Since 2005, he has released five studio albums, in addition to a wide catalog of mixtapes and extended plays. Gunn was affiliated with Shady Records from 2017 to 2020, but has since returned to independent work.
Early life
Gunn was born on July 27, 1982, in the impoverished East Side, Buffalo, New York.[2] His parental half-brother is Conway the Machine and his younger cousin is Benny the Butcher; both would go on to join him in hip-hop.[3] He moved frequently during his childhood, including to the richer west end of Buffalo.[2] He showed interest in fashion as a child and, according to his marketer Derrick Jackson, wore gold chains in elementary school.[2] He also created comic books with his friends while in elementary.[4]
Music career
2005–2016: early career and founding Griselda Records
Besides a mixtape in 2005, Gunn did not release his own music until 2012, instead managing Conway. In 2012, when Conway was involved in a shooting which disfigured his face, Gunn began releasing music, beginning with Hitler Wears Hermes. A play on The Devil Wears Prada,[5] it spawned a mixtape series noted for its controversy over its reference to Adolf Hitler.[2]
Shortly after signing with Shady Records, Gunn released Flygod Is Good... All the Time, as a collaborative EP with producer Mr. Green.[9] In 2018, Gunn released Supreme Blientele.[10] He also signed with Roc Nation alongside label mate Benny the Butcher on August 6, 2019, under a management deal.[11]
On April 17, 2020, Gunn released his third studio album, Pray for Paris. The album features Tyler, the Creator, Wale, Joey Badass and Freddie Gibbs, among others.[12] On July 3, 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.[13]
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.[14]
In 2021, Gunn starred in the film Conflicted, alongside Benny the Butcher, Michael Rapaport, and J. Holiday.[15] Also in 2021, he released two songs titled "TV Boy" and "Julia Lang"; the latter was titled after fashion entrepreneur Julia Lang.[16] Both songs would eventually be included in his mixtape Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Side B, released later that year. In 2022, Westside Gunn stated on Twitter that he would be retiring from hip-hop at the end of 2023, stating he 'had nothing else to prove'.[17]
On October 13, 2023, Westside Gunn released his fifth studio album And Then You Pray For Me. The album is a sequel to Pray for Paris, with both album's covers created by fashion designer Virgil Abloh. Gunn stated that it was his last album, and that he would continue releasing music.[18]
In 2024, Gunn created 4th Rope, which was a wrestling promotion combined with his Heels Have Eyes concert tour, for his mixtape Still Praying, which released in 2024.[19]
On January 24, 2025, he announced his involvement in a new hardcore punk band called Dissension and posted a preview of a new song "Black Hole".[20] On April 18, he released Heels Have Eyes. It contained the song "Egypt", which was later remixed to feature Doechii.[21]
Fashion career
In 2012, Gunn founded Fashion Rebels, his clothing brand.[3] He has sat in the front row at New York Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week, and owns clothes from Comme des Garçons and Dapper Dan's collaboration with Gucci. He was a frequent collaborator with the late Virgil Abloh, with Abloh designing some of Gunn's album covers.[4]
In 2025, he debuted a pair of shoes with Saucony.[22]
Artistry
Gunn is noted for his sample-heavy choices for production, which often incorporates phonographic sampling to create a "lo-fi feel", as described by Greek hip-hop artist Stereo Mike. Vocally, he 'close mikes', which better captures his voice.[23] He juxtaposes his lyrics about crime with high art and fashion.[24]
Personal life
Gunn is a devoted fan of wrestling, with him saying he attends SummerSlam and WrestleMania annually.[25]
Gunn owns about a $1,000,000 collection of drawings, paintings and toys; between 50 and 100 paintings in his collection were created solely for him.[4] In 2017, he formed a business relationship with painter Isaac Pelayo after offering to purchase a painting of his, with Pelayo going on to create album covers for Gunn and Griselda rapper Armani Caesar.[28]
"Lost Forever": "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 7 August 2023". The ARIA Report. No.1744. Australian Recording Industry Association. August 7, 2023. pp.3–4.
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