Won’t He Do It: Conway Bares All in Drumwork Debut

For those unaware of the Machine – Conway defied the odds. Merely a man, he proves his machine-like mechanisms on every track with grimey lyrics, references and punchlines. After overcoming gunshot wounds to his head and neck that left the right side of his face paralyzed – he became arguably the most prolific illustrator of our generation. This is Griselda Records.

Griselda Records x Fashion Rebels (GxFR) really started to catapult the competition when they turned adversity into prosperity. Once Westside Gunn put out his first tape, Flyest in Charge – he proved that he meant business. The beautiful part about it is Westside Gunn only started rapping to propel his blood brother Conway the Machine – who was incapacitated at the time.

Conway the Machine and Westside Gunn derive their names from their fallen Buffalo soldier – Machine Gunn Black. The rate at which this collective puts out projects is a direct indicator as to why they are successful.  Conway’s latest release, Won’t He Do It symbolizes a turning of the guild. This is his first release under his independent label – Drumwork Music Group. Now does this mean there is a riff between Griselda members? Absolutely not. Westside Gunn conducts business so masterfully that the original trio – WSG, Conway and Benny the Butcher now own and operate their own record labels.

Best New York Rap Reigns from Buffalo

Won’t He Do It contains a great balance of songs for old and new fans. Altogether, there are contemplative, hyphy, reflective and bouncy types of songs. Also, it has been rumored that this collection of songs is only Side A. 

Upon making this album, Conway the Machine flew to Denver and recorded from 12 to 12 every day. Within the throws of his creative process, he compiled six albums worth of material. Recording music is like photography in the sense that you create hundreds of pieces of content only to choose the very best few to present to the public. 

Furthermore, it feels like there is purposely less depth within the subject matter of this album. For Griselda artists – this is warranted because they consistently tap deep within the psyche of their audience with mind-altering compositions. It is nice to have a balance of pump-up tunes, classic tracks and songs dedicated to legends like Jay-Z and Kanye. 

“Everything about his delivery makes me wanna keep paying attention.”

Quarters [Quote @2:36]

The particular line above resonated with me because it emphasizes the importance of fine-tuning all moving parts to sustain a profitable and well-oiled machine. Creating something is only 20% of the battle.

Man v. Machine

Nonetheless, hip-hop connoisseurs often refer to a track that shares the same title as the album as a, “Title Track.” The title track on this tape* truly bares all. It sets the tone for the types of blended wavelengths found throughout this entire album. Therefore, this track symbolizes the album as a whole because it displays vulnerability. 

Lastly, this album cements a groundbreaking first step in the solidification of Drumwork Music Group. Not only that, but it is the first time Conway has felt comfortable enough to display his face on the album cover. Couple that with wonderful production, top tier rollout/promotion and an absolute banger of a verse from Sauce Walka and you got yourself a downright enjoyable listening experience.

Key Tracks: Super Bowl, Monogram, Kanye

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