Westside Gunn is taking credit for the trend of hiding features on albums following Travis Scott‘s Utopia.
The Griselda rapper took to Twitter on Tuesday (August 1) to react to a tweet about features being hidden on projects, and how J. Cole and Scott mastered it with The Off-Season and Utopia, respectively.
“Hiding the features for a few days like this is honestly a win-win-win for the album’s hype, the fans, + the featured artists,” the tweet read. “J. Cole did it perfectly with The Off-Season and now Travis Scott’s done it with Utopia. I hope we start to see more artists doing this with their albums.”
Westside Gunn responded by claiming he’s been strategically keeping his album features hidden for years and that he’s “10 steps ahead” of the competition.
“I do this with every album lol,” he wrote. “I keep telling y’all I’m 10 steps ahead, I can’t wait to the day when MFs Wake up and see I’ve been doin everything y’all be claiming y’all loving yeeeears ahead.”
He added: “why u think I’m the [goat] and we’ll respected it’s bc I’m the 1, ask ya fav artist.”
When a Twitter user told Westside Gunn he’s “not even the best in Griselda,” he responded by saying being the best on his label wouldn’t be “smart business.”
“Thank GOD for that bc what would be the point of me owning Griselda if I was just gonna be the best one that Doesn’t sound like smart business,” he said. “see my approach was always for the artist 2 be better than me that’s why we have the best shit when everybody else want Clout #STUPID.”
The same person said they’re “personally taking Conway [The Machine]” over him, to which Gunn replied: “And that’s fine but my brother would spit in ya face for even saying that dumb shit in the first place we don’t fuck with ppl like you, y’all in the way and don’t understand ART.”
When Travis Scott’s Utopia arrived on Friday (July 28), only the song titles were made available on streaming services, leaving fans to dig to find the full list of featured artists.
However, the guest artists were later added to streaming platforms, confirming appearances from Drake, Beyoncé, Future, Playboi Carti, The Weeknd, 21 Savage, Young Thug, SZA, Kid Cudi, Swae Lee and more.
Westside Gunn also appears on Utopia on the song “Lost Forever,” which boasts production from The Alchemist and James Blake.
The Buffalo rapper is no stranger to assembling heavyweight supporting casts himself, with his most recent project, last year’s 10, containing collaborations with A$AP Rocky, Black Star, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Run The Jewels and others.
This guy’s music gives me a headache
Artist hiding their feat guest on tracks has been a thing long before he was even in music. He’s not ten steps ahead he’s just repeating the same steps others already did but didnt feel a need to be like “OH YEAH THIS IS HAAAAAAARD HIDING MY FEATURES!”
Artist hiding their feat guest on tracks has been a thing long before he was even in music. He’s not ten steps ahead he’s just repeating the same steps others already did but didnt feel a need to be like “OH YEAH THIS IS HAAAAAAARD HIDING MY FEATURES!”
Whenever these old dudes talk I never ever sense anything but insecurity and a desperation to be relevant despite being some old dudes who’ve been at it forever but only barely just becoming slightly relevant which lasted like 2 years and then ended. Fame is a drug.
Ya’ll don’t know ish about hip hop music and I mean real hip hop. Griselda embodies everything that is real hip hop and aint another label right now with a better line up. Westside Gunn and Conway brought fresh ideas and music to a stale ass trap infested insult to what real hip hop is about. The roots pushed the envelope, outlast pushed the envelope and griselda with what the art could be and doesn’t need to sound the same to be real hip.hop. everyone at griselda g.o.a.t.e.d. Conway left started drumwork and they still have a better line up then other labels. Facts facts facts
He’s 10 steps ahead of Vanilla Ice. Boo-boo-boo-boo-boo-boobyish.
Of course he hides features. He doesn’t pay producers or clear samples either.
Even if he did come up with the idea of hiding features, how is that impressive?
How would you know? This sounds like hate. Give him credit for breathing new life into the underground scene.
I love West but he’s the king of the awkward flex. Bad enough he sounds like a little boy when he talks.