#82 - Westside Gunn - H***** Wears Hermes 8 REVIEW

Listen on: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / YouTube

Video animation by: Big Flowers

Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING

Beginning of Episode (0:49).

As he has done on many Westside Gunn albums in the past, AA Rashid provides some words of wisdom at the beginning of both sides, but I want to key in on what he did on Side B.

This was probably my favourite contribution of his to-date, because it applied so well to Westside Gunn as an artist.

Rashid speaks about revolutionizing, shifting the paradigm... and what has Westside Gunn, BUT shift the paradigm? Two key waves I believe Gunn has spearheaded over the years are the following.

The first being that Gunn has shifted large factions of the rap game to not only accept, but celebrate the "curator" role that he has now settled so comfortably in.

Before him, the idea that an artist could have this many features, and not always be the focal point of his own album, would be a negative to many.

Now it is revered as one of the most admirable traits of Gunn's music, taking what I think an artist like Kanye West has historically been great at, in selecting the best collaborators and getting the best out of them... and taking it even further in this direction, where Gunn's presence doesn't always need to be on one of the songs if it doesn't need to.

The second wave he has led is popularizing the minimal dusty boom bap and drumless beat movement, which is now incredibly popular in the underground.

Again there are others who helped push this style to prominence... but part of being influential is being able to successfully make a certain level of impact. Gunn as the mastermind behind Griselda, certainly did that.

H***** Wears Hermes 8 was a fitting curtain call for Westside Gunn, and properly showcased all that has made his artistry so impactful to the art form.

RMPP Preferred Cut: "Free Kutter"

Stream H***** Wears Hermes here:

Side A - https://open.spotify.com/album/0M5cyXHBV0en8q02019vaC?si=GayzT-xiR4KMibj_rJO9og 

Side B - https://open.spotify.com/album/0KtFP56RU7bd32pcvdeWOU?si=F9OROMjJRQWG3ZNuvcBsvQ