[junkie-dropcap]I[/junkie-dropcap] could go on for days about Griselda’s work ethic. In fact, I probably have. But this year in particular has just been insane. Set aside the fact that Conway, Boldy James and Armani Caesar have all dropped just in the last couple months. “Who Made The Sunshine” is Westside Gunn’s THIRD release this year alone. And I’ve yet to grow tired of him. I don’t think I can.
“Flygod Is An Awesome God 2” was an underwhelming release with a few noteworthy songs. (I’ve replayed “Jose Canseco” countless times) But “Pray For Paris” has never left my rotation since it’s release. It has to be in the top 5 of albums I’ve come back to in full this year. It’s just so addictive. I had a feeling I was in for a similar trip when I saw the tracklist for “Who Made The Sunshine”. So let’s dive in.
How Dom Kennedy Got Me Through College
This album is mostly produced by Daringer and Beat Butcha. With a couple contributions from The Alchemist. All producers who are very familiar with the Griselda sound. While this gives the album a consistent overall feel, it noticeably lacks the creative liberties that were taken on “Pray For Paris”. “Who Made The Sunshine” goes back into the cold, gritty beats I’ve come to expect without the touch of luxury. I can see where it could be viewed as repetitive. (Which is a big reason I love that Just Blaze produced the dynamic closing track “98 Sabers”. Talk about a change of pace) But it’s a repetition I accept because I love this production style. That sheerly comes down to preference.
But I wouldn’t be quite so won over were it not for the onslaught of hard bars from Gunn and the plethora of features. Nearly every track on “Who Made The Sunshine” has one or more featured rappers. Maybe I should view them as distracting but they’re the most entertaining aspects of the album. Not to discredit Gunn but he assembled an all-star list of rappers on this album. Legends like Black Thought, Jadakiss, Busta Rhymes and Slick Rick. As well as known Griselda affiliates Stove God Cooks, Flee Lord, and ElCamino. Plus of course the other Griselda members. All of whom deliver top-tier performances.
Dominic Fike – What Could Possibly Go Wrong, Album Review
Black Thought playing the role of the elder statesman on “Ishkabibble’s”. Busta Rhymes bursting into “Ocean Prime” showing that he’s one of the only rappers that can match Gunn’s vocal eccentricity. What makes these features great is that they all feel purposeful. Gunn may tend to rap about the same topics but he gives his songs settings and ideas that the features are able to enhance. Gunn makes sure he’s playing a role so as to not get overshadowed. Even Keisha Plum, whose spoken word features I tend not to like, was fitting on “Lessie”.
“All Praises” is the only time on the album he doesn’t rap and I wish he had. The hook isn’t unbearable but it doesn’t stand among his best. It stands pretty far from them. Boldy James and Jadakiss are an unexpected dynamic duo that save the song with killer verses. A verse along that line from Gunn would’ve served the song far better than the hook does. The only significant misstep in songwriting taken on this album is “Liz Loves Luger”. Even this song has it’s positive moments from Armani Caesar. I didn’t know she could sing but she does so pretty well on that song. Most of the track is hers for the taking. It’s only when Gunn comes in that the song takes a turn. A turn that is, in my eyes, comedic. I just can’t decipher if that was intentional or not.
A song like “Dance Floor Love” from “Flygod 2” (before it was removed) is hilariously bad because it wants to be good. I can’t confidently say that about “Liz Loves Luger”. Everything about Gunn’s verse from the first “come here, bitch” is hysterical. But I think he knows that. Whether he does or not doesn’t make it a good song. But it does make a difference. To me, at least.
DJ Dana Lu Delivers Her Ambitious Debut EP ‘Girls Having Fun’
Thankfully, that song is the only time Gunn’s rapping falls below the quality standard. His verses the rest of the album meet that standard and I’d even say his storytelling on “Good Night” exceeds it. That’s not something I’ve heard Gunn do often. At least not for a whole verse. I also love the all too appropriate decision to have Slick Rick on said storytelling track. I’m happy to say my favorite “golden era” rapper hasn’t lost his touch. Overall, “Who Made The Sunshine” is a worthy successor to “Pray For Paris”. Though I have to disagree with the claims that it outperforms that album in any light.
The margin of separation between them is a thin one, though. It’d be a tougher debate for me if this album’s production was a little flashier but I think it prides itself in it’s minimalism. I won’t pretend I don’t love that old school grit. If Westside Gunn really does retire after this, he’s going out with an astonishingly consistent catalog. His worst projects aren’t “bad” by any means and his best are unbelievable. I love everything he and the Griselda movement have done for hip-hop these last few years and wish him only the best.
