Westside Gunn

Westside Gunn
Westside Gunn in March 2023
Background information
Birth name	Alvin Lamar Worthy
Also known as	Flygod Super Flygod Hall W.S.G. Gunn
Born	(1982-07-27) July 27, 1982 (age 42) Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Genres	East Coast hip hop Boom bap Drumless
Occupations	Rapper songwriter record executive curator fashion designer businessman
Years active	2005 2012–present
Labels	Daupe! Griselda Roc Nation Shady

Alvin Lamar Worthy (born July 27, 1982), known professionally as Westside Gunn, is an American rapper, executive producer, and fashion designer, best known as the head and co-founder of independent hip-hop label Griselda Records. He founded the label with his paternal half-brother rapper Conway the Machine^[1] and frequently collaborates with him alongside their cousin and fellow rapper Benny the Butcher. Gunn is recognized as one of the faces of the underground 2010s grimey boom bap resurgence, juxtaposing vivid drug-ridden street narratives, high fashion, and luxurious, artistic sample based production.

He has released five studio albums in addition to an extensive catalog of mixtapes and EPs spanning back to 2005, including his infamous Hitler Wears Hermes series.

Gunn frequently collaborates with other artists, both from the golden age of hip hop that inspires his music as well as his modern contemporaries. Artists A.A. Rashid, Keisha Plum, Stove God Cooks, Armani Caesar, Rome Streetz, Boldy James, Estee Nack, as well as producers Daringer, The Alchemist, Conductor Williams, Beat Butcha, DJ Muggs, SadhuGold, Camoflauge Monk, and Denny Laflare make up Gunn's go to collaborators although Gunn has also worked with the likes of DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Raekwon, Black Star, Busta Rhymes, Slick Rick, Black Thought, Tyler The Creator, Joey Badass, Travis Scott, Freddie Gibbs, JID, Denzel Curry, ASAP Rocky, and Rick Ross among a host of others.

Gunn was affiliated with Shady Records from 2017 to 2020, but has since returned to independent status.

Westside Gunn released his first mixtape in 2005, however his career was derailed by run-ins with the law. Gunn did not release any music from 2006 to 2011.^[2]

In 2012, Westside Gunn co-founded the Griselda Records label with Conway the Machine and Mach-Hommy.^[3] Gunn was inspired to revitalize his career by the shooting of his brother Conway that same year, which left him with permanent disabilities, as well as by the 2006 murder of his cousin Machine Gun Black. Gunn's first project for Griselda was the mixtape Hitler Wears Hermes. While the name attracted controversy for its reference to Adolf Hitler, Gunn explained that the name is a play on The Devil Wears Prada.^[2]

Over the next few years, Gunn released a steady stream of mixtapes and EPs, including multiple sequels to Hitler Wears Hermes, on the Griselda label. Gunn's official studio album debut was Flygod, released on March 11, 2016.

On March 3, 2017, Griselda Records signed a deal with Eminem's Shady Records, making Westside Gunn and Conway the first rappers from Buffalo to sign with a major label.^[3] After signing with Shady, Gunn played at Coachella, Firefly and Governors Ball.^[4] On October 2, 2020, Westside Gunn released his Shady Records debut, Who Made the Sunshine, his only solo project with Shady Records.

Shortly after signing with Shady Records, Westside released Flygod Is Good... All the Time, as a collaborative EP with producer Mr. Green.^[5] Ambrosia For Heads named 2018's Supreme Blientele one of the best albums of 2018.^[6] He also signed with Roc Nation alongside label mate Benny the Butcher on August 6, 2019, under a management deal.^[7]

On April 17, 2020, he released his third studio album, Pray for Paris. The album has features from artists such as Tyler, the Creator, Wale, Joey Badass and Freddie Gibbs.^[8] On July 3, 2020, Westside Gunn released his tenth mixtape Flygod Is an Awesome God II, the sequel to his July 2019 mixtape Flygod Is an Awesome God. The album features guest appearances by frequent collaborators Benny The Butcher, Keisha Plum, Boldy James, and Daringer.^[9]

On November 14, 2020, in an interview with Joe Budden, Gunn announced he had fulfilled his contractual obligations to Shady Records and had become an independent artist.^[10]

In 2021, he starred in the film Conflicted, which received mixed reviews.^[11]

Also in 2021, he released two songs titled "TV Boy" and "Julia Lang". The song "Julia Lang" was titled after fashion entrepreneur Julia Lang.^[12] Both songs would eventually be included in his mixtape Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Side B, released later that year. In 2022, Westside Gunn stated on X that he would be retiring from rap music at the end of 2023.^[13]

On October 13, 2023, Westside Gunn released his fifth studio album And Then You Pray For Me with features from AA Rashid, JID, Conway the Machine, Benny the Butcher, Stove God Cooks, Rick Ross, Giggs, Ty Dolla Sign, Keisha Plum, Denzel Curry, Boldy James, EST Gee, Jeezy, Peezy, Rome Streetz, and KayCyy. The album is a sequel to Pray for Paris, with both album's covers created by late American fashion designer Virgil Abloh. Westside Gunn has stated that the album will be his last, though he will continue releasing new music.^[14]

Gunn has stated within various interviews that he's a "devout wrestling fan" and often references this within his song lyrics and song titles. He often can be seen in the front-row seats of the audience of Impact Wrestling, Major League Wrestling, WWE and All Elite Wrestling events. He maintains friendships with wrestlers Parker Boudreaux, Lio Rush, Finn Bálor, Bianca Belair, Montez Ford, Montel Vontavious Porter, Sonjay Dutt, Daniel Garcia, and Myron Reed. When asked who were his top 5 wrestlers on fellow rapper Smoke DZA's "Personal Podcast", he stated "It always changes but Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Bret Hart, The Undertaker and Chris Benoit".^[15] On the September 7, 2022 edition of AEW Dynamite, Gunn escorted wrestler, close friend and fellow Buffalo native Daniel Garcia to the ring to face Wheeler Yuta in an ROH Pure Championship match, which Garcia won.^[16] He later accompanied Swerve Strickland during his AEW World Championship defense at AEW All In 2024, alongside Bun B, DJ Whoo Kid and Flash Garments, where Strickland lost to Bryan Danielson.^[17]

• Don't Get Scared Now (2016)
• WWCD (2019)

• There's God and There's Flygod, Praise Both (2016)^[24]
• Riots on Fashion Avenue (with Mil Beats) (2017)^[25]
• WestSide Doom (with MF Doom) (2017)
• Flygod Is Good... All the Time (with Mr. Green) (2018)^[25]
• 11 (2024)

• Hall & Nash (with Conway the Machine) (2015)
• Griselda Ghost (with Conway the Machine and Big Ghost LTD) (2015)
• Roses are Red... So Is Blood (with The Purist) (2016)
• Hitler on Steroids (with DJ Green Lantern) (2017)
• Hall & Nash 2: The Original Version (with Conway the Machine & The Alchemist) (2023)
• Still Praying (with DJ Drama) (2024)