Independent hip-hop label Griselda Records has held a major stake in the underground throughout the last decade. Known for raw street tales spat over simultaneously grimy and luxurious productions, Griselda’s impressive roster of signees have all contributed to a musical and cultural zeitgeist under the de facto leadership of Westside Gunn (WSG).
The Flygod’s quirky, high-pitched voice and adlibs reminiscent of firearms combine with references to museums, galleries and designer clothing to create a unique aesthetic. A self-proclaimed curator, WSG has always presented his work as high art — which is why I was perplexed by the sloppy nature of some of the material on his supposed last full-length LP “And Then You Pray For Me.”
It’s really two projects in one, blending Griselda’s classic boom-bap production with straightforward trap beats, a departure from their typical sound. While I respect WSG for pushing the envelope and attempting to evolve, many of the trap instrumentals and the rapping accompanying them are subpar at best, making for a decent album that grossly lacks cohesion.
High-quality and quintessentially Griselda sonic landscapes fill much of the project. “Mamas PrimeTime” presents a cold and grimy instrumental that is difficult not to make a stank face to. WSG slides in masterfully with his classic street fare — “AllSaint leathers on my feet, need a extra arm / Cocaine mega loss, bag in the Venetta stores.” His one-of-a-kind character and charisma come through wonderfully. Atlanta’s own JID floats on the beat with his sweet, soft voice, providing one of my favorite lines on the album — “Clip long as well, when it block, it look like Clint Capela.”
JID kicks off a trend of quality guest features heard across the runtime. Griselda’s Stove God Cooks features on several tracks, most notably the elegant “Kitchen Lights.” Contributions from Denzel Curry and Boldy James are standout moments as well. Some, though, were missed opportunities — British rapper Giggs delivered a boring and lazy verse on “Disgusting,” and Jeezy’s appearance on “MR EVERYTHING” was entirely forgettable.
The strongest feature was undoubtedly Rome Streetz on “The Revenge of Flips Leg,” making it my favorite track. The New York wordsmith brings his signature flow to a nasty piano loop courtesy of producer Conductor Williams. WSG follows him and spits about his penchant for both fashion and selling drugs — “Celine bag, coke Makaveli / Hit the stove straight to plate, make sure the top’s Kelly” — and references notable Buffalo residents Donald Green and Eastside Flip — “Last night I had a dream sly was out the feds / And Flip hit the lotto and bought a new leg.”
Unfortunately, much of this great music is bogged down by the average trap that surrounds it. “JD Wrist” is a prime example. Its dull, uncomplicated beat is representative of several songs on the album, and WSG uses a slow flow that simply doesn’t work. Unable to find any pockets or settle into a nice rhythm, he sounds unfocused and sluggish.
Everything producer Miguel the Plug touches is disappointing. “DunnHill” and “LL BOOL GUNN” sound careless and uninspired, almost as if he cooked them up in just a few minutes. Again, WSG’s bars sound unenthusiastic and are truthfully hard to get through. I’m not completely against using these trap sounds, but I can’t dismiss their inferior quality. I feel that Miguel let us down, and I would’ve preferred to see a more seasoned veteran handle the trap production.
I admire WSG’s experimentation and desire to switch things up — his venture into trap even works surprisingly well on certain cuts like “Kostas” — but these efforts mostly fall flat. Even though “And Then You Pray For Me” is a mixed bag, I do think the good outweighs the bad. What could be Westside Gunn’s last studio album is an overall solid release. I look forward to seeing what he does artistically in the future, whether that be making shorter EPs, assisting other rappers or exploring an entirely new creative avenue.
