Rochester-based synth pop outfit Soviet Dolls have emerged from the cocoon of their retrofitted studio. Their third EP, Keep Sweet, swathes the listener in an ethereal neon sheen of electronica. It’s lighter fare than their previous releases, but then we could all use a little levity these days.
New vocalist Emily Brown made her debut with Soviet Dolls earlier this year on their cover of Bananarama’s “Cruel Summer.” She’s a natural fit for the band’s original work as well. Her subtly nuanced vocals temper the robust instrumental textures. She keeps the vessel on an even keel as the music careens between the distinct twinkle of keyboard runs and segments awash in fuzzy reverb. The digital sound is augmented by analogue processes and instruments, marrying the nostalgia for 80’s culture with the sophistication of modern techniques. All funds raised by album go directly to help Rochester Hope for Pets, an organization created to assist pets in the greater Rochester area whose owners are facing financial difficulty. Donate $5 or more via Play It Forward to get the Keep Sweet download code via email. Follow Soviet Dolls on Facebook for more information and updates.
Holtzman and Vesneske developed the company after two decades of working in the music and hospitality idustry all over Western New York. Their experience has lead them to create Twenty6 and operate any venue, however big or small.
According to a press release, Twenty6 Production’s resume possesses a myriad of events, from pandemic- inspired, drive-in concerts at two locations to private parties and small weddings. Before the pandemic, they held many music events, nonprofit gatherings and more.
There’s no event we can’t take on. From private parties to nonprofit gatherings to large-scale music festivals, we’ve done it all and know how to navigate any situation. Surrounded by some of the industry’s best, both Vesneske and I feel incredibly optimistic about what the future holds for Twenty6 Productions
Co-founder Josh Holtzman
Twenty6 Productions will run numerous services for clients, including event management and logistics, event budget development, food and beverage management, venue event management, event staffing, marketing, branding , and talent buying.
Twenty6 Productions Founders Josh Holtzman and Grace Vesneske
The company will work with anyone, including purveyors ranging from festivals, restaurants, concerts, non-profits, corporations, and the privately-owned sector.
In a Facebook post, the company states that they will provide “every event with the highest standard of professionalism.”
About a year ago, we started throwing around the idea of starting our very own event production company. If you know us, you know our passion lies in creating memorable experiences for those around us. Global pandemic? No problem, we’ll bring our community drive-in concerts! And just like that, Twenty6 Productions was born, right before our eyes.
Twenty6 Production’s Facebook page
For more information, follow Twenty6 Production’s social media pages.
A flyer for The Dirty Pennies show in March still hangs in the window of Rochester‘s Bug Jar. The venue has been a touchstone for this rust belt garage rock band. Shortly after venues like Bug Jar shut down, the band released a single “I’m Your Man.” Today, they premiere the lyric video for the song.
The gritty song features staple driving guitar riffs that the band is known and loved for. But it also showcases the skills of their drummer, who goes all out on the fills. It’s a more aggressive song than the rest of groups catalog, fueled by the times in which we are living.
The video gives fans an opportunity to follow along to the lyrics. Learn those words, because when live music resumes and The Dirty Pennies can play live, this is an anthem we’ll want to sing along to.
Formed in Rochester, the group includes Ryan Klem on vocals and guitar and Lucas Howe on drums. Bassist Joe Mungo joined the band in 2015. The trio self-released their debut album Kick Out The Rocks in 2018, and an EP entitled EP in 2019. “I’m Your Man” is one of three singles they have released this year. Learn more about the band in their interview with NYS Music.
While the issue of police brutality prevails in the U.S., artists are speaking out through their music to raise awareness. For Drea D’Nur, her whole life revolves around it.
I am not an entertainer. I am a master healer through music and sound. To be a vessel of healing sound is a great honor and responsibility. Moment by Moment, I seek and work to become a better vessel. Every show is an offering of my entire self. In a world, where many are living numb, my intention is that you would feel, heal, and be inspired at each Live Experience.
