Griselda’s own Conway The Machine performs “Tito’s Back” (with Benny The Butcher) and “Half Of It” for Vevo Ctrl.
Both tracks can be found on Conway’s “Look What I Became” project. Watch the footage below.
Benny and Conway. The Butcher and The Machine. As their long-standing collaborator Pusha T famously said, “if you know, you know.” For those who don’t know, Benny and Conway are boom-bap rap traditionalists who both proudly hail from Buffalo, New York. “I’m from a cold city, Westsides and Conways, ain’t no Biggies,” raps Benny on the intro of 2018’s critically acclaimed Tana Talk 3. “Westsides” refers to Westside Gunn, Conway’s brother and the third founding member of their Griselda Records imprint. In the massive shadow of New York City, Griselda’s prolific output and strong collabs with major MCs have put some respect on the name of their long-overlooked hood. The sophisticated reciprocation of energy in Conway and Benny’s performance of “Tito’s Back” ratchets up and up as the piano sample cycles along. Like only veteran partners can, both gleam in the other’s presence.
“If you my bro, you know I take my shirt off my back and I give it to you,” insists Conway the Machine on “Half of It.” The friendly sentiment may seem surprising from the shadowy MC as he showcases his “grimey” style on the Ctrl studio stage. But empathetic connection with those in the struggle is a theme prevalent throughout the 32-year-old’s entire discography. Hailing from Buffalo, NY, where violence and poverty consistently ranks above the national average, Conway had brushes with jail time and extreme violence at a young age. In 2012, he was shot in the back of the head, which paralyzed the right side of his face. Rather than call it a career, Conway has flourished into a prolific writer and eager collaborator, who has linked with NYC rap icons like Pete Rock, Busta Rhymes and the late Prodigy. If you’re looking for a new voice with an old school flow, look no more.
