Westside Gunn Proclaims "And Then You Pray For Me" To Be A Classic

BYGabriel Bras NevaresPublished on October 19, 2023642 Views

Conway The Machine "Won't He Do It" Album Release

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 04: Westside Gunn attends Conway The Machine's "Won't He Do It" Album Release on May 04, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images)

Do you folks agree or did Flygod miss the mark?

Westside Gunn's new album And Then You Pray For Me proved to be a much more divisive project than fans likely anticipated. However, that's arguably not due at all to its quality, but rather to the stylistic shift present on the album. Instead of working with more boom-bap instrumentation for his beats, he decided to show off his more trap-inspired sensibilities. Moreover, this resulted in a pretty debated reception from Flygod's fanbase, with some praising the new, fresh direction, and others dismissing his moves astray from his perceived roots. Despite this conversation, he maintains that he's incredibly proud of what seems to be his final studio album.

"I really made a CLASSIC!!!!!" Westside Gunn tweeted recently, with a meme edit of The Pope holding his LP up. "This s**t sounds better every time u play it, even the ppl who didn't understand it the first day now saying AOTY. GOD IS THE GREATEST #ANDTHENYOUPRAYFORME." Of course, it's no surprise that the Griselda rapper is defending his hard work to a group of detractors. Even though the sound is quite different, there are still plenty of tracks that fit right into his beloved formula.

Westside Gunn Maintains That He Made Another Classic

As the Buffalo native continues to brush the critics off, discussion around And Then You Pray For Me continues to shift. Some praised it from day one, others came around to it or grew off of it, some continue to say it's mediocre, and a few are tired of Westside Gunn trying to fix perception of it in fans' eyes. Regardless of all that, one thing that can't be denied is that he gave fans a distinctly different experience compared to his other projects. That's got to be worth something, even if select hardcore fans won't put it up to the same standard as the rest of his discography.

Meanwhile, what do you think of And Then You Pray For Me? Is it one of 2023's best albums or did Gunn fail to live up to his own magnanimous hype? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments down below. Also, check back in with HNHH for the latest news and updates on Westside Gunn.

About The Author

Gabriel Bras Nevares

Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.