One of the more influential conductors within Hip-Hop of recent, Westside Gunn is probably someone I’ve listened to and just appreciated more so than review, however, with Wrestlemania 41 approaching, the timing couldn’t be more right to give my take on his latest release, 12.
Having broken ground (and ceiling) as part of the Griselda collective, his influence is visible throughout Hip-Hop and culture overall, an abstract artist, he’s able to construct projects that feel like audio Basquiat pieces, with raw textures, unconventional sounds and bringing unrefined talent like Stove God and Estee Nack to shine. With 12, you can expect that to highest degree, from the intro, a 50’s doo wop style singing “Who is the goat?”, going straight into the gritty Boswell, with it’s intense sample and his verse sat between Stove God and Nack, his distinct tone bridging the two’s abraded vocals. Track 2, the more sinister sounding Adam Page, proving he’s not lost a step nor looks to be doing so any time soon, complimented with it’s wavy hook. The beauty in his artistry is the next track, Veert, though a much more smooth and soulful sample, yet he’s able to orchestrate a just as menacing display, a theme continued with 055, Stove God further cementing his presence before West delivers another classic-sounding verse. He’s known to have an ear for production, but the sequencing is more proof of his attention to detail, introducing Brother Tom Sos on the more lo-fi Health Science and the contrasting Gumbo Yaya. Tracks like East Miami and the aptly titled Bury Me With A Stove, display Gunn’s ability to draw on the most unconventional canvases, with Estee Nack returning to revel. The rap game’s Sid Vicious continues to powerbomb on (another fan favourite) Outlander, a solo effort that emphasises his standing and position in the game today, before closing out on the Conductor produced Dump Out, another glimpse of Stove God Cooks’ unique flows and lyricism, before delivering an introspective and impactful verse of his own, honouring the incarcerated Donald ‘Sly’ Green, further dedicating the project with it’s documented outro. Including the cover art, the organic picture outside of Carbone’s in the big fur with the fitted, yet another solid effort from the Buffalo legend as he proceeds to dominate a field that he’s responsible for establishing.
Having carved a lane to now dictating the scene, Westside Gunn has continued to not only bring the art of hip-hop to the forefront, but elevate it’s authenticity through the mediums of music, fashion and now his Fourth Rope wrestling imprint (including the “the fly weight” python, gold and diamond encrusted championship belt), an impact that can be continuously seen today in various cultural facets from the music industry to high-end runways and even WWE broadcasts.
ONE Fáris 