A Crash Course Guide to Griselda Records
Everything you need to know about Buffalo’s premiere rap collective.
From the very start, it was clear that Griselda was here to stay. More of a creative collective rather than just a record label, the Buffalo-based artistic nucleus of Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine, and Benny the Butcher has consistently put out stellar projects for almost six years—although individual members like Benny have been active since 2004.
Their music paints vivid images of a grimey, east coast urban realism reminiscent of Mobb Deep and the Wu-Tang Clan. Combine that with the moody production of in-house beatmaker Daringer, as well as frequent collaborator The Alchemist, and it’s not hard to figure out why fans can’t get enough of this boom-bap renaissance. But that didn’t happen overnight.
The business side of Griselda is admittedly a bit confusing. Griselda releases music under the Daupe! Record label. However, Conway and Westside are also affiliated with Eminem’s Shady Records, while Benny has his own deal with eOne. On top of that, Benny and Westside are managed by Jay-Z’s Roc Nation.
Griselda is very much Westside Gunn’s brainchild. Probably the group’s most recognizable member due to his unique, nasally delivery, Gunn initially started Griselda as his clothing line while he managed his half-brother Conway the Machine’s rap career.
After Conway was left with his face partially paralyzed after being shot in the head in 2012, Gunn pivoted to focus to his 17-minute Hitler Wears Hermes EP, which served as the musical inception of Griselda and the catalyst for the group’s expansion.
Since then, the collective has experienced a music snowball effect, with eight more HWH tapes, among others, from Gunn, fourteen projects from Benny the Butcher, and 13 projects from Conway the Machine, with his 2015 Reject 2 serving as the unofficial first group tape. They’ve also added versatile female MC Armani Caesar and the unflappable Boldy James, whose Alchemist-produced The Price of Tea in China was one of our favourite rap albums of 2020.
The group has also turned the heads of rap’s current ‘Mount Rushmore’ with the likes of J. Cole rapping back-to-back with Benny the Butcher on his track “Johnny P’s Caddy”.
With Conway and Westside delivering excellent guest verses on “Keep My Spirit Alive” from Kanye West’s Donda, it’s only a matter of time until this supergroup gets the mainstream flowers they deserve. And most importantly, the process is natural and organic, formed by three men bonded by the environment they hail from.
As Benny put it: “Griselda is a version of what we’ve been doing all our life.” Griselda’s work ethic and authenticity are by far a net positive for the game at large, and we can’t wait for their next moves.
Peep our documentary on Griselda’s very own Westside Gunn—Westside Gunn: The Story of FLYGOD—on Clout Cancún’s YouTube channel here.
Essential Tracks:
Wrestlemania 20 – Westside Gunn f/ Anderson .Paak
No Vacancy – Westside Gunn
Johnny P’s Caddy – Benny the Butcher f/ J. Cole
200 Pies – Conway the Machine f/ 2 Chainz
The Cow – Westside Gunn f/ Conway the Machine
Brickmile to Montana – Boldly James, Benny the Butcher & The Alchemist
Surf and Turf – Boldy James f/ Vince Staples