debut album, Tana Talk 3. Along with his cousins and fellow rappers Westside Gunn and Conway The Machine, with which he forms the collective Griselda, he is known for his '90s inspired rap songs and is often credited with leading a revival of so called 'grimy' and 'gritty' hip hop music, influenced by mafioso and drug dealing themes.
WWCD is the debut studio album by American hip hop group, Griselda. It was released on November 29, 2019, by Griselda, Shady, and Interscope.
Griselda Records is an American hip hop independent record label based in Buffalo, New York. It was founded by rapper Westside Gunn, his brother Conway the Machine, and Mach-Hommy in 2012. In addition to the founding members, Benny the Butcher and in-house producer Daringer make up the flagship artists of the Griselda Records roster.
From King to a God is the debut solo studio album by American rapper Conway the Machine. It was released on September 11, 2020, by Griselda Records, Drumwork and Empire Distribution. Production was handled by eleven record producers: Beat Butcha, Daringer, Alchemist, DJ Premier, Erick Sermon, Havoc, Hit-Boy, Khrysis, Murda Beatz, Rockwilder and Signalflow Music. It features guest appearances from Armani Caesar, Benny the Butcher, Dej Loaf, El Camino, Flee Lord, Freddie Gibbs, Havoc, Lloyd Banks, Method Man and Westside Gunn. A deluxe version was released on December 18, 2020.
Who Made the Sunshine is the fourth studio album by American rapper Westside Gunn. When it was originally scheduled to be released on August 28, 2020, it was postponed following the death of Griselda Records collaborator DJ Shay from COVID-19. It was finally released on October 2, 2020, through Griselda, Shady, and Interscope.
"Keep My Spirit Alive" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his tenth studio album, Donda (2021). The song features vocals from fellow American rappers Conway the Machine and Westside Gunn and originally featured additional vocals from KayCyy.
God Don't Make Mistakes is the second studio album by American rapper Conway the Machine. It was released through Drumwork, Griselda, Shady, and Interscope on February 25, 2022. The album was preceded by two singles, "Piano Love" and "John Woo Flick". It features guest appearances from Beanie Sigel, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, 7xvethegenius, Jae Skeese, T.I., Novel, Benny the Butcher, Westside Gunn, Wallo267, Jill Scott, and Keisha Plum.
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Mach-Hommy is a Haitian American rapper and record producer. He is well-known for his reclusive nature, concealing his real name and face in all public appearances. This behavior has led him to be described as "one of hip-hop's most elusive artists".
"Bang" is a song by American rappers Conway the Machine and Eminem. It was released on July 19, 2019 through Shady Records as a non-album single despite being originally made for Conway's second studio album God Don't Make Mistakes. Production was handled by Beat Butcha and Daringer with Eminem and Luis Resto serving as additional producers. Its remix featuring Benny the Butcher and Westside Gunn appeared on Griselda's WWCD album.
And Then You Pray for Me is the fifth and final studio album by American rapper Westside Gunn, released on October 13, 2023 by Griselda Records and Empire. The album is a sequel to Gunn's 2020 album Pray for Paris.
Won't He Do It is the third studio album by American rapper Conway the Machine. It was released through Drumwork Music Group and Empire Distribution on May 5, 2023. The album was preceded by four singles, "Super Bowl", "Brucifix", "Quarters" and "The Chosen". It features notable guest appearances by Benny the Butcher, Dave East, Fabolous, Jozzy, Juicy J and Sauce Walka. It is his first studio album since his official departure from Shady Records and Griselda Records. Critics have characterized Won't He Do It as a highlight in Conway's catalog.