It’s been a month since Westside Gunn released his final studio album, And Then You Pray For Me. At twenty-one tracks, a slew of features, and more bars than could be counted, the time was needed.
In an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, Westside Gunn revealed, “I’m not saying I won’t come with a five-song EP with Madlib or I won’t do a seven-song EP with Alchemist or I won’t rap. I’ll do all of that, but making a studio album, I’m done with all that. It’s back to dumping until I don’t want to dump no more. I’m going to have fun now.”
Not only did Westside Gunn step up to the mic, but the features of Conway the Machine, JID, Benny the Butcher, DJ Drama, Rick Ross, Giggs, Ty Dolla $ign, Jeezy, Boldly James, EST Gee, Denzel Curry, and more, elevated the project to new heights. Gunn brings people together that are good at what they do.
The album opens with “FLYGOD DiD,” a sermon by AA Rashid in which he explains how the project can only be compared to a beautifully crafted garment. Then the beat drops. “Mamas PrimeTime” is an ode to being fly. It is not about the items. It is about the journey it took to acquire these items. Gunn discusses the thin line between jets and drug fiends. JID addresses what his own life looked like having to deal with public transportation and discrimination from police to now having money. Conway adds a quick sixteen of his own about business tactics. The gems are in the introduction.
The Griselda reunion on “Kostas” is expected. WestSide Gunn takes the backseat as he lets Benny and Conway go off. Benny flexes the lifestyle of being on top, Gunn flexes the garments, and Conway flexes the attitude with the money. “1989” pays homage to those who didn’t make it to see Gunn’s views today and ends with DJ Drama doing what he does best, talking to the people. The vocals provided by Stove God Cooks on the chorus round out the song.
WestSide Gunn toys with the duality of his life in “Suicide Selfridges.” Gunn paints a picture of a lavish lifestyle toting designer clothes and expensive cars. Yet, underneath these possessions resides protection carried over from his previous life. Gunn is a lavish-living gangster through and through. Gunn then provides an assist to another Buffalo native, Eastside Flip. Paying homage to their hometown Flip provides his own insights on what it means to be from Buffalo, New York.
“KITCHEN LIGHTS” provides anecdotal stories from both Gunn and Cooks’ past. Gunn moves between the past and the present while Cook remains fixated on the past. Yet, both reminisce on their triumphs from a different life. In the first of two solo songs, Westside Gunn delivers a verse compared to a monologue displaying his lyrics, his story, and his message. True to his word Gunn proves that he “can get anything done.”
“DunnHill” takes a turn in topics as Gunn’s verse is aimed at anyone against him. It is a distinct reminder that though his environment has changed, he is still him. By the time Rick Ross touches the beat, all he needs to do is provide his flexes as his verse is designer-heavy. On the RZA-produced track, “House of GLORY,” Gunn displays his affection for brands and labels. He interludes the names within his verse as if they are living beings and to him, they are. They are embodiments of his passion.
“JD Wrist” continues the rags to riches theme displayed by everyone who touched a beat on the album. The same can be said about “Disgusting” but Giggs provides his touches on the track as he flexes on what it takes to be him. As Ty Dolla $ign’s voice introduces “Chloe,” it is clear that this song is for the ladies. The song displays a passion that only a few can understand. It’s aggressive in vocabulary but summarizes the same as every love song.
“LL BOOL GUN” displays Gunn’s attachment to name brands by putting his name in the mix. “Babylon Bis” continues the trend as Westside Gunn raps about the differences between him and those who have no understanding. In previous songs, he’s flexed the brands but in this verse, he explains why he is in a league of his own and ahead of the trends. No bar stands out more than the opening line, “Ayo, you know my drug of choice, let me sniff Fifth Ave.”
“Ultra GriZelda” gives space for Denzel Curry to flex his status, while Gunn plays the background with a simple eight bars on why no one can do it as he does. On “Jalen Rose” and “Steve Jony,” Gunn, Boldy James, and EST Gee take it back to spitting bars about the streets and how it would have been a flex to be them.
In “MR EVERYTHING,” the Westside Gunn Jeezy duo speak on what it takes to stay at the top even if it takes force. At this point, it is less about material possessions and more about what it means to have those possessions. The things are just signs of making it. In “Freddy J’s,” Gunn pays homage to a known chef in his hometown while also giving specifics about what he would do to his enemies. Peezy also provides his message to his enemies by painting a clear picture for them.
Westside Gunn leads into the outro with “The Revenge of Flips Leg” featuring Rome Streetz. Both rappers tell anecdotal stories about drug runs and how no one could have competed with them during that time. The outro, “AND THEN YOU PRAY FOR ME,” doesn’t feature Gunn’s voice but the voice of KayCyy carries the album to a conclusive end with a heartfelt verse and prayer.
The content is what fans expect from Gunn as he delivers his verses flawlessly. If there were any negatives it would be that the album did feel like it was twenty-one songs and some features felt half-done. What Westside Gunn provided on the microphone is never a question. The album is full of picturesque lyricism. The bars are heavy. The flexes are comprehensible to only those who know. And Then You Pray For Me is a project for Westside Gunn fans to be proud of.
Stay tuned to Respect My Region for more stories like this and be sure to stream And Then You Pray For Me.
