Like most Niggas my age, I have a fascination with gangstas. I grew up in a pretty safe part of Boston, but I still saw some shit. Me and my friends have had situations with people that could’ve ended poorly. I lucked out because I could talk my way out of most things, plus I was broke so no one wanted to waste their time. I remember one time a group of niggas tried to rob me and my friends, they saw I had a flip phone in 2011 and gave it back. Situations like these taught me a lot and showed me how to move. I knew I wasn’t about that life, but it still excited me so I listened to the music. I listen to enough gangsta rap that I’m pretty sure I could cook crack after like, 2 failed attempts.
When I heard a new group was making a lot of noise and they were named after Griselda Blanco, I had to check them out. So with that said, let’s get into Griselda’s new album “WWCD” or, “What Would Chinegun Do”
This. Shit. Goes. Hard.
Griselda is made up of three niggas. Benny The Butcher, Conway the Machine and Westside Gunn. They got pretty dope names; I could see them being a stable in the WWE or Bosses in a Streets of Rage knockoff. All of them rap similar but have completely different energies, the funny part is that they’re all from Buffalo so they sound a little Canadian. If you’ve wanted to hear a Canadian rap about crack now is your chance, no need to wait for Drake to appropriate! The first listen feels like I’m hanging out with three gangstas having a casual conversation, and it’s terrifying. I don’t know how I got here, I can’t offer any input but they keep passing the blunt to me so I *think* they like me. Like they haven’t laughed at any of my jokes but, one of them told me they liked my sneakers and said they got the same pair, that means we’re good right?
Younger rappers make reckless threats, older niggas just tell you what’s happened to other niggas that have tried to cross them. This is “I won’t go back to Prison, I know I said that the last time but this time I’m serious” music. They aren’t “excited” about the life they live, they just live. Every song sounds like Wintertime. These Niggas are from Buffalo so every song just sounds cold as shit. They all rap like they’re outside and pissed because they can’t shoot the weather for being negative 16 degrees. This is music for the people who frown because it uses more muscles, therefore using more energy and being warmer than smiling. When I listen to Griselda I wish I had a gun so I could let off a shot and warm my hands up.
Griselda gives me old Wu-Tang vibes, the beats have a hollowness and the bells are all ominous. I found myself naturally putting my hood up because the music told me to. I feel like I could roll a really good backwood to this music on the back of a Bus. If I have any complaints I think it’s that I want to see them branch out a bit. I don’t mean love songs or anything but, tell some stories, the little anecdotes interspersed in every song are cool but I’d love to see them create a full narrative.
Griselda is great. These niggas are mean and they really love rapping, that’s all you can ask for in Gangsta rap. It took me a minute but I’m glad I hopped on the hype train. I give “WWCD” 9 razors under your tongue out of 10.