Westside Gunn
WHO MADE THE SUNSHINE
It’s the third release of the year for the Griselda leader and he kept the best for last. His new effort is a perfect blend of him shining alone and him bringing an avenger-like team of talent. The beats are as hard hitting as the lyrics. We can thank The Alchemist, Darenger and many more for this all original sounding project (Westside assured that the album contains no sample). There are also enough features to satisfy evry generation of rap fanatic. « WHO MADE THE SUNSHINE » is a great entry point for new fans and a comfortable listen for his loyal fan base.
The Sun Shines
The artwork for the album will give you an accurate description of what to expect. Every bar on this album is raw and violent. We can once again hear AA Rashid on the spooky spoken intro about the creation of the sun and God’s role in it. After that we get to enjoy the Griselda members meet again on the very good « The Butcher and The Blade ». This song could of easily been on their collaborative effort « Wwcd » back in 2019.
On the fourth track, we find Boldy James and Jadakiss spitting laid back verses on the Alchemist produced « All Praises ». The only sweet thing on this Westside Gunn album might be the hook from Armani Caesar on «Liz Loves Luger », where she asks only for loyalty, not the other superficial stuff that most people will likely fall for. Somehow this feels refreshing on an LP mostly about selling dope and fashion trends.
After that track you get a grimy beat from Beat Butch & Daringer where a team of very aggressive veteran rappers (Slick Rick & Busta Rhymes) tear up silibales flawlessly. My personal favorite track on the album is « Frank Murphy ». We get a mix of the best up and coming rappers with the likes of Stove God Cooks, Flee Lord, Estee Nack & Elcamino. Then Smoke DZA brings his touch to it with cold bars like: « They say I’m underrated, who makes the ratings anyway? ». The 8 minute loop might get in your head, and that’s great. Everytime I listen to this song, I get a 2012 DJ Khaled mash up vibe (think « Welcome to my hood (Remix) » that just brings everything hot in the rap game together under one roof.
It’s clear that Westside has an ear for talent and it’s amazing to see him gather so much of it on a single song. Benny the Butcher, Conway the Machine and Armani Caesar bring their usual smart wordplay to close out the album and end a streak of 11 cold sounding songs.
If you have listened to previous Westside Gunn projects, you’ll be in familiar territory. Everything from the features, the beat selections and the aesthetics of the project is similar to what he has released before, but in a smaller package than 2016’s « Flygod » or 2018’s « Supreme Blientele » albums. For someone who is new to Gunn’s music, it’s a good starting point to understand the character and the universe in which he brings us into. The experience is bringing you in closer to a dope dealer lifestyle and gives little remorse for weekness. Almost every rapper and this album comes off confident and proud of the ghetto origins that brought them to the spotlight today.
The album doesn’t run long enough to get repetitive and almost every song stands out on its own. It makes the listening interesting from front to back and it gives it a good replay value until his next project comes out (which should come very soon at the rate he is releasing his music).
Overall, this album is a solid hip-hop project that contains everything great about the genre. We get old school instrumentals with lyrics so descriptive, you’ll think that you’re listening to a gangster movie soundtrack about selling crack. The features fit in perfectly with the Griselda universe that Gunn has created over the last years. It’s safe to say that Westside Gunn knows where he’s going and we just want to tag along for the ride.
That was my humble opinion, but what did you think about the album? Leave a comment bellow to let us know!
Best songs:
- All Praises (feat. Boldy James & Jadakiss)
- Frank Murphy (feat. Stove God Cooks, Flee Lord, Estee Nack, Elcamino & Smoke DZA)
- 98 Sabers (feat. Armani Caesar, Conway the Machine & Benny the Butcher)