Drea D’Nur
Drea D’Nur
Buffalo based activist and musician, Drea D’Nur, teamed up with American Muslim figure Rami Nashashibi to release her newest single, “Mama Please,” a tribute to Cariol’s Law.
Cariol’s Law passed in early October on behalf of Cariol Horne. Horne gained national attention in 2008 when she was fired from the Buffalo Police Department because she stopped a fellow officer from choking out a black man, Neil Mack. Since then, she has continued to protest for the Black Lives Matter Movement and is still working towards getting her full pension. The law now requires officers in Buffalo to intervene if a coworker looks like they are using excessive force.
Cariol’s Law is a proposal for legislation to have a mandatory stature on police bystander intervention, provide protection from retaliation, require external investigation with mandated reprimanding for abuse or misconduct, create a required reportable registry.
According to the Cariol’s Law website
Along with being a riveting performer, D’Nur is an activist who founded Feed Buffalo, the first Organic, Safe, and Halal Food Access Resource Center in western New York, but it doesn’t stop there. She’s also a volunteer for Project Mona’s House that provides resources and housing for human trafficking survivors.
D’Nur’s purpose for “Mama Please,” is to push for Cariol’s Law to be passed nationwide. Her new single is one of the tunes from her upcoming album, ‘This LOVE Thing,’ expected to drop on Oct. 23. Meanwhile, watch and listen to this beautiful work activism to support the destruction of police brutality.
Aqueous announces their plans to perform at the Silver Lake Twin Drive-In. The drive-in is located in Perry, NY on October 24, 2020.
This will be Silver Lake Twin Drive-In third time to host Aqueous. The drive-In also hosted two nights of live Aqueous fun, from the safety of viewers cars, back in August. This socially distanced concert experience is becoming a normality across the United States due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The Silver Lake Twin Drive-In is located at 7037 Chapman Ave in Perry, NY. The Silver Lake Twin Drive-In produces weekend film features on two outdoor screens with a casual restaurant, mini-golf & more on-site.
The gates for the show will open at 5pm at the Silver Lake Twin Drive-In and Aqueous will be live in front of screen one at the drive-in from 6PM – 9PM. Tickets are going on sale at 10AM on October 9, 2020. The general admission for the show will be $125 for a four-person carload. The VIP tickets for the show will be $175 for a four-person carload. The VIP tickets include admission to show, parking spot in the first two rows, limited edition poster. Individual add-ons for cars over four people will be $40 per person for general admission and $60 per person for VIP ticket holders.
All the parking at the event will be designated by Drive-In Security. Management has final authority over where viewers may park. VIP parking will be in the first 2 rows of the Drive-In while general admission vehicle parking will be on a first-come-first-park basis behind the first 2 rows. To help with the obstruction of guests’ view, vans, trucks, and SUVs will be asked to park on one side of the snack bar or in the last three rows of the theater. To comply with social distancing guidelines, all vehicles must park at least 6 feet away from neighboring vehicles. Once parked, do not move your vehicle. If you choose to leave in your vehicle, you will not be permitted to re-enter the drive-in.
People will be allowed to sit outside their vehicles or in the back of a pickup truck as long as the patrons remain a minimum of 6 feet away from other guests. Face masks are not required unless you are in a public area within 6 feet of other guests. All guests must remain inside or near their vehicles at all times except for bathroom trips, to visit the snack bar or Charcoal Corral restaurant, walking your dog, or walking to a designated smoking area. All guests must wear face masks whenever they are in a public area within 6 feet of other guests until further notice.
For more information on Aqueous and their upcoming shows visit their website.
From October 14-24, the Chautauqua Institution will be hosting the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO) septet with Wynton Marsalis for a ten day residency. The residency will focus on improvisation, blues, and swing.
