Still Praying

Westside Gunn’s *Still Praying* has long been a grail in Griselda Records lore. The label’s head honcho began teasing the project long before its 2024 arrival, and it came after threats of retirement, disgruntlement with the music industry, and drama within his family-first crew, which includes his brother Conway the Machine and his cousin Benny the Butcher. On *Still Praying*, all is well, with Westside setting the scene as a family reunion of sorts: Conway and Benny make appearances, as does close friend Boldy James. DJ Drama plays the role of host, and Westside does what he does best: talk shit and count all that money he’s got. The Buffalo native is one of the best one-line spitters in rap, and throughout *Still Praying* he delivers plenty of quotables that linger long past the project’s runtime. On “Speedy 40” he recalls a particularly romantic night in New York City, rapping: “I done fell asleep, woke up in the Waldorf/Top floor, spooning with her shirt off.” On “Underground King,” which features his daughter Westside Pootie and frequent collaborator Rome Streetz, Gunn sums up his role in rap in only the way he knows how: “I\'m MJ from the free throw in designer.”

A key figure within the rise of Griselda, Westside Gunn’s idiosyncratic success owes much to collective endeavour. Re-tooling funky soul deep cuts to