griselda records

Conway The Machine Says He Didn’t Read His Griselda Records Contract And Now Wants A ‘Redo’

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Let’s hope that the next generation of up-and-coming rappers is learning from the mistakes of their predecessors and reading those contracts (let’s be real, they probably aren’t). With the rise of social media and music blogs, more and more artists’ struggles with their record labels are coming to light lately; Meek Mill, Megan Thee Stallion, and Rowdy Rebel have all had widely publicized falling outs with their respective labels and they’re all far from the only ones.

Lest anyone think that it’s only major label artists who can find themselves in unfavorable contracts, Conway The Machine recently revealed that even his deal with indie label Griselda Records — which was founded by his blood brother Westside Gunn — was tilted more toward Griselda’s benefit than his own. During his recent appearance on The Breakfast Club to promote God Don’t Make Mistakes, Conway stressed the importance of thoroughly reviewing all the terms of a label deal.

“I’mma keep it a buck,” he admitted. “I didn’t even read that contract, bro. I didn’t read that shi*t. I just signed that sh*t and moved on. Unfortunately, the contract wasn’t in my favor. So now, going forward, it’s time to redo all that. I gotta make sure it’s in my favor now.”

While he didn’t elaborate on which terms he took issue with, he did say that while he feels he “didn’t get no money” after signing the deal with Griselda, Interscope, and Shady Records, he intends to work something out with Gunn. Now that he’s turned in his third and final album under the deal he said he’s contractually finished with both Griselda​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ and Shady Records. “It’s free agency right now,” he declared. “I need that supermax. I need that Giannis bag.” If I have anything to add, it’s that I hope he’s got a good lawyer and a better understanding of how most recording contracts work because it’d be a shame if he didn’t get a better deal the next time around — or better yet, stay independent.

You can watch Conway’s full interview above.

Method Man, Griselda, And More Deliver A Gritty DMX Tribute At The 2021 BET Awards

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It was Method Man who kicked off the the DMX tribute on the 2021 BET Awards, rapping an acapella rendition of one of DMX’s most beloved verses. Then, Griselda Records took the stage to perform a snippet of their new song with DMX, “Hood Blues,” before a succession of X’s contemporaries and admirers, including actor Michael K. Williams, Busta Rhymes, and his own Ruff Ryders crew, including Jadakiss of The LOX, channeled his gritty energy to perform some of his biggest hits like “Ruff Ryders Anthem” and “Party Up.”

DMX passed away earlier this year after an accidental overdose. He was in a coma for a week, during which his contemporaries and fans in the hip-hop world shared an outpouring of well-wishes. Eventually, after he’d passed, it was announced that Def Jam, the label where he’d released groundbreaking classics like It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot, Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood, and And Then There Was X…, put out his posthumous album Exodus, which was named for his son.

Meanwhile, his funeral was held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, with Def Jam footing the bill, where his casket was brought in on a monster truck, and the service featured performances from his daughter (who sang her own rendition of his song “Slippin’”) and the Kanye West Sunday Service choir. DMX’s longtime collaborator Swizz Beatz gave an impassioned eulogy, imploring the assembled mourners to “learn how to celebrate each other while we’re here.”

Watch the 2021 BET Awards tribute to DMX above.

DMX And Griselda’s Benny, Conway, And Westside Gunn Get Busy On ‘Hood Blues’

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Fans of gritty, ultraviolent New York rap rejoice. DMX‘s long-awaited track with the members of Griselda Records, “Hood Blues,” has arrived and it doesn’t disappoint. Opening with a slinky, sinister kick-snare combo and the signature ad-libs of its primary performers — X’s growl and Gunn’s tongue-trilling automatic rifle effects — the new track hearkens back to an era when visiting the wrong neighborhood at the wrong time could result in some pretty unpleasant experiences.