The performances will take place at Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall and will be released to stream at a later date on the CHQ Assembly Video Platform. However, the concerts will also be available live through brunches and meals that CHQ is offering.
Additionally, Wynton Marsalis will present three live conversations at Chautauqua on the CHQ Assembly Virtual Porch. JLCO musicians and leaders will also teach a series of multiple courses on jazz classics and culture via the CHQ Assembly Classroom (dates and times below).
“This residency provides the opportunity for Jazz at Lincoln Center and Chautauqua Institution to deepen our relationship, which has always been about exploring important issues through art and conversation,” said Deborah Sunya Moore, vice president of performing and visual arts. “This residency will feature online performances, conversations, and classes offered for the Chautauqua Assembly community as well as communities across the globe with which JLCO has existing relationships.”
Watch past performances of Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra at Chautauqua here.
The Ever Fonky Lowdown composed by Wynton Marsalis Tuesday, October 20 • 10:30 a.m. EDT
Freedom Suite composed by Sonny Rollins Tuesday, October 20 • 1:30 p.m. EDT
Presidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedom: Part 1 Wednesday, October 21 • 10:30 a.m. EDT
Presidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedom: Part 2 Wednesday, October 21 • 1:30 p.m. EDT Charlie Parker Centennial: Freedom to Take Flight Thursday, October 22 • 10:30 a.m. EDT
Freedom Across the Pond: Jazz in the U.K. Thursday, October 22 • 1:30 p.m. EDT
We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite Friday, October 23 • 10:30 a.m. EDT
Freedom of Expression: Latin Jazz in New York City Friday, October 23 • 1:30 p.m. EDT
Griselda emcees refuse to rest on their laurels. A week after the label’s visionary/founder Westside Gunn released what he announced would be his final album, his cousin — and arguably the label’s best rapper — announced his latest project and it is more star-studded than ever. Burden of Proof, the upcoming studio album from rapper Benny The Butcher will bookend what has been an increasingly productive year for the Buffalo-bred rap crew.
While the album’s existence was no surprise (Benny the Butcher had been teasing a project for weeks on his various social media outlets), the Shady records signee revealed a list of features as well as a release date. October 16th will see the release of the much-anticipated project, which is two weeks after Westside Gunn’s WHO MADE THE SUNSHINE and a month after Conway the Machine’s From King To A GOD.
With Griselda’s ever-growing popularity, we are starting to see more diverse features and song choices in each respective album. Known for their grungy street-tales, chorus and catchy melodies aren’t a part of the Griselda package, yet this list of features gives a hint that this latest project will see BTB try his hand at different song arrangements. Produced entirely by famed producer Hit-Boy (who also handled the entirety of the production on Nas’ latest album), Burden Of Proof will feature the likes of Lil Wayne, Big Sean, Rick Ross, Freddie Gibbs, West Coat emcee Dom Kennedy, popular up-and-coming R&B songstress Queen Najia, as well as his cousins and frequent collaborators, Conway the Machine and Westside Gunn. This is an important album in what seems to be a concentrated effort to solidify the Buffalo trio as the prominent emcees in not just their city, but the whole state of New York as a whole, a tittle that has never been held by anyone not from the five boroughs.
Hold off on making your Album of The Year lists, alt rock fans, until you’ve taken the debut album from Carpool for a test drive. Erotic Nightmare Summer checks all the right boxes: electrifying riffs, crafty turns of phrase, and choruses you can’t help but sing along to. In short, it slaps. Hard.
Erotic Nightmare Summer is a follow-up to their 2018 EP I Think Everyone’s A Cop, a work that launched them on the East Coast touring circuit and a spot at Fest last year. They’ve already been named on the lineup when Fest resumes in 2021.
NYS Music caught up with band members Stoph Colasanto (lead vocals, guitar, synth), Tommy Eckerson (lead guitar, vocals), and Alec Westover (vocals, drums) to talk about the album, starting with the overall concept and inspiration.
