Conway the Machine - From a King to A GOD ALBUM REVIEW

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It’s not just you. Other than the pandemic, Griselda has a giant grip on 2020. The ever-expanding rap label is putting out project after project this year and slowly becoming one of the biggest breakouts of the year. Their reign continues with label co-founder Conway the Machine and his finally-released proper debut From King to A GOD. With how much acclaim he’s garnered throughout his career, does his first studio album live up to the hype? Let’s find out together.

From a King to A GOD is a hip-hop album with boom-bap influences. Now, Conway has always been hit or miss to me. His features are always pretty great, but his projects and EPs have been a little long-winded for me, and that’s the problem. They’re EPs, they’re supposed to be shorter. Luckily, it doesn’t feel that way at all with From a King to A GOD. Before I get to Conway himself, the features on here are some of the best I’ve heard all year. Method Man probably has the best feature of this year so far on “Lemon,” Armani Caesar is full of charisma on “Anza,” and Benny the Butcher and Westside Gunn link up with Conway for their always reliable chemistry on “Spurs 3.” When it comes to wordplay and overall delivery, Conway is on point. Whether or not I like a project from his or not, his writing is always a positive in my eyes. He shows off his braggadocious side on some tracks, and on others, he’s more heartfelt that shows his rise to fame. The production is also stellar, like many Griselda records. “Juvenile Hell” is the best example of this, with Conway’s aggressive delivery hitting you like a Superman punch.

The main Griselda trio always has a trick up their sleeves. Westside Gunn has an instantly recognizable voice, Benny the Butcher has top-notch storytelling and flow, and Conway has both of them. While From a King to A GOD isn’t my favorite Griselda record this year (that belongs to Gunn’s Pray for Paris), this is definitely on the upper echelon. This has cemented Griselda’s rise to fame, and they aren’t going anywhere any time soon thanks to Conway the Machine.


7/10


Stream From King to A GOD here

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