Weeks ago, Westside Gunn shared the surprising news that he had a frightening battle with COVID-19. “I’m feeling good now, these short breaths, this sh*t was like a tornado through my chest,” he said. “I smoke a lot so I’m trying to build my lungs back up. I was going to go out for a walk, but even when I went outside to do that, I was like, nah let me wait another week. Next week, I’ll probably try to walk for 30 minutes.”

Westside Gunn recently released his acclaimed album Pray for Paris, a project he completed while visiting the City of Love. Prior to dropping his latest record, the rapper had planned out a fantastical roll out, but his COVID-19 diagnosis put all of that work on pause. “It was so bad I had to be rushed to the hospital,” Gunn, who has asthma, told HipHopDX. “I thought I was out of here and had already made calls to have everything in order, just in case… I thought I was going to die.”

During his recovery from COVID-19 and prior to the release of Pray for Paris, Gunn said that his famous friends like Kanye West, DJ Premier, and Virgil Abloh motivated him to push through. “I was having conversations with people like ‘Ye who showed me all these designs he was working on that inspired me to design even more too,” Westside Gunn said. “That’s what built this project, my connection to Paris and the people that spoke to me when I was sick.”

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Westside Gunn’s vision as a curator has been widely regarded as second-to-none. It’s part of the reason why Griselda has somehow managed to blur the lines between midnight street violence and high-fashion luxury. Few have built such an impeccable brand. Simply put, it’s become increasingly easy for a wide variety of demographics to like the idea of Westside Gunn. An underdog story manifested with tangible results, the most recent milestone being an inspirational front-row seat at Paris Fashion Week.

Even though his brand of rap has become relatively niche in the contemporary soundscape, Gunn has managed to make it feel particularly wavy — though it often seems like the music itself is seldom thoroughly analyzed, given how appealing he is as an orchestrator. While it doesn’t ultimately matter why one might gravitate toward Westside Gunn, examining Pray For Paris on the basis of its musical merit alone reveals an artist at the height of his craft, exuding confidence, character, and creativity. And that’s not even shining a spotlight on the ad-libs, arguably Gunn’s most recognizable vocalistic component.

Pray For Paris features Westside Gunn’s most inspired rhyming to date. He’s previously suggested that Conway and Benny’s pedigree outweighs his own, though it would be unwise to underestimate Westside’s ability on the mic. His biggest strength lies in his ability to bring his world to life through use of slang and strategic non-sequiturs. His lyrics often rattle off in stream-of-consciousness fashion, tethering the layman to his reality through one or two recognizable images. “Rest in peace Vino, rest in peace Kino, the Spiegel, the seagulls, April fresh ego,” he raps on the DJ Muggs-produced “No Vacancy.” “Slam you on your neck like Bruno Sammartino.” The themes of luxurious violence unfold like red wine slowly seeping through a white carpet. “Welcome home Tito, you proud and sippin’ pinot,” he concludes. “My shooter shot five n****s in a row, we yell ‘bingo.’”

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Though he laments the idea of being pigeonholed as a rapper, it would be a shame to overlook Gunn’s effortless dominance as an emcee. Moreso than ever before he’s taking stylistic risks, exhibiting a newfound dexterity in his delivery. On “George Bondo,” produced by the in-house tandem of Beat Butcha and Daringer, Westside rhymes ably alongside Conway The Machine and Benny The Butcher, two rappers who easily tower over the average modern-day lyricist. Even amidst such company Gunn never falters, as he effortlessly weaves violent short stories into his stanzas. “You ever sold a hundred then spent it all in the same weekend?” he asks, firing off syllables in one of the album’s quicker schemes. “Razors leave your face leakin’ / Chill, let the Wraith creep, and the brick broke in eight pieces.” A writer with less imagination might have pulled back on the specificity; we can almost hear the skull cracking as the clay scatters atop the pavement. 

At this point, it almost feels redundant to praise Gunn’s curatorial abilities. He’s been murderous in that department for years — only now, following a slew of widely-publicized co-signs from Eminem, Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Virgil Abloh (signer of bricks), the volume of curious eyes has multiplied. But Pray For Paris would not be the success that it is on the strength of vision alone. Only a gifted emcee possesses the potential to maximize the masterful production from Alchemist, Daringer, DJ Premier, Beat Butcha, and DJ Muggs. If the instrumentals are the paint itself, Gunn’s is the practiced hand guiding the paintbrush. His ability to go bar for bar with elite emcees is all too often treated as an afterthought. Yet he does so time and time again, whether alongside his own Griselda compatriots on two standout cuts, the Freddie Gibbs and Roc Marciano assisted “$500 Ounces,” and the smooth posse cut “327” with Tyler, The Creator and Joey Bada$$.