“Lyrically, it’s about the realization that some close relationships had become toxic, and the need to move on,” said Stoph. The music follows suit, pushing the boundaries of what is expected from an emo band. With the help of their producer, RJ Demarco, they challenged themselves to leave their comfort zones instrumentally, incorporating unexpected touches like classic rock elements and instruments that are unconventional for the genre, like violin, sax, and glockenspiel.
The story of the album artwork is also intriguing. For most works, the visuals are an afterthought. But Erotic Nightmare Summer was actually inspired by the striking collage that now graces its cover. It was a print Stoph had bought off artist Aaron Gordon from Buffalo to hang up on his wall. “I was just sitting in my room staring at it, and I got some ideas for songs. It just went from there.”
That spark fueled the concept of the album, and the melodies and lyrics for a handful of songs. Stoph called Tommy over that day, and together they started crafting the majority of the songs that comprise Erotic Nightmare Summer. They’ve fielded a lot of questions since the release. We went track by track through the album because there’s a lot to unpack.
Cruel Intentions
The guitar progression on “Cruel Intentions” may seem slightly familiar to Carpool fans. There’s a reason for that. Tommy explained, “The main riff for Cruel Intentions is one that Stoph has been playing, in several variations. The way he played it for ‘Cruel Intentions,’ we built the song off that.”
In the story arc of this concept album, this starting point represents the dawning comprehension that some relationships are emotionally damaging, like the song’s 90’s namesake movie. Stoph recalled watching the movie as a kid with his siblings, and really being drawn in by the music on the soundtrack, including Counting Crows and The Verve.
The lyrics tell a heart-wrenching tale of trying to disentangle from a messy relationship. “And I’m drunk and waiting for your call / I reek like alcohol / When you finally pick up, this is my fault / And I won’t crawl back to you.”
Whiskey & Xanax
“That’s for sure the darkest song on the album. The first lyric is ‘Take two steps forward, take your 12 step back,’” explained Stoph, referring to 12-step self-help programs. “It’s like you’re doing well, then all of a sudden something happens and you lose something important to you like your sobriety.”
“A lot of people advocated for us to change the name before we put it out,” Tommy noted, “But it’s not like we wrote an edgy song just to write an edgy song.”
“The last thing it’s doing is promoting substance abuse,” added Alec.
Going against the grain can be hard in the music scene, where drugs and alcohol are pervasive. Bands who want to play live are often performing at bars and house shows, where there’s a lot of social drinking and casual drug use going on.
This song also points to how the unhealthy relationships and substance use become intertwined. Alec pointed out, “It’s easy to relate to people’s flaws, especially when it comes to addiction, or being attracted to people with similar flaws.”
The Salty Song (Erotic Nightmare Summer)
“I was mad, I was salty,” Stoph said about how he felt when he was conceptualizing the lyrics for the song. “But it’s okay to be mad.” “The Salty Song” was one of the first written for the album, and the seething intensity of the lines is counterbalanced with a mega-upbeat melody. The short, catchy pop song features a big chorus.
After writing it, Tommy knew this one was something special. “Stoph and I were texting each other, and I was like, I don’t care if the song or the album does well, I just want people to make a TikTok of one of our songs.” They put out a challenge on social media and it took off. They had responses from a lot of people, including an employee at a mall pretzel shop. “Shout out to everyone who did a TikTok to that song,”
Beauty School Dropout
Stoph refers to this song as Tommy’s baby. As a fan of the musical Grease, Tommy had been wanting to record the song he had been writing, inspired by his favorite character, Frenchie.
“Originally it was called Frenchie,” said Tommy. “We always have ideas for songs lying around, and finally I was like ‘I really want to do it.’ I liked the instrumental, and I wrote the lyrics in the studio under the gun.”
This song about low self-esteem was a natural fit for the storyline of Erotic Nightmare Summer. It also incorporates an audio clip from the television series Euphoria, pulling in a contemporary reference.
