# Westside Gunn

Alvin Lamar Worthy (born July 27, 1982), known professionally as Westside Gunn, is an American rapper and fashion designer. He co-founded the hip-hop record label Griselda Records in 2012 with his paternal half-brother Conway the Machine and their cousin and fellow rapper Benny the Butcher. Gunn is recognized as one of the faces of the underground 2010s grimy boom bap resurgence, juxtaposing vivid narratives of street life, high fashion, and sample-heavy production.
Since 2005, he has released five studio albums in addition to a wide catalog of mixtapes and extended plays. Gunn was affiliated with Shady Records from 2017 to 2020, but has since returned to independent work.

## Career

Westside Gunn released his first mixtape in 2005, however his career was derailed by run-ins with law enforcement. Gunn did not release any music from 2006 to 2011.
In 2012, Westside Gunn co-founded the Griselda Records label with Conway the Machine and Mach-Hommy. 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 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.
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. After signing with Shady, Gunn played at Coachella, Firefly and Governors Ball. 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. In 2018, Gunn released Supreme Blientele, which Ambrosia For Heads named one of the best albums of the year. He also signed with Roc Nation alongside label mate Benny the Butcher on August 6, 2019, under a management deal.
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. Later that year on July 3, 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.
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.
In 2021, he starred in the film Conflicted, alongside Benny the Butcher, Michael Rapaport, and J. Holiday. Also in 2021, he released two songs titled "TV Boy" and "Julia Lang"; the latter song was titled after the fashion entrepreneur Julia Lang. 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.
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.
On January 24, 2025, he announced his involvement in a new hardcore punk band called Dissension and posted a preview of a new song "Black Hole".

## Personal life

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 Total Nonstop Action Wrestling,House of Glory, Major League Wrestling, WWE and All Elite Wrestling events. He maintains friendships with wrestlers Pentagón Jr, Fénix, Rey Mysterio, Parker Boudreaux, Lio Rush, Finn Bálor, Bianca Belair, Montez Ford, Montel Vontavious Porter, Sonjay Dutt, Daniel Garcia, Zilla Fatu 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". 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. 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.

## Artistry

Gunn frequently collaborates with other artists, several of whom are from the 1990s era of hip hop that inspires his own music. Artists such as Conway the Machine, Benny the Butcher, AA 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, JR Swiftz, SadhuGold, Camoflauge Monk, and Denny Laflare make up Gunn's go to collaborators. He has also worked with DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Raekwon, Black Star, Busta Rhymes, Slick Rick, Black Thought, Joey Badass, Travis Scott, Freddie Gibbs, JID, Denzel Curry, Tyler, the Creator, Kanye West, and Rick Ross, among others.

## Discography
### Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected details and peak chart positions :
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions |
| Title | Album details | US | US R&B/HH | US Ind. | AUS | CAN |
| Flygod | Released: March 11, 2016 Label: Griselda Format: LP, digital download, streaming | — | — | — | — | — |
| Supreme Blientele | Released: June 22, 2018 Label: Griselda, Empire Format: LP, digital download, streaming | — | — | 26 | — | — |
| Pray for Paris | Released: April 17, 2020 Label: Griselda, Empire Format: LP, digital download, streaming | 67 | 39 | 8 | — | — |
| Who Made the Sunshine | Released: October 2, 2020 Label: Griselda, Shady, Interscope Format: digital download, streaming | — | — | — | — | — |
| And Then You Pray for Me | Released: October 13, 2023 Label: Griselda, Empire Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming | 29 | 8 | 6 | 81 | 95 |

### With Griselda

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

### EPs

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

### Mixtapes

| Title | Mixtape details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions |
| Title | Mixtape details | US | US Ind. |
| Hitler Wears Hermes | Released: October 23, 2012 Label: Griselda Format: Digital download, streaming | — | — |
| Hitler Wears Hermes 2 | Released: September 22, 2014 Label: Griselda Format: Digital download, streaming | — | — |
| Hitler Wears Hermes 3 | Released: September 16, 2015 Label: Griselda Format: Digital download, streaming | — | — |
| Hitler Wears Hermes 4 | Released: October 31, 2016 Label: Griselda Format: Digital download, streaming | — | — |
| Hitler Wears Hermes 5 | Released: October 31, 2017 Label: Griselda Format: Digital download, streaming | — | — |
| Hitler Wears Hermes 6 | Released: October 31, 2018 Label: Griselda Format: Digital download, streaming | — | — |
| Flygod is an Awesome God | Released: July 5, 2019 Label: Griselda Format: Digital download, streaming | — | 17 |
| Hitler Wears Hermes 7 | Released: November 1, 2019 Label: Griselda Format: Digital download, streaming | — | 47 |
| Flyest Nig@@ in Charge, Vol. 1 | Released: January 2, 2020 (recorded in 2005) Label: Griselda Format: Digital download, streaming | — | — |
| Flygod is an Awesome God 2 | Released: July 3, 2020 Label: Griselda Format: Digital download, streaming | — | — |
| Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Sincerely Adolf | Released: August 27, 2021 Label: Griselda, Empire Format: Digital download, streaming | — | 34 |
| Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Side B | Released: September 24, 2021 Label: Griselda, Empire Format: Digital download, streaming | 196 | 34 |
| Peace "Fly" God | Released: July 8, 2022 Label: Griselda Format: Digital download, streaming | — | — |
| 10 | Released: October 28, 2022 Label: Griselda, Empire Format: Digital download, streaming | 183 | 29 |
| Still Praying | Released: November 1, 2024 Label: Griselda Format: Digital download, streaming | | |
| 12 | Released: February 14, 2025 Label: Griselda Format: Digital download, streaming | | |