Stylistically cut from the same cloth as Ghostface Killah and Raekwon The Chef, Gunn’s approach to cocaine rap and violent retribution is seldom pretty, a stark juxtaposition against his affinity for haute couture and high-priced memorabilia. His ability to simultaneously — and credibly — operate within two seemingly disparate planes of existence makes him a unique sort of narrator. One that enjoys the nature of the opulent flex but never allows it to tarnish his dedication to crafting raw hip-hop. Pray For Paris is very much a love letter to the craft, penned and signed entirely on a brick. The rare sort of art that a sincere knowledge of history can only enhance. 

Westside Gunn is having an interesting year to say the least. On one hand, the Griselda rapper recently dropped off the critically acclaimed Pray For Paris, an album many have already deemed his best yet. On the other, Gunn found himself sidelined by the coronavirus for weeks before ultimately emerging as a fully recovered survivor. During a call with Ebro Darden, Gunn detailed his experience battling COVID-19, a fight he claims “almost took him out.”

“I’m feeling good now, these short breaths, this shit was like a tornado through my chest,” he muses. “I smoke a lot so I’m trying to build my lungs back up. I was going to go out for a walk, but even when I went outside to do that, I was like nah let me wait another week. Next week, I’ll probably try to walk for 30 minutes.” When Ebro inquires how serious things got, Westside turns the camera on a small machine he uses five times a day to help with his breathing.

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“At first I was in LA, we went out for dinner, I had signed a new artist Armani Ceaser,” he reflects. “It was my daughter’s birthday. The next day, I woke up and it’s cold in the house. But I woke up sweating. Something not right, and everybody talking about corona. And I won’t front, I was one of those dudes joking about it. Man, this the government! [laughs] We just making jokes all day about this shit.” He soon realized that the sickness was serious, and he planned on making his way back to his Atlanta home. “First I stayed in bed for two days, let them enjoy LA, they were on vacation. But that plane damn near took me out. When I made it back, I went to urgent care — I know some ladies up in there.”

After getting an inhaler and a prescription for Zipac, Westside admits he did start feeling better. “But then I started smoking,” he says. “Benny came over, he wanted to chill. We smoking back to back. The next morning, I hit my wake and bake, bro I couldn’t even get off the couch. Something just hit me. I FaceTimed my family, they didn’t pick up. I could breathe but the whole room was spinning. I couldn’t even lift my head off the couch or nothing. I got enough legs to open up the door, basically damn near collapsed. Security had to get me, carry me to the wheelchair. I was like ‘I can’t breathe!'”

For more from Westside Gunn, be sure to check out his full conversation with Ebro Darden below. Have you been enjoying Pray For Paris? 

Westside Gunn is not being modest about how good his new album, Pray For Paris, is, even in comparison to other rappers' recently released work. This week saw some exciting album drops in hip hop world, but arguably two of the most anticipated (and most talked about after the fact) were Westside Gunn's Pray for Paris and DaBaby's Blame It On Baby. While Gunn drew a very positive response to PFP, some fans were unimpressed with DaBaby's offering. Despite garnering 25 million streams on Spotify in the first half hour of its release, Blame It On Baby proved underwhelming for some, who were hoping he'd switch things up a bit rather than deliver the same old, same old. It looks like Gunn agreed, as the Griselda man took to social media on Saturday to share a meme made at Baby's expense that positions PFP as "greater than" BIOB, and asked fans to "change my mind."

They've reunited and it's expected to sound so good. Benny The Butcher has been a busy bee lately. The Griselda rapper has been dishing out new hits consistently over the past year along with other members of his camp. He made yet another set of impressive appearances on Westside Gunn's newly released (today) project Pray for Paris and has been continuing to hype his mysterious collaboration with Drake since February.

When it comes to Griselda, there's always more heat in the chamber, and according to a tweet, Benny The Butcher is preparing to unleash some tunes with Harry Fraud. "Damn son @HarryFraud really cooked up 'Plugs I Met' Vol 2 with @BennyBsf," the Twitter user wrote. Benny replied, "Yes he did," without further explanation. Fans went wild in the comments saying that it's about time.

In June 2019, Benny released Plugs I Met, a heavy-hitting record that featured appearances by Black Thought, Jadakiss, Conway, Pusha T, India, RJ Payne, and 38 Spesh. We'll have to wait and see what he and Harry Fraud have in store for Plus I Met Vol. 2, but we're expecting nothing but the best from New York's finest. Let us know if you're looking forward to Plugs I Met Vol. 2 from Benny and Harry Fraud.

Last night marked the release of Westside Gunn's brand new solo album Pray For Paris, the culmination of a long-paved road lined with countless projects. Taking pride in his creative vision above all else, Gunn's desire to create transcendental art has imbued his work, and that of his fellow Griselda rappers, with an unwavering sense of confidence. 