Driving Under the Skinfluence
“This was the first one we recorded for the album,” Stoph said. “This song is a sad one, and a slower one. At this point in the lineage of the album, you’re good, you’re kinda okay with yourself, but you wonder if that person still thinks about you at all.”
The chorus repeating “I lie, you lie, we both lie. We self-destruct every time,” really drives home the heart-wrenching pain and agony.
Come Thru Cool (Punk Ass)
Stoph admitted this is his least favorite to sing live. “I always feel like I’m going to throw up after.”
But Tommy loves playing it out. He recalled the day when they wrote the song. “We were literally rehearsing and Stoph started playing this riff. Meanwhile, I’m trying to show him ‘Beauty School Dropout,’ which I had written for like two years and I was dying to finally show them how to play it. And Stoph was like, this is a sick riff. That’s how we wrote ‘Come Thru Cool.’ I love the song now, but at the moment, I was like, seriously, you’re going to write a song in the middle of me trying to show you my song, with no other basis other than the riff sounded cool?”
Toronto
“That was our first studio song through and through,” Tommy said. They wrote it and recorded it in the studio with their producer, RJ Demarco. Demarco recorded all the bass lines on the album, and was in all of the group vocals. A man of many talents, he also plays saxophone.
“There’s a bridge, like a pre-chorus breakdown. I wanted a trumpet player to come in, and I had a specific melody,” Tommy said. “We were in crunch mode at this point, trying to finish it, so RJ played saxophone. It was something a little extra.”
Like the fan fave “Idaho” off their EP, “Toronto” is a destination song about getting away from it all. Based on the band name alone, Carpool fans can probably expect sing-along road trip songs like these to continue to be a staple in their discography.
Liquor Store Employee (Old Friend)
The band gets a lot of questions about this song in particular, regarding the lyrics and the complexity of the instrumentation. It’s a contrast from the shorter chorus-driven ditties like “The Salty Song (Erotic Nightmare Summer).”
“I just want to say about Liquor Store, first off, I’m the Liquor Store Employee. That’s me,” said Stoph. “It’s not about my friend Hayley at all – that part references a specific conversation that I had with my friend Hayley… it’s a little something I put in there because I had a conversation with my friend Hailey and it changed my point of view on things.”
This is Alec’s favorite song on the album. “There’s a super hot beat, and slow parts, and a part that bangs super hard with the lyric. It’s just great. That part in the middle with Tommy doing the lead is probably my favorite part in the album.”
“This is our band fave for sure,” Tommy agreed. “This and ‘Driving Under The Skinfluence’ are probably our strongest. There’s a good blend of instrumentation, lyrics, and structure.”
East Coast West Coast
This is the oldest song on the album, predating Carpool as a band. It’s one that Stoph’s been saving for the right time to record. “This is a song I wrote in 2014, when I was in my first year of college. I’d play it when I came home, at parties, and it was a thing that we did when we had a party. We’d sing ‘East Coast West Coast.’”
“This is more like a straight up indie rock song,” he continued, ”We’re a dirty emo DIY band at the end of the day, but if you listen to this album, you’re not just going to hear a lot of emo songs and open tunings. You’re going to hear Alec going off on the drums in ways you wouldn’t think. And then you’ll hear Tommy do a classic rock and roll solo that just fits better than anything you could imagine over a contemporary alternative song.”
They drew on some influences from the music they listened to in their formative years for this nostalgic song about long distance friendships. The sentiment of the song is underscored by the use of violin, played by CJ Westcott (who has now been dubbed CJ West Coast).
Stolen Self Help (I Like You)
This is a softer song, originally written for another musical project, but it made more sense to use it to complete the trajectory of the journey from self-loathing to self-love. And at the end there’s a clip of a little girl saying the band’s motto: Carpool is about sharing smiles with friends.
