When discussing the history of rap, it would be difficult to start without mentioning New York. The genre birthed in the Bronx quickly spread to other parts of the city, which would equally become rich with talent. Each borough touts an incredible list of artists who have left their mark on the culture. Yet over the past couple of years, New York’s signature sound has come from outside the Big Apple.
From the streets of Buffalo, Griselda slowly grew to become rap’s underground treasure. The trio — Westside Gunn, Benny the Butcher, and Conway the Machine — carved their own space by exploiting a void in rap. While many artists tout their toughness, no one does it quite like Griselda. Their fierce lyrical content and style cuts through on no-frills songs that rarely feature hooks.
Their 2019 collaborative album, WWCD, was well received and surprisingly got them a slot on The Tonight Show. The performance was a clash of cultures as the largely white audience gazed at Westside Gunn moving across the stage with a rolled-up ski-mask atop his head. This year Griselda has continued their push into the mainstream, and Westside Gunn has continued to do so with his latest album.
Last week, Westside Gunn released Pray for Paris, which was recorded in the French capital after he attended Paris Fashion Week in February. The project is filled with Westside detailing acts of violence and the intricacies of selling drugs, his unique sound reminiscent of 90s groups like Mobb Deep and Black Moon. He welcomes the role of the villain with hard-hitting lines that show no remorse. “Bullets made him drop 30 pounds, should’ve tucked his chain” he raps on “Versace.” “Everybody gotta go one day, but you goin’ sooner” he goes on to say. His habit of layering lyrics with ad-libs that feature him mimicking a flurry of gunshots amplifies the album’s gritty nature. And, Westside’s high-pitched voice only adds to the chaos and results in imagery and an experience that is difficult to imitate.
While Pray for Paris thrives in the horrific, Westside also gives his listeners a second theme. He is close friends with Off-White founder Virgil Abloh, who designed the album’s artwork. The cover art takes from Italian painter Caravaggio’s David with the Head of Goliath, except David dawns Westside’s signature chains. The album begins with “400 Million Plus Tax”, which is a recording of a da Vinci painting being sold for a record fee in 2017. Rappers centering their work around art and fashion often leads to underwhelming music that seeks to impress through aesthetic and not sound. Meanwhile, Westside presents them in a way that elevates the album.
Throughout Pray for Paris, Westside references his outside interests not out of desperation but conscious design. “Tell Virgil write brick on my brick”, he says in a crafty bar that links the streets with high brow culture. The album’s brilliance is achieved through his ability to connect where he has been with where he wants to go. He describes these dealings in an engaging way that avoids what I call “Jay-Z syndrome.” On projects like Magna Carta Holy Grail, Jay-Z approached art from a transactional place that ended up feeling more like a lecture than music. Meanwhile, Westside doesn’t use the references as teachable moments and doesn’t take himself too seriously.
Pray for Paris continues with Westside’s quest to be the grittiest rapper, but smooths the edges with detailed decadence. The most refreshing aspect of the album is that he makes the art and fashion world meet him on his level. From shootouts at the W Hotel to stomping someone out in exclusive Chanel sneakers, he always dictates the terms. Pray for Paris, if nothing presents Westside at his best blending the rugged and refined.
