Appreciating Griselda’s Rise

By: AcE The Legynd

When you think of rap music today you may think of trap style beats, melodies, and sociopathic diss songs disrespecting the dead associates from one artist to another… but what about the rap though? When I fell in love with rap, I fell in love with people of all walks of life stepping up to a microphone with a point to prove. The artistic aspect of somebody taking you through the scenes of their lives, through the far corners of their minds just by talking. While the “glory days” of hardcore rap is far behind us and the natural progression of commercialization has taken place, one has to wonder what the hardcore rap style of the 90’s would look like today and how would it fare? Enter Griselda, the purest representation of the essence of rap today. This Buffalo trio, consisting of Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine, and Benny the Butcher has pioneered a path unlike any other.

Aesthetically and sonically Griselda can be jarring. It almost feels like they were insistent upon doing the exact opposite of what is mainstream. In an era where beats are fast and trap style, their music is slow and deliberate, putting a spotlight on lyrics and subject matter as opposed to melodies and vibes. Some people describe the production as “grimy” Griselda members describe it as “spooky” and “creepy”. Darringer, Griselda’s producer credited as the innovator of the sound, has put a twist on the iconic hardcore hip hop sound. The drums are still hard punching however, he has mastered creating eerie atmospheres, unorthodox drum patterns, and sometimes crafting a soundtrack with no drums at all. Part of this was by design and part of it was by necessity but, isn’t all art? For example, Conway the Machine suffers from Bell’s Palsy, a condition where half of his face has been paralyzed as a result a gunshot wound to the head. He described the process of rehabilitating himself and learning to rap again and explained that he needed slower tempos to rap over because it gave him room to execute with clarity and precision. Westside Gunn is very artistic, painting pictures with his lyrics and this style provides him ample time to deliver the well crafted brush strokes. Benny the Butcher is known for his superior lyrical prowess, he mixes story telling and layered lyrics to pull the listener in which is only possible if the wordsmith has a cadence that the listener can follow. While this style is probably perfect for the rap purists of the 90’s, it is not the ideal way to pursue mainstream success in todays musical climate. However what it does do is allow them to be themselves and create their artwork in the way they desire to, protecting their originality from being tampered with by outside pressures. Despite the uphill battle, due to immense talent and unique gangsta flair Griselda has been able to popularize themselves and with it their style of music. As Conway said, a lot of these albums are “sounding a lot more Griselda-esque!”

When examining the business moves that Griselda has made to put themselves in the position they’re in, one has to give credit to the opportunities they’ve created. If you’re new to Griselda, it may appear as though they have achieved stardom overnight however it has been a long winding road to success. Music is an ecosystem largely based on relationships. The issue this creates for the trio is that nobody in rap music has made it out of Buffalo. Historically, the city has been overlooked on a consistent basis, making getting someone to take time to listen or buy art virtually impossible because there is no point of reference. It’s quite possible that Griselda’s lasting legacy will be putting Buffalo on the rap scene. The elevation has been organic, they captivated the city, learned the business, and kept churning out classic project after classic project. This is where Westside Gunn shows his genius. In 2012 he developed the first of his Hitler Wears Hermes series leveraging controversy and high quality music in order to cultivate an international following. While lots of artists have plenty of fans, Griselda’s fan base is known for being passionate, dedicated, and high engaging. Westside Gunn and Conway the Machine have long boasted about having murals of their faces in countries the hadn’t visited. Whenever they’re selling tickets, merchandise, or vinyls not only do they sell out but they sell out quickly. This level of support from their fans has allowed the Buffalo natives to do business on their own terms helping them to usher in a new business model for artists to come. While every artists may not have a fanbase as strong as Griselda, the idea of being strong enough on your own to use labels as a tool is one that can last. Labels operate with complete control traditionally, but lately with the evolution of streaming services and other things that allow artists to manipulate the internet, their grip has been slipping. Griselda helped push this trend and the best example is the deal they signed with Shady Records. Typically, signing with a major label comes with an understanding that you may have to forfeit creative control and sometimes abandon who you are stylistically. In this case though, Griselda was the same crew you came to know and love. They also crafted a short deal where they didn’t have to jeopardize their longterm freedom thus challenging the standard where an artist would give up large portions of their career to one label that ultimately determines your overall value and trajectory. Another key point was keeping Benny the Butcher independent of a solo deal with Shady allowing him to collaborate with other labels to cross pollenate resources. The blueprint has been set for artists to follow in the future where they can protect and disperse their art effectively while maintaining ownership.

As innovative as Griselda has been business wise, the thing that makes it all possible is art. Over the course of their journey they have put together one of the most potent discographies in rap history. The aforementioned Hitler Wears Hermes series by Westside Gunn has set the foundation for everything Griselda has built. Everything that Griselda is can be seen at a high level in the 7 album series. Pray for Paris, the most polished album of Gunn’s career really showed how well rounded the artist really is. Conway the Machine is one of the most technically advanced rappers to do it. When examining his internal and external rhyme schemes and overall skill you come to learn why they call him “the machine!” From King to a God serves as a showcase of Conways depth and skill. Benny the Butchers’ Tana Talk 3 catapulted him into a position to do something special. It told a story, it told his story and ended up being a classic. He followed that up with The Plugs I Met where he cemented his presence with another album set to stand the test of time. The trio’s first album on a major label was WWCD, an ode to Benny’s late biological brother. This album was a moment in time. The track titles are all tributes to the city of Buffalo and the album serves as a symbol to the city. Throughout the album the chemistry jumps out at you reminding that they are biological family. I got goosebumps the first time I heard the album I got goosebumps. The pure skill, no filler, anticipation of how the next verse will play off of this one took me back to why I fell in love with the genre in the first place. The trio has definitely cemented their place in hip hop history.

Art is a society that thrives off of innovation and in rap Griselda is the next step. Whether in business, sound, or principle, they have left an example for new artists to follow. They have also kicked the door down for the city of Buffalo. They have constantly given back and established programs that provide opportunity and rejuvenated the pride of Buffalo. They literally put the “City on the Map.” Regardless of whether you’re a fan of the music or not, you have to appreciate Griselda’s rise.