Today, Westside Gunn took to Instagram to mourn the death of his longtime friend and collaborator DJ Shay, who came up with the Griselda crew and stood by them for the entirety of their run. At this time, it's unclear as to how he passed away -- though it should be noted that Gunn alluded to him battling the coronavirus. In any case, it's clear that Shay had a profound impact on Gunn, both as a man and artist.
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"U was there EVERY step of the way, It was an honor to help your dream come true for Buffalo Hip Hop, u looked at me and said “thx to you it’s no more Unsigned city... it’s signed city now," captions Gunn, penning an emotional tribute. "U wanted this shit more than ALL of US, it wouldn’t be a Benny, WSG, Armani, Conway, BSF if it wasn’t for You to watch u DJ was special it was like u were a kid behind those boards, your last thing u said to me was when u beat Corona u wanted a Buffalo Kids Chain I pray to GOD he got u Icey bc u are the biggest BUFFALO KID of them All."
Clearly, the impact that DJ Shay had on Griselda's rise runs deeper than the public may have known. The power of belief can go a long way, and it's clear that Shay believed in Westside's vision, standing by his side and helping to expand the movement into what it is today. " I pray for your family and this is the longest I’ve probably ever cried besides Bacon and ChineGun I’m heart broken," continues Gunn. "I’m a miss fuckin wit u, wats a GXFR show without the LEGENDARY DJ SHAY." He also advises fans to send love to Benny The Butcher, who worked closely with the DJ for fifteen years -- at the time of this writing, the Butcher has yet to weigh in.
Rest in peace to DJ Shay, and we'd like to send a heartfelt thank-you for everything he helped create. Thoughts and prayers to the entire Griselda team during this difficult time.
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