There is no doubt that the Wu-Tang Clan changed Hip-Hop/Rap forever. The New York-based group set the standard for rap groups in the business as they attempted to take on a different approach to control their careers by each individually choosing a label to sign to, while still splitting profits as a group. The group was made up of highly skilled rappers that were cousins and close childhood friends of one another. Growing up a hip hop fan, I always wondered if I would see a better collection of rap talent than the Clan, and I think it has finally happened. This group even got the nod of approval from the Clan.
Griselda Records is a group made up of rappers Benny The Butcher, Conway The Machine, and Westside Gunn. The label was established by Westside Gunn through Shady Records, and similar to Wu-Tang, the group is a family organization, being that Westside Gunn is Conway’s brother and Benny is their cousin. They each have extremely different styles, even though they all have a Buffalo, New York origin.
Benny The Butcher is one of the better storytellers in the world of Hip-Hop right now, which is probably why he has recently signed a management deal with musical powerhouse, Roc Nation. He paints very vivid pictures of his time in the streets and the drug trafficking game. This all comes together greatly due to his fantastic wordplay. He displays all this on his most recent album, The Plugs I Met.
Conway The Machine is an incredible wordsmith who comes with his own unique sound due to a medical condition. Conway raps with only one side of his mouth due to half of his face being paralyzed as a result of a gunshot to the back of the head. This gives him a very unique sound but, does not take away from the clarity of his messages.
Westside Gunn strikes you as a hype man or the brains of the operation but once he starts rapping, his skill becomes very clear. All three members of the group are currently touring for their album WWCD. They are selling out shows quickly and there’s still time to grab tickets to their Chicago show tonight, Feb. 28, at the Patio Theater!
Great story! It’s nice to hear other parts of New York getting some shine. I can’t think of anyone that has came out of Buffalo, NY.
I guess that’s one of the similarities Griselda Records has with Wu-tang, due to Wu-tang really putting Staten Island on the map.
It’s awesome to watch this legacy from the beginning; hopefully Griselda Records brings more attention to Buffulo, NY. I will definitely check out their music.