With “Hood Blues” providing a guidepost to the sound of X’s upcoming posthumous album Exodus, fans now have a better idea of what to expect from the Swizz Beatz-produced project, which X’s longtime collaborator played in full for a select group of DJs and fellow industry pros during a private listening session on Zoom last week.

It’s certainly vintage-sounding DMX material, built around a sample of Lee Mason & His Orchestra’s “Shady Blues” and recalling Swizz’s more recent, stripped-down work more so than the raucous, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink synth approach he used earlier in his career. If Exodus continues in the same vein of “Hood Blues,” then it should satisfy longtime X fans and newcomers alike — and, on a personal note, I can’t wait to hear Jay-Z and Nas on a beat in this style, which could bring out the latent chemistry they’ve only rarely been able to tap into.

Listen to “Hood Blues” above. Exodus is out 5/28 on Def Jam.

Griselda Records Fans Started A TikTok Dance, Prompting Hilarious Reactions From Benny And Westside Gunn

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When most fans think of TikTok dance trends, the songs that spring to mind are usually poppy, upbeat tunes with simple, repetitive lyrics that lend themselves to the format of exuberant teens waving their arms in synchronized, somewhat goofy choreography. Griselda Records wouldn’t seem to fit the bill, with its members’ mostly gloomy beats and intricate, belligerent bars about harrowing street encounters. However, fans got the bright idea to combine the two seemingly opposed ideals, resulting in an atypical TikTok trend that prompted some hilarious reactions from the rappers themselves.

When HipHopDX posted the above clip of a fan working some complex choreo to Benny’s verse of Westside Gunn’s “Gods Don’t Bleed,”, it caught the eyes of both Benny The Butcher and Westside Gunn, who both quote-tweeted it with their impressions in the form of emojis. While Gunn seemed delighted, writing, “I needed this” with a handful of laughing emojis, Benny was a bit more nonplussed, posting a blushing emoji that spoke volumes.

While Conway, Daringer, and Armani Caesar all have yet to react, seeing the Griselda top dog’s approving reaction could very well prompt a new, albeit unusual dance trend on TikTok, bringing a different type of hip-hop to prominence on the app. More versions began popping up in the comments, putting his movements to songs from Danny Brown, Sade, and more. So, if you’re looking for the new trend, that’s probably the one to really take off — editing incongruous songs over footage of ubiquitous dance routines.

Check out the full version of “Gods Don’t Bleed” below.

Conway The Machine, JID, And Ludacris Spit Athletic Verses On ‘Scatter Brain’

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It’s been about four months since Conway The Machine released a new project (the deluxe version of From King To A God), so it’s just about exactly the right time for him to drop a new one, semi-unannounced. It’s called La Maquina, it’s packed with production from some of hip-hop’s heaviest hitters (Bangladesh, Cardiak, Don Cannon, and The Alchemist all appear on the tracklist), and loaded with unexpected features like the guests “Scatter Brain,” the single Conway shared just moments ago ahead of the full album’s Friday release.

“Scatter Brain,” which is produced by Don Cannon, features skittering, lightspeed verses from ATLiens JID and Ludacris for a cross-generational cipher-style linkup that lets all three lyrical technicians put their full skillsets on display. The beat features blasting 808s, a ghostly chant, and rainfall snares, providing a different sort of backdrop from those longtime Griselda followers may be used to hearing from Conway, but which he rides with ease and grace. Next up, JID weaves a spider web of a verse with interlocking syllables stacking like a waterfall in reverse.

After a reprise from Conway in which he boasts that he “still get a paycheck from Shady” despite rumors he departed the label last year, Ludacris swoops in to bat cleanup, sounding every bit as athletic as he did in his prime over 10 years ago. As a taste teaser of the upcoming full project, it’s beyond an appetizer — it’s the first hit of a highly addictive substance, leaving fans itching for the full course. Fortunately, they won’t have long to wait; La Maquina is due 4/16 via Griselda.

Listen to “Scatter Brain” above.