“That’s my sister’s best friend’s daughter. Her name is Lila,” Stoph said. “I sent it to my sister’s friend and said, would you be down to have Lila say this in a voice memo? She sent it to me. It’s so cool, especially on that song. It’s like a soft close.”
Tommy added: “Carpool is a band about sharing smiles with friends. Don’t get it twisted. It is what it is.”
The band cites numerous people who contributed to Erotic Nightmare Summer, including Taylor Kremis, Jake Amadon, Nick Jones, Trevor Balbierz, CJ Westcott, and artist Aaron Gordon. Also, John Naclerio at Nada Studios who did the mastering, and the crew at Acrobat Unstable Records. And they give a lot of credit to RJ Demarco at Skyway Studios, who also recorded their EP ‘I Think Everyone’s A Cop.’
“I really gotta shout out RJ,” said Stoph. “I feel like honestly if we didn’t go to him our first time, we wouldn’t know what our sound is. I feel like he understood us better than we understood ourselves. His guidance and structure throughout our time knowing him… especially this past year playing bass for us and being super integral… he made us grow.”
Erotic Nightmare Summer is out now for purchase on Acrobat Unstable Records, and can be heard on a variety of platforms, including Bandcamp and Spotify. The band has some material in the wings, including an music video and a cover song. Be sure to follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest content and announcements.
During an incredibly busy year for the band, the Grateful Dead did carve out a little time for Buffalo and Upstate New York in the fall of 1981. After a thorough summer run at mainly Midwest and West Coast Venues, there were a handful of East Coast shows scheduled in the end of September. Immediately afterwards, they would be off to Europe again, their second jaunt over there this year.
These few shows would serve as more than adequate tune-ups. On September 26, the Dead would play Buffalo Auditorium for the fifth and final time, serving as an end to an era of sorts. For the remainder of their shows in the Queen City, cavernous Rich Stadium and its 80,000 seats would serve as host.
A somewhat sluggish “Shakedown Street” starts the show and seems to rely on the certainly palpable crowd energy for momentum. If anything, this recording paints a vivid picture of the effusive Upstate fervor that’s present early. The crowd almost seems to get even louder each time they’re told to “Tell me this town ain’t got no heart.” Before you know it, they easily stretch it past the ten-minute mark with a typically funky groove in tow.
After a brief lull, the first set energy seems to pick back up with a thunderous version of “Cassidy” that’s spearheaded by the harmonies of Bob Weir and Brent Mydland. This carries right over to a raucous “Jack-a-Roe” with some splendid fills from Mydland on electric keys.
The “Ramble On Rose” that later follows gets furious at points with a clearly vibrant Garcia manning the lead vocals effortlessly. Mydland again makes his presence very much felt with some more intimate keyboard fills. There’s a fairly quick transition to “Looks Like Rain” that has now firmly established the first set pattern of Garcia and Weir going back and forth on lead vocals. Seems to be Jerry – Bob switching back and forth throughout the first set with lead vocals. The crowd once again audibly gets back into it with some rhythmic clapping prior to the apex of “Rain.”
The vibrant first set vibe fueled by the rather “percussive” audience this evening continues right on into and through the “Brown Eyed Women” that follows. Garcia, once again, rises through the crowd of sound and delivers an ebullient guitar solo early on that fuels the remainder of the tune.
Weir once again takes the vocal baton from Garcia as the band continues to burst full steam ahead with a somewhat aggressive “Let It Grow” that fits in perfectly in this late early set position. The rhythms equally supplied by the dual guitars and vocals on this one are a true first set highlight.
Weir holds onto and keeps running with the baton as the second set begins with an exuberant “Playing In The Band” that seems to literally piggyback on the end of the first set’s emotions. An early excitable jam leads into some blissful Garcia-supplied guitar licks before it explodes into a full group effort. Some pure, joyous tones lead right up to the beginnings of “Bertha,” somehow marking the last one of only four East Coast performances n 1981 for this live Dead staple.