### Collaborative mixtapes

* 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)

### Charted songs

| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Album |
| Title | Year | US | US R&B/HH | US Rap | AUS | CAN | WW | Album |
| "Keep My Spirit Alive" (Kanye West featuring Conway the Machine and Westside Gunn) | 2021 | 59 | 28 | 23 | 41 | 51 | 51 | Donda |
| "Lost Forever" (Travis Scott featuring Westside Gunn) | 2023 | 46 | 22 | 20 | 71 | 39 | 47 | Utopia |

### Guest appearances

| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
| "Karoshi" | 2014 | The Purist | Pyrex Scholar |
| "Rex Ryan" | 2015 | Conway the Machine, Roc Marciano | Reject 2 |
| "Air Holez" | 2015 | Conway the Machine | Reject 2 |
| "Triple Beams" | 2015 | Apollo Brown, Planet Asia | Grandeur |
| "Banjo" | 2016 | Royce da 5'9, Conway the Machine, Stlyes P | Tabernacle: Trust The Shooter |
| "Basquiat on the Draw" | 2016 | Skyzoo, Apollo Brown, Conway the Machine | The Easy Truth |
| "Tom Ford Socks" | 2016 | Benny the Butcher, Conway the Machine | My First Brick |
| "The Curve" | 2016 | Termanology, Conway the Machine, Your Old Droog | More Politics |
| "No. 8" | 2017 | Statik Selektah, Conway the Machine, Termanology | 8 |
| "A Thousand Birds" | 2017 | The Alchemist, Budgie, Conway the Machine | The Good Book, Vol. 2 |
| "Judas" | 2018 | The Alchemist, Conway the Machine | Lunch Meat |
| "3 for 25" | 2018 | Meyhem Lauren, Harry Fraud | Glass |
| "Echo Long" | 2018 | Benny the Butcher, Meyhem Lauren | Tana Talk 3 |
| "Fifty One" | 2018 | Benny the Butcher | Tana Talk 3 |
| "Ray Mysterio" | 2018 | The Alchemist, Conway the Machine | Bread |
| "Concrete" | 2019 | Bun B, Statik Selektah, Termanology | TrillStatik |
| "Eastside" | 2019 | The Alchemist, Conway the Machine | Yacht Rock 2 |
| "Tito's Back" | 2019 | Conway the Machine, Benny the Butcher | Look What I Became... |
| "Eastern Conference All-Stars" | 2019 | Skyzoo, Pete Rock, Benny the Butcher, Conway the Machine, Elzhi | Retropolitan |
| "7:30" | 2019 | Smoke DZA, Benny the Butcher | Statue of Limitations |
| "Boosie Fade" | 2019 | Roc Marciano | Marcielago |
| "The Rivington" | 2019 | Free Nationals, Conway the Machine, Joyce Wrice | Free Nationals |
| "Headlines" | 2019 | DJ Premier, Conway the Machine, Benny the Butcher | Non-album single |
| "Overcomer" | 2020 | Royce da 5'9" | The Allegory |
| "Welfare" | 2020 | RMR | Drug Dealing is a Lost Art |
| "Roxycontin" | 2020 | Boldy James, Keisha Plum, Tiona Deniece | The Versace Tape |
| "Spurs 3" | 2020 | Conway the Machine, Benny the Butcher | From King to a God |
| "War Paint" | 2020 | Benny the Butcher, Conway the Machine | Burden of Proof |
| "Cut It 3x" | 2020 | Flee Lord | No More Humble Fashion |
| "Mac 10s for Everybody" | 2020 | Armani Caesar | The Liz |
| "Think of the Lox" | 2020 | The Lox, Benny the Butcher | Living Off Xperience |
| "Stained Glass" | 2020 | The Alchemist | A Doctor, Painter & an Alchemist Walk Into a Bar |
| "Westside Gunn's Interlude" | 2021 | Joyce Wrice, Esta. | Overgrown |
| "S.E. Gang" | 2021 | Conway the Machine, Benny the Butcher | La Maquina |
| "Folie A Deux" | 2021 | Mach-Hommy, Keisha Plum | Pray for Haiti |
| "Murder Czn" | 2021 | Mach-Hommy | Pray for Haiti |
| "Rami" | 2021 | Mach-Hommy | Pray for Haiti |
| "Brick After Brick" | 2021 | Fabolous | Godfather of Harlem: Season 2 (Original Series Soundtrack) |
| "Hood Blues" | 2021 | DMX, Benny the Butcher, Conway the Machine | Exodus |
| "Red" | 2021 | IDK, Jay Electronica, MF Doom | USee4Yourself |
| "Big Steppa" | 2021 | Smoke DZA, Currensy | The Hustler's Catalog 2 |
| "Salute" | 2021 | Russ, Styles P | Chomp 2 |
| "The Narcissist" | 2021 | Brady Watt, DJ Premier | Non-album single |
| "John Woo Flick" | 2022 | Conway the Machine, Benny the Butcher | God Don't Make Mistakes |
| "Brand New 911" | 2022 | Joey Badass | 2000 |
| "Faithful" | 2022 | Diamond D | The Rear View |
| "Guerrero" | 2022 | Benny the Butcher | Tana Talk 4 |
| "Trigger Point Therapy" | 2022 | Mayhem Lauren, Daringer | Black Vladimir |
| "Non Factor" | 2022 | Rome Streetz | Kiss the Ring |
| "Paula Deen" | 2022 | Armani Caesar | The Liz 2 |
| "No Yeast (Remix)" | 2023 | Currensy, The Alchemist, Boldy James | Non-album single |
| "OLDNACKDONALDHADAFARM" | 2023 | Estee Nack | Nacksaw Jim Duggan |
| "Sicilian Gold" | 2023 | DJ Muggs, Ghostfacem Killah | Soul Assassins 3: Death Valley |
| "Brucifix" | 2023 | Conway the Machine | Won't He Do It |
| "Runaway" | 2023 | DJ Premier, Rome Streetz | Non-album single |
| "Lost Forever" | 2023 | Travis Scott | Utopia |
| "Corintios 13:12" | 2023 | Cruz Cafuné | Me Muevo Con Dios |
| "Richies Part Two" | 2023 | Talib Kweli, Madlib, Roc Marciano | Liberation 2 |
| "350" | 2023 | DJ Drama, Lule, Rick Ross | I'm Really Like That |
| "Fly Gods" | 2023 | Babyface Ray | Summer's Mine |
| "Griselda Express" | 2024 | Benny the Butcher, Conway the Machine, Rick Hyde | Everybody Can't Go |
| "Mint Chocolate" | 2024 | 1999 Write the Future, BadBadNotGood, Conway the Machine | Hella |
| "Where They At" | 2024 | French Montana, Kanye West | Mac & Cheese 5 |
| "Black Widow" | 2024 | Rome Streetz, Daringer | Non-album single |
| "Long Live J Dilla" | 2025 | Karriem Riggins, Busta Rhymes | Non-album single |

