Conway The Machine, Westside Gunn & The Alchemist – Hall & Nash 2 (Album Review)

“Hall & Nash 2” finally sees the light of day.

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TOP 3

3. Fork In The Pot (Ft. ScHoolboy Q)

Every once in a while, you hear Griselda’s members rap over some s**t you aren’t used to hearing them rap over. That happens in “Fork In The Pot.”

Let me find the most fitting way to characterize this beat… It reminds me of some s**t you would hear in a buddy cop movie with a loudmouth chief who always thinks the main characters are f**k-ups.

Do you know what I love about “Fork In The Pot?” Everyone shines in their own unique ways in the song. Westside provides it with an animated chorus that gasses folks up, Conway The Machine does some riveting storytelling and huffing and puffing in his verse, and ScHoolboy Q comes with villain-like energy that gives folks a look into his hustler past. In my humble opinion, it’s Q’s verse that is the best.

2. Ray Mysterio

“Ray Mysterio” is a top __ wrestler?

It feels like “Ray Mysterio” is ten minutes long. The song features this cold, slow-tempo beat that moves along pretty sluggishly. Over it, both Westside Gunn and Conway The Machine put up long verses that will almost feel like two certified rambling sessions. I rock with the track because of how raw it sounds. Westside and Conway’s bars sound so effortless while, at the same time, unapologetically gangsta and unnecessarily violent. I think both rappers are at their best when they rap like this.

1. 94 Ghost Shit

This song is flames!

Songs like “94 Ghost Shit” are the reason I appreciate Griselda so much. First and foremost, the beat that The Alchemist hooks Conway The Machine and Westside Gunn up with is exactly what you want to hear them spit bars over. It’s grimy as hell and has a nice tempo to it, provoking both rappers to spit with a pep in their step.

Conway The Machine’s first verse on this song is one of his best to date. I love how confident, animated, and aggressive he sounds in it. I also think he rides the beat excellently. As for Westside Gunn, I don’t love his verse, but I also don’t love every commercial that comes on during my favorite TV show.

SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN

1. Introduction (4/5)

2. Ray Mysterio (4/5)

3. Fork In The Pot (Ft. ScHoolboy Q) (4/5)

4. Michelangelo (4/5)

5. 94 Ghost Shit (4.5/5)

6. Pete VS Andre (3.5/5)

7. Fuck & Get High (3.5/5)

8. Judas (4/5)

9. Hall & Nash 2 (4/5)

OVERALL RATING

(C+) (78%)

The biggest shame in the world is that I got hip to Griselda late. By the time I heard about them, they started doing their solo s**t, which is a shame because of the amount of growth they’ve experienced in the past couple of years. We really only get collaboration tracks here and there from them these days.

Taking my previous paragraph into account, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this collaboration album with Westside Gunn and Conway The Machine. While listening to it, you’ll get a chance to hear how great their chemistry is, how equally demented they are, and how much they feed off one another’s hella unique styles. Equally important to this experience is The Alchemist’s understanding of the kind of beats that these two street hip-hop legends want. Not only do we get some dark s**t, but we also get hood elegant vibes and a beat or two that has the MCs stepping outside of the box a little. If you follow Griselda, this album is exactly what you would want to hear out of them.

So why didn’t I give this album a B after complimenting it quite a bit? Well, unfortunately, what comes with Griselda albums are throwaways. Out of the nine tracks this project offers, about three or so I would prefer not to hear again. Also, I do like a bunch of the songs, but only one jumped off the page for me: “94 Ghost Shit.” Lastly, bless Westside Gunn’s heart, but I’m not necessarily the biggest fan of his verses.

In 2024, all I want is more collaborative efforts from Griselda (I don’t even want world peace)…

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