So many rappers have suffered from gun violence during their careers that Complex has a list of rappers who have fallen victim. Many of them come out with minor injuries; Conway the Machine wasn’t as fortunate.
In 2012 the rapper was shot in the back of the head, leaving half his face paralyzed. Despite his injury, Conway has released countless mixtapes with his brother, Westside Gunn, and cousin, Benny the Butcher. Now Conway is looking to go out on his own with his first studio album, “From King to a God.“
His injury, muscle weakness on one side of the face known as Bell’s palsy, makes for an intriguing sound. As opposed to mumble rap, where the artist intentionally doesn’t enunciate their words, Conway lets his words fall out of his mouth with an open-ended drawl. This style of rapping matches perfectly with his beats. They tend to be understated and don’t involve many instruments, giving the tracks a grimy horror feel.
Conway’s intro, “From King,” sets up the album perfectly. Its ominous skit comes from British writer Alan Watts discussing how the connection with the world’s surroundings is equatable to being god-like. The song then morphs into a grim beat where Conway’s deep voice takes over. The verse overcomes the listener’s ear by intermixing his one-liners with the crash of cymbals.
On first listen, Conway seems inspired heavily by the Wu-Tang Clan. Both have a dark and harsh aesthetic. Conway’s flow can also sound somewhat like Method Man. The comparison is easy because they are both on the track “Lemon.” They also both have the New York rappers’ affinities: a verse heavy flow, and the New York state accent. The beat in “Lemon” is a mesmerizing contrast of string instruments creating a swirling wind sound while Method and Conway help guide the listener through the chaos.
A spot where Conway shows his stuff is on “Anza (feat. Armani Ceaser).” Here Conway shows that he cannot only thrive on a minimalist beat but can also make a radio-worthy track. The beat sounds like something that would boom out of a basketball gym. His voice tames down the hype beast sound and gives it a vintage rap feel. Caesar also comes in hot with her verse, which adds her royal aesthetic.
Another aspect that elevates this album is the ease with which Conway delivers his own story. On his track, “Seen Everything but Jesus (feat. Freddie Gibbs),” he shows his vulnerability as well as his origin. Conway and Gibbs demonstrate their vulnerability by starting their verses with, “I did a lot of shit that I regret.” While we all may have done some regrettable things in life, it takes a big person to admit their shortcomings. His story isn’t one filled with moments of glory, yet it made him who he is today, which he effectively communicates.
Conway also continues to speak about gun violence that has affected his life. He raps the names of his past friends who have passed. “Lil Lotto got shot, Mikey B got shot / Lou and Jojo got shot / I start my verse sayin’ they names to show we haven’t forgot.”
In “From King to a God,” Conway’s versatility shows through. He can catch a listener when he raps over something harsh, and he can command a mainstream sound. After releasing 17 mixtapes, this album could bring him some well-deserved attention.