### Music videos

As lead artist :
| Year | Album | Title | Director | Featured artist |
| 2015 | Flygod | Mr. T | One Dream Films | |
| 2016 | There's God and There's Flygod, Praise Both | Peter Luger | One Dream Films | |
| 2016 | Hitler Wears Hermes 4 | Summerslam 88 | n/c | |
| 2016 | Flygod | Over Gold | One Dream Films | Meyhem Lauren |
| 2020 | Pray For Paris | Euro Step | The Wizard | |
| 2020 | Pray For Paris | Allah Sent Me | The Wizard | Benny The Butcher, Conway The Machine |
| 2021 | WHO MADE THE SUNSHINE | Liz Loves Luger | Chariot Pictures | Armani Caesar |
| 2021 | Hitler Wears Hermes 8 | Julia Lang | Revenxnt | |
| 2022 | 10 | FlyGod Jr | The Daily Gems | Doe Boy, DJ Drama |
| 2022 | 10 | Mac Don't Stop & Nigo Louis | n/c | |
| 2022 | 10 | Peppas | The Daily Gems | Black Star |
| 2023 | 10 | Super Kick Party | The Daily Gems | |
| 2023 | 10 | BDP | The Daily Gems | Rome Streetz, Stove God Cooks |
As featured artist :
| Year | Artist | Title | Director | Other featured artists |
| 2016 | Conway the Machine | Rex Ryan | Mobile Kitchen Sound | Roc Marciano |
| 2019 | DJ Premier | Headlines | Jason Goldwatch | Conway The Machine, Benny the Butcher |
| 2020 | RMR | Welfare | Cameron Dean | |
| 2021 | Mach-Hommy | Folie à Deux | The Daily Gems | Keisha Plum |
| 2021 | Brady Watt | The Narcissist | Jim Warren & Alexandra Derderian | DJ Premier |
| 2022 | Conway The Machine | John Woo Flick | Langston Sessoms | Benny the Butcher |
| 2022 | Meyhem Lauren | Trigger Point Therapy | n/c | |
| 2023 | Talib Kweli & Madlib | Richies Part Two | Unjust | Roc Marciano |
| 2023 | DJ Premier | Runway | DJ Premier | Rome Streetz |