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Determined to intercross the disparate realms of grimy boom-bap and haute couture, West brought out the big guns on his most ambitious release thus far. Cameos ranged from cover designer Virgil Abloh, to Tyler The Creator, Alchemist, DJ Premier and Jay Versace behind the boards. Guest verses from Freddie Gibbs, Wale, Tyler, Benny The Butcher, Conway, and Joey Bada$$ served to entrench the album as a celebration of the culture, one delivered with not only integrity but elite tier skill. 

It's no wonder that, despite being only mere hours old, Pray For Paris has already been earning heavy acclaim from rappers, producers, and fans alike. We took to social media to round up some of the notable reactions and memes surrounding the release of Pray For Paris, a hashtag that admittedly caused alarm to briefly flare up -- given the connotations. In any case, the buzz surrounding Westside's latest continues to build, and will likely do so until he inevitably comes through with the next Griselda effort. After all, these albums are all but chapters in his long-running story. 

As he recently made clear during an Instagram Live stream, Westside Gunn understands the importance of having balance in hip-hop culture. It explains his dedication to preserving the tradition of grimy boom-bap, albeit with a revised coat of paint shiny enough to spark a contemporary wave. Following what may very well be one of the most impressive movements in the game, which is to say the entire Griselda onslaught, Gunn has taken a moment to reflect on his impact before the release of his new album Pray For Paris.

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“Don’t ever call me a Rapper, IM AN ARTIST!!!!!” writes Westside Gunn, alongside the stacked tracklist of his upcoming project. “I’m diff and I always knew I was diff shit be so over ppl heads some think I’m even trash bc they don’t understand it but that’s wat happens with Rare ART, i can’t help that I’m that dope and u can’t understand it, I don’t have to be the most popular but I’m the most respected I’ve already did the unthinkable.”

“I can easily dumb it down and go platinum but the game has NEVER seen a WESTSIDEGUNN before,” he continues. “The way I curate, my ear for production, the way I bring ppl into my world and bring the best out of them TONIGHT is my latest Masterpiece All I ask is that u support real ART.” To do so, be sure to go stream that new Pray For Paris when it drops at midnight, featuring guest appearances from Wale, Tyler, The Creator, Joey Bada$$, Freddie Gibbs and more. 

Westside Gunn has rapidly established himself as one of the flyest innovators in hip-hop, rising from a purveyor of grimy Buffalo bars to one of the most well-connected artists in the entire rap game. And in a brilliant turn, he didn’t even have to sacrifice the former to become the latter, a testament to his visionary integrity. Now, with his upcoming album Pray For Paris set to arrive on April 17th, Gunn has taken to Instagram to unveil the hauntingly beautiful album artwork from Virgil Abloh.

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“PRAY FOR PARIS 4/17 Cover ART designed by head of Louis Vuitton @virgilabloh,” captions Gunn, alongside the majestic piece of art. “Dont ever compare Me to Anybody!!!!!!” Collaborator Royce Da 5’9″, who worked with Westside on his own “Overcomer” track, chimed in with some heartfelt words of respectful admiration. “You think on an elevated level of ghetto sophistication,” writes Nickel. “It’s fun to watch you quality control.”

On that note, it looks like Gunn has pulled out all the stops on Pray For Paris, bringing in features from Freddie Gibbs, Wale, Roc Marciano, Conway, Benny The Butcher, Tyler, The Creator, and more. Check out the full tracklist here, and bask in the glory of the Virgil Abloh-designed cover art below. It’s not quite brick written on a brick, but it’s almost surely the next best thing. 

Westside Gunn announced a new project on Instagram, Saturday, as noted by HipHopDX.

For a picture of Gunn in a studio in Paris, the rapper explained that the city is inspiring him to record a new project within the next 48 hours that will be titled Pray for Paris.

“I’m INSPIRED!!!!! ,” he writes in the caption. “And with that being said I’m making my next project in the next 48hrs Hip Hop saves my life I owe so much to the CULTURE “Pray for Paris” coming Soon and this will be high level ART u have no idea wat your about to get? #GXFR #FLYGOD  #WSGPRAYFORPARIS #ParisFashionWeek #ICON #Rhude @ochinclovis #Culture.”

This is the second project that Gunn has confirmed on Instagram for 2020. In December, Gunn announced that 2020 would also bring a new collaborative project with Madlib. He wrote, “Well Since MADLIB told y’all, YES the WSG x MADLIB Project is dropping 2020, in 19’ I gave y’all Awesome GOD, HWH7, and WWCD soon as the ball drop I’m right back on the N…. necks #FLYGOD #LEGEND #THENEWKINGOFNY #BUFFALOKIDS #RocNation #Culture #GXFR.”

He was referring to an interview Madlib did with Gilles Peterson where he also confirmed the collaboration. 

If Gunn does finish Pray for Paris within the next 48 hours, fans should be able to expect new music soon.