On October 28th, Westside Gunn, co-founder of the record label, Griselda, released his 10th mixtape of the Hitler Wears Hermes series, which he has announced will be his last of the series. Gunn brought together one of the best feature lists of the year, including major names such as Run the Jewels, Black Star, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, A$AP Rocky, and Busta Rhymes.
The album is also decorated with any of Westside Gunn’s own artists that he has done a ton of work with in the past as Griselda was on the rise including his brother Conway the Machine and his cousin Benny the Butcher. These three are considered the main trio of Griselda. Rome Streetz, Stove God Cooks, and Armani Caesar are other artists signed with Griselda that also have features on the album.
Despite the controversial name, the name of the series of albums actually comes from a spin-off of the popular 2006 movie “The Devil Wears Prada.” While Kanye West has been in some deep water with his antisemitic comments and rumor that he wanted to name an album after Hitler, some people took to Twitter to humorously point out that Kanye is technically not the first to do this.
The album overall has received a ton of positive engagement not only for Gunn’s accomplishment of completing the Hitler Wears Hermes series but from the quality of music within the album. Westside Gunn has always had a strong reputation for gathering the best producers to collaborate for phenomenal instrumentals.
The album also received a lot of praise for the quality of features he was able to bring in for not being the most well-known artist in the game currently. It is very noteworthy when an artist can get three Wu-Tang Clan members and the Blackstar duo all on an album together. Westside Gunn also included his daughter on the album, known as WSPootie. She had her own verse included on the track, Nigo Louis, despite only being in the fourth grade.
Gunn also received some praise for the release from some celebrities as well including former NBA All-Star, Jalen Rose. Gunn also appeared on his podcast to talk about the release of the album and his plans for the future after the HWH series.
The release also generated a very decorated article from Rolling Stone’s writer, Andre Gee, who highlighted a lot of Gunn’s collaboration and the history of his musical career that has lasted now for more than a decade.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/westside-gunn-new-album-10-interview-1234621265/
Westside Gunn also received a positive score from TheNeedleDrop on Youtube, a well-known music critic with over two million subscribers. He noted his favorite tracks were Super Kick Party, Peppas, Nigo Louis, BDP, Science Class, Switches on Everything, and Mac Don’t Stop.
Westside Gunn’s rise started in Buffalo, New York in 2016 when he released his first studio album, titled Flygod, under Griselda after a few other mixtapes including the first two Hitler Wears Hermes projects.
It was only a year later before Griselda Records signed a deal with Eminem’s Shady Records, soon after performing at major festivals such as Coachella and Governors Ball. He finished his deal by releasing Who Made The Sunshine in October 2020, his only album with Shady Records. Gunn also still continuously put out Hitler Wears Hermes mixtapes every year.
Westside Gunn’s next big boost came with the release of his third studio album, Pray for Paris in April 2020, featuring much bigger commercial names such as Tyler, the Creator, Wale, Joey Badass, and Freddie Gibbs.
Gunn’s most recent pop was the last Hitler Wears Hermes release where he released two albums over the course of a month in 2021. These albums also included big-name features such as Tyler, the Creator, Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, and Jadakiss. This also received a lot of positive buzz and earned a high score from well-known music critic, Anthony Fantano. Gunn was also featured on Kanye West’s last album, Donda, which helped gain some buzz as well.
Westside Gunn’s subordinates have also released quality albums under the Griselda label. Benny the Butcher released his fourth edition of the Tana Talk series. Conway the Machine released his second studio album, God Don’t Make Mistakes. This album received a nine from Anthony Fantano. Rome Streetz also released a very acclaimed album titled KISS THE RING. This album was also executively produced by Westside Gunn.
While one chapter looks to close with the end of the Hitler Wears Hermes series, another door always seems to open for Westside Gunn as he’s continued to show himself more than just being a musician. He has recently engaged in art pieces, opening his own art gallery in his hometown of Buffalo. The possibilities are endless for Gunn. Nonetheless, he still continues to be one of the most under-the-radar rappers in the game today despite releasing another high-quality album in Hitler Wears Hermes 10.
Ethan Hartley 