Last Friday (November 29), Griselda released their Shady Records debut, WWCD. The collaboration between the Buffalo, New York independent imprint and Eminem’s veteran powerhouse is the first group album between Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine, and Benny The Butcher. It involves 50 Cent, Raekwon, singer Novel, and a new, expanded remix of Conway and Em’s “Bang.” Produced by Griselda mainstay Daringer and platinum British creator Beat Butcha, the LP does not deviate from a sound and feel that has risen from the hardcore Rap underground.

In a new segment of a Griselda documentary (“348 Sanders Road”), this album’s production duo is explored. It is revealed that WWCD contains no samples, a logistics challenge of taking a cult-lauded DIY sound to the front steps of the mainstream.

Westside Gunn, Conway & Benny Will Never Compromise The Griselda Sound (AFH TV Video)

“[Daringer] is the provider of the soundtrack,” Smoke DZA says in the documentary. The Harlem MC is an early Griselda collaborator. This year, he released Statue Of Limitations with Benny and Pete Rock. Daringer admits that in the last few years, the dynamic has changed with success. “It’s been a while since we’ve all been in the same room together. We all need to be in the room, rather than sending stuff [over email]. It works better this way, because we bounce ideas: ‘take this, do this, change that,’ just being able to all put our heads together and make decisions.” In a New York City studio, Daringer and Beat Butcha are captured crafting an album. Westside Gunn and Conway also appear.

Daringer has worked with Alchemist on previous Griselda highlights such as 2018’s Tana Talk 3 and this year’s The Plugs I Met. While ALC has previously been part of the Shady family, Beat Butcha was brought in for a reason. “It’s all part of a collage,” Daringer says of his style. “With sampling, [we are now] on a major level, so it’s like you really have to choose [samples] wisely. Especially for where we’re at right now. We’re kinda taking on a new task of trying to do this sh*t with just instruments. I’m not the biggest musician, so it’s like I have these ideas. It’s just really dope that I was able to get together with such a talent as Beat Butcha, who’s here with us. He’s able to make all those ideas come to life.”

Now You Can Spot Samples By Diggin’…With An App On Your Phone

Beat Butcha, who has worked with Beyoncé, JAY-Z, Jadakiss, G-Unit, and others, embraced the challenge. “The idea was to, ‘Okay, they’re gonna do an album on Shady, but they don’t wanna change what they do, despite not being able to use samples.’ So that’s pretty much why I got drafted in. But between me and Daringer, it’s very collaborative. Like, we’re bouncing ideas back and forth the whole time.” Daringer echoes the sentiment.

Conway says he’s proud of his longtime friend and collaborator, noting his tendency to avoid the spotlight. Earlier this year, The Machine things appeared tense in a Vlad TV interview (embedded below) where the site’s host seemed to suggest Daringer copied Alchemist’s style. “He [is usually] in the cut; he ain’t one of them on-the-scene-ass ni**as. So to see him up there, DJ’ing [at] one or two of [his DJ] shows and that ni**a was up there rockin’ that sh*t. I’m just sittin’ there like, ‘Look at my boy.'” Later in the vignette, Conway says, “Old ni**a, new ni**a, there ain’t too many [producers] who can f*ck with that man in there.” Daringer acknowledges that Griselda’s cult following has extended to him and the collective’s sound.

Benny The Butcher Explains Why Rap Is A Grown Man’s Game (AFH TV Video)

Previously, DJ Premier and Royce 5’9’s group PRhyme enlisted Adrian Young on the first album, and Antman Wonder on PRhyme 2 to create sounds that Preemo mixed into the LPs.

AFH TV recently interviewed Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine, and Benny The Butcher about the album. There is also a separate Plugs I Met conversation with Benny. We are currently offering free 7-day trials.

Griselda’s First Song From Their Shady Records Album Shows They Will Never Sell Out

Griselda songs are currently on the official Ambrosia For Heads Playlist.

#BonusBeat: Conway The Machine standing up for Daringer’s originality: