Conway The Machine sounds extra motivated in “WON’T HE DO IT.”
STREAM
TOP 5
5. WON’T HE DO IT (Ft. 7xvethegenius)
A Drake-like Conway The Machine track? You bet ya!
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Introspective hip-hop joints with Noah “40” Shebib-type beats will always get 4 and 5 stars out of me. What makes “WON’T HE DO IT” even greater is that Conway The Machine’s verses give off everything from inspirational to competitive to braggadocio feels. He also does a good job of ignoring the song’s somber vibes and instead hitting us with very pumped-up raps.
No knock on 7xvethegenius, but I feel like this song didn’t need her at all. Nonetheless, I do appreciate the vulnerable raps she dishes out to finish it.
4. Brooklyn Chop House (Ft. Fabolous & Benny The Butcher)
The old heads still got the rock folks.
I need to get this out of the way immediately: Fabolous’ verse on “Brooklyn Chop House” might be the best I’ve heard this year. I expected his punchlines to hit like two shots of Henny, but I didn’t expect him to flow over the acceptance speech-like beat like that s**t was butter. No worries, though, Conway The Machine and Benny The Butcher’s verses are still pretty damn good. The former’s sounds effortlessly playa and cocky, while the latter’s sounds like a bunch of body blows to haters. You know what, f**k it, I’m giving a standing ovation to everyone on this track.
[the_ad id=”102857″]
3. The Chosen (Ft. Jae Skeese)
And with the third pick, the streets choose “The Chosen.”
In “The Chosen,” Conway The Machine and Jae Skeese give us their hood resumes like it’s the street ninja draft. The J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League production is bombastic, the lyrics are competitive, the hook reminds me of some vintage East Coast rap s**t, and the Undisputed samples are perfectly placed.
2. Kanye (Ft. Goosebytheway & Drea D’Nur)
Did anyone else close their eyes and fan themselves while listening to this track?
Surprise, surprise, this song is Gospel-like (A true dedication to the greatest Gospel artist of all time: Kanye West). “Kanye” is powered by this hard-hitting, dramatic church beat that will make the sheisty individuals in the pulpit say “amen.” Over it, you get a strangely subdued hook by Goosebytheway, glorious vocals by Drea D’Nur, and a humble, inspirational, and real-ass verse by Conway. Out of all of the tracks that I’ve heard from the Buffalo rapper, this might just be the most productive.
Jesus rolling his eyes at you people comparing your problems to his.
1. Water To Wine (Ft. Goosebytheway, Jozzy & Dave East)
“Water To Wine” makes me want to dust off my All That soundtrack from ’94.
“Water To Wine” sounds so ’90s, I would’ve had zero issues if you threw Immature on this s**t. While Jozzy’s passionate vocals and the boppy R&B/hip-hop beat are the two aspects that make this s**t sound crispily vintage, don’t sleep on Conway The Machine and Dave East’s grungy but romantic verses. That s**t kind of reminds me of the days when R&B singers would throw Wu-Tang Clan on their songs to give it a gritty feel. All in all, as someone who grew up on ’90s music, this s**t moves the needle for me.
I understand, Goosebytheway is on this song; I just don’t understand why.
SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN
1. Quarters (3.5/5)
2. Brucifix (4/5)
3. Monogram (4/5)
4. Stab Out (Ft. Ransom) (4/5)
5. Flesh Of My Flesh (3.5/5)
6. Kanye (Ft. Goosebytheway & Drea D’Nur) (4.5/5)
7. The Chosen (Ft. Jae Skeese) (4.5/5)
8. Water To Wine (Ft. Goosebytheway, Jozzy, and Dave East) (4.5/5)
9. Kill Judas (N/A)
10. Brick Fare (4/5)
11. Brooklyn Chop House (Ft. Fabolous & Benny The Butcher) (4/5)
12. Tween Cross Tween (Ft. Goosebytheway) (4/5)
13. WON’T HE DO IT (Ft. 7xvethegenius) (4/5)
14. Super Bowl (Ft. Sauce Walka & Juicy J) (4/5)
RGM RATING
(B)
As a group, I don’t think Griselda fully lived up to the hype (They are over now, so I can write their eulogy). However, I do think they are having very successful solo careers. While Benny The Butcher and Westside Gunn are probably 1 and 2 when it comes to popularity, under your nose, Conway The Machine has dropped some very good albums. In my humble opinion, WON’T HE DO IT is a very good album. One of the biggest things that stands out to me about it is how complete it sounds. No, Conway The Machine doesn’t just spit bars over your stereotypical cold-ass Griselda beats, he also does his work over some Gospel, ’90s R&B, Noah “40′ Shebib, Game Show, and bombastic s**t (BTW, the beats on this album are fantastic). What I love is that, regardless of the beat that he is handed, you get the same ol’ gritty deliveries, clever punchlines, and real ninja lyrics out of the 41-year-old rapper. At the end of the day, good raps beat versatility almost every time.
Though I don’t love albums with a bunch of guest appearances, I had zero problems with the kind of guests Conway The Machine put on this album. WON’T HE DO IT has a good mix of rap legends, homies, up-and-comers, and crazy people (Sauce Walka and Juicy J). Not a single feature feels like some clout-chasing s**t. It was fun listening to Conway match each person’s energy, showing the hip-hop world what healthy competition looks like.
Never judge a book by its front cover (Unless it’s Frog and Toad). Though Conway The Machine looks like an unapproachable street savant that would slap the hell out of you for using too many big words during a conversation with him, I do think he makes music that is productive, inspirational, well-put-together, and all the way real. Out of all of the so-called mainstream street rappers in the game today, Conway is up there when it comes to making satisfying projects.
Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.
