Westside Gunn returns to his luxurious house of horrors with eerie production, animated performances, and a carefully chosen supporting cast.

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TOP 5

5. ZILLA

There’s usually at least one Westside Gunn solo track that really sticks with me. On HEELMATIC, it’s “ZILLA.”

First and foremost, my sick-ass loves the track’s beat, which sounds like some s**t that could’ve soundtracked the hell out of the scene on Amityville where flies swarmed the Priest’s face while he was taking a dump.

As for Westside, he sounds completely in his element. He raps with confidence about violence, Waymos, Jeff Bezos, and then some more violence, because apparently the first round didn’t get the point across.

What sells the track is how naturally he occupies this atmosphere. The production is uncomfortable, but he sounds right at home inside it. Give this man a swarm of bees, and he turns into 2017 Steph Curry.

4. SOCK A KNEE” (Ft. Stove God Cooks)

We all love hearing Stove God Cooks lose his s**t on a track, but don’t overlook how well he raps when he sounds slightly normal.

“SOCK A KNEE” gives him and Westside bare boom-bap production to work with, and both take advantage. They let their bars fly, touching on thirsty fiends, guns blasting, and the kind of business you probably shouldn’t discuss on speakerphone.

The best part is how chill they sound through it all. Despite their diabolical content, their tones feel unbothered. It’s almost like they wrote the song right after getting that one hookah hit that completely lowers your blood pressure. You never know when that hit will come, so embrace it.

3. BOTTOM BUNK LEGENDS (Ft. Benny The Butcher)

Benny The Butcher might have the best verse on this album, and “BOTTOM BUNK LEGENDS” is where you’ll find it.

Over production that sounds like some upbeat graveyard s**t, Benny delivers a killer flow that slides effortlessly through the backdrop. He talks hella s**t about people who criticize their success while missing more layups than Angel Reese. The punchlines land, but the ease with which he delivers them makes the verse especially tough.

Westside Gunn’s contribution doesn’t reach those same heights, but he keeps the theme going with an animated performance about being better than the people questioning him. Comparing the competition to Michael Jordan during his Wizards tenure is particularly disrespectful.

This sounds like something they recorded after getting followed around an expensive store. Somebody questioned their purchasing power, and now we all have to hear about it.

2. BLOWDYSSEUS” (Ft. Stove God Cooks)

At this point, I’m considering legal action if I press play on a Westside Gunn album and Stove God Cooks doesn’t appear.

Thankfully, HEELMATIC handles that obligation early. “BLOWDYSSEUS” arrives as the second track, bringing grandiose production that somehow feels enormous without ever fully getting started.

Stove delivers the unorthodox performance I came for. There are Mike Tyson impressions, plenty of drug talk, and singing that is somehow awful and beautiful at the same time.

Westside follows with a spicy verse that reminds you whose name is on the cover. He understands how to keep his presence felt alongside somebody this unpredictable.

The whole thing is strange, luxurious, and slightly unhinged. In other words, exactly what I wanted from these two.

1. DON PISTOLA (Ft. Benny The Butcher & Conway The Machine)

I’m going to stop assuming Griselda broke up. Every time I start entertaining that thought, these dudes reunite and remind me to mind my damn business.

“DON PISTOLA” brings the familiar trio together over a ’90s-sounding, Tales from the Crypt-ass beat. Benny delivers his usual sturdy flow and killer punchlines, while Westside puts his head down and brags like somebody asked to see his receipts.

Conway The Machine is the interesting one here. He initially uses a squeakier tone that makes him almost unrecognizable before settling into that familiar bully delivery. From there, he sounds determined to snatch his respect out of our weak-ass hands.

Their individual styles remain distinct, but they fit together beautifully. This is the kind of collaboration that reminds you why hearing these three on the same record still matters.

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SONG BY SONG RATING

GRANT HEEL (N/A)

BLOWDYSSEUS (Ft. Stove God Cooks) (4/5)

ZILLA (4/5)

KOKE SLAM (4/5)

SOCK A KNEE (Ft. Stove God Cooks) (4/5)

DON PISTOLA (Ft. Benny The Butcher & Conway The Machine) (4/5)

MARTIN 4SESE (4/5)

TOMMY HEELFIGER (4/5)

HURT + HEEL (Ft. Benny The Butcher & Brother Tom Sos) (4/5)

PRICE CHOPPERS (4/5)

EGYPTIAN CADILLAC (3.5/5)

BOTTOM BUNK LEGENDS (Ft. Benny The Butcher) (3.5/5)

BAVETTES (4/5)

GIANT LEATHER (N/A)

THE BASTARD PAC (Ft. Conway The Machine) (3.5/5)

UPSTATE FARMS (4/5)

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RGM RATING

Jesus Christ, I missed the s**t out of this Westside Gunn sound.

The production we get on this album is stupendous. So many beats feel unsettling, dark, and downright unfriendly, but they still give the rappers enough knock and space to get their bars off. There’s luxury in the details, too. Some of these instrumentals sound like the lobby music at a five-star hotel where several guests have gone missing. As somebody who watches Chilling Scares videos on YouTube to fall asleep, I felt right at home.

I also appreciate how well the production supports different approaches. The grander moments give Stove room to get theatrical, while the bare boom-bap settings let the rapping take over. Even when a beat refuses to move conventionally, there’s something compelling happening inside it.

Lyrically, Westside and his guests mostly discuss expensive possessions, dealing drugs, and testing their opponents’ chins. You know the territory. What makes it intriguing is how they get there. The references, punchlines, and oddly specific details make familiar subjects worth listening to again. These dudes will take the most complicated route possible to tell you they have more money than you, and I respect the craftsmanship.

Westside’s delivery is equally recognizable. The wacky inflections, animated verses, and gunshot ad-libs are all present. But listen closely to how he navigates these beats. Following production this unorthodox takes more skill than people sometimes acknowledge, and he consistently finds a way to make his delivery belong. A guest might deliver the stronger verse, but Westside rarely sounds misplaced on his own record.

The supporting cast shines. Stove brings his erratic performances and unpredictable melodies, Benny supplies sly confidence and punchline-heavy verses, and Conway adds finesse alongside his familiar toughness. Keeping the guest pool relatively concentrated helps the album feel connected. These are people who fit Westside’s world and still bring distinct personalities into it.

I wouldn’t call every moment essential. There are stretches I can see myself skipping, and anybody who already dislikes Westside’s voice probably won’t have a conversion experience here. But the production is damn near flawless within the atmosphere he’s building, and the rapping consistently gives you something to appreciate.

HEELMATIC is one of Westside’s better projects. It’s luxurious, dark, and full of the mad-scientist instincts that make his music entertaining. Should you play it at your girl’s slumber party? Probably not. For those of us who appreciate what he does, though, this is a hell of a listen.

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