Few rappers this decade have changed the sound of hip-hop more than Westside Gunn has. While major labels sought to wring every last dollar out of the trap sound — West’s Griselda Records further developed on Wu-Tang and Mobb Deep’s paranoid, sample-based psychedelia and Roc Marciano’s slow, drumless soundscapes to create a unique sonic universe where high art and fashion collide with street-level tales of drug dealing and violence.
Even in the Griselda camp, West’s music stands out from that of narratively focused artists like Benny The Butcher and Conway The Machine. Rather than dark stories of crimes past, West’s songs are abstract blasts of sonic impressionism, combining decayed soul samples with outlandish boasts and unpredictable skits. His annual Hitler Wears Hermes mixtape series — celebrating its ostensibly final edition under the controversy-dodging title 10 — has become obligatory Halloween listening, with each installment growing in popularity thanks to West’s uncompromising artistic vision.
On the day of the new record’s release, I spoke with Westside Gunn, fresh off the plane at his Atlanta manor, about his process — as a solo artist and as a curator of projects for rappers like Rome Streetz and Armani Caesar — his ambitions in fashion and pro-wrestling, and how he created his own hyper-specific corner of hip-hop.
[Listen to the entire interview, via Fader]