Weekly Review #15: Conway the Machine
Conway the Machine? More like Conway the Magician!
Background
Conway the Machine is the forgotten brother of Griselda Records, frequently overshadowed by co-founder Westside Gunn. But his music shouldn’t be put to the side in favor of his more popular partner - it is, in its own right, incredible. Let’s see why.
Outstanding Track #1: Scatter Brain (feat. Ludacris and JID) (La Maquina, 2021)
Scatter Brain is probably the best example of everything that makes Conway such a good rapper. It has his trademark hard-hitting delivery with adlibs mixed in, an outstanding flow, and excellent features from Ludacris and JID, a master on the mic in his own right. A really good starter track for Conway where he doesn’t go to hard and stays light.
Outstanding Track #2: Mamas PrimeTime (And Then You Pray For Me by Westside Gunn, 2023)
While this track doesn’t technically belong to Conway, it’s worth noting here because of how good his feature is here. He comes in swinging and doesn’t let up, contrasting very nicely with Gunn’s laid back style. Bonus points for the JID feature (a recurring theme, it seems).
Outstanding Track #3: Gold BB’S (LULU, 2020)
This track is an absolute gem from Conway for a couple different reasons. First, it comes off a harshly criticized album and stands out in that way. Second, the production by The Alchemist is absolutely outstanding, and allows Conway to weave his bars in perfectly. This track is truly one of his best.
Album Review: From King to a GOD (2020)
Widely considered Conway’s magnum opus, From King to a GOD arguably stands as Conway’s most complete project to date. The words “no misses” and “10/10 album” are thrown around relentlessly these days, but this album pretty much fits the bill - save for a few spots on a few tracks, this album is perfect. In fact, a lyric off of Juvenile Hall sums this project up perfectly: “Not only did I raise the bar, the bar broke”. This album was, and probably still is, miles ahead of anything Conway had produced in the past. From the beginning, DeJ Loaf on the first track “Fear Of God” lays down excellent production choices, and Method Man follows on the next track with a great feature of his own. Then, Conway has his first solo track, Dough and Damani, and it does not disappoint. From there, the album becomes a mix of more features and outstanding solo work, allowing us to see inside the mind of Conway the Machine. From the feature choices, to the production choices, to the excellent flow and rapping that Conway always provides, this album is truly another level.
Standout Tracks: Dough and Damani, Juvenile Hell, Anza
Album Score: 8.1/10
Conclusion
Conway the Machine might be overshadowed by Westside Gunn at times, but its not for lack of effort. Hopefully, today’s Weekly Review might help reward that effort just a little bit more. Thank you for reading.