Upon its finish, the band wastes no time in launching into an epic “Estimated Prophet” with all the Bob Weir-led vocal bells and whistles. The Buffalo audience sounds enraptured as the band eases through one of their classic second set standards.
However, instead of easing into an ambient or “Space”-type section immediately afterwards, the familiar rhythmic guitar into of “Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad” picks up and the room is off and running again. Normally placed later in a second set, this slots in perfectly earlier in this set as the Dead’s version of an American folk classic maintains the high standards of this show.
After typical “Drums” and “Space ” segments, the slow, rhythmic start of “Not Fade Away” starts up, signaling the beginning of the final hurrah for this final indoor Buffalo show. This one doesn’t get a chance to stretch too far as it quickly peters out and dissolves into the beginning of a poignant “Morning Dew” that gets the crowd back on its collective feet.
Afterwards, the band collectively toys around with the “Playin’ In The Band” theme before settling into a brief reprise. Normally, this would be more than enough to end the set but “One More Saturday Night” takes care of that as Weir leads the group through one last rockin’ number to end the set.
stubs via Bob Migden
This being Chuck Berry’s birthday, a quick dedication from Weir precedes the fitting “Johnny B. Goode” encore. And with that, the Dead’s last indoor show in Buffalo comes to a close. The next time they would come through town, five years later in 1986, Rich Stadium would take over hosting duties.
For a full listen to all Buffalo and The Grateful Dead had to offer this evening: click here.
Grateful Dead Buffalo Auditorium – Buffalo, NY 9/26/81
Set 1: Shakedown Street, CC Rider, They Love Each Other, Cassidy, Jack-A-Roe, On The Road Again, Ramble On Rose-> Looks Like Rain, Brown Eyed Women-> Let It Grow-> Don’t Ease Me In
Set 2: Playin’ In The Band->Bertha->Estimated Prophet->Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad->Drums->Space->Not Fade Away->Morning Dew->Playin’ In The Band (reprise)->One More Saturday Night
Westside Gunn isn’t new to the music industry, with his first EP dating back to 2005. In that time, he has individually and collaboratively released over 20 projects. Yet, his latest LP — Who Made the Sunshine — (his first under Shady Records, a subsidiary of Interscope records) and what he claims will be his last ever, feels different and Westside Gunn is treating it differently.
From celebrating his Entertainment Weekly feature, to posting nostalgic pictures and videos of his journey, Westside Gunn displays a mixture of hubris and humility that comes with a certain level of ascendency.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFzs63wFpa3/
Over the past few years, we’ve seen the extravagant emcee and his Griselda cohorts slowly rise to mainstream stardom and it feels like the one they call “Fly God” is finally taking time out to revel in the fruits of his labor.
Only 3 more months left and I’m still at peace with my decision but this will be a dope 3 months I promise u that 🤲🏽🤲🏽 #FLYGOD
In the streaming era, lengthy waits between projects are no more, as this is his third project of the year. The first was the critically-acclaimed, Pray for Paris, which gained album of the year considerations. The second, was the more unassuming — but solid — Flygod Is an Awesome God 2. The last, an 11-track, 40-minute album that contains elements that are unique only to Westside Gunn.
The wrestling-themed song titles, unique and eye-catching covers, as well as the customary features. There are the usual suspects on Who Made the Sunshine, including Benny the Butcher and Conway the Machine (who have a long-standing family history of appearing on each other’s projects), Detroit emcee and Griselda signee Boldy James and the self-titled “first lady” of Griselda, Armani Caesar.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CF2MejdFLF0/
Aside from his Griselda associates, Westside Gunn features hip hop legends the likes of: Black Thought, Jadakiss, Busta Rhymes and most surprising of all, Slick Rick. Recognized for his unique presentation, nothing is off the table for the Griselda head honcho and it’ll be interesting to see if he sticks to his retirement as a rapper once this much-anticipated album has been digested.
