As the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end. People are not immortal, careers do not last forever, corner stores from childhood do not stay open for eternity and according to Westside Gunn (“Ocean Prime”), the “Hitler Wears Hermes” mixtape series is on its proverbial last legs.
Gunn, who has consistently been making waves for the past six years or so as the leader of the primarily ‘90s rap revivalist collective and record label known as Griselda, has decided to call the series to a close after this, the tenth installment, “10.” This is fitting, seeing as the first project ever released by Griselda Records was his original tape back in 2012. Suffice to say, he was careful to make sure that “HWH” was given a proper send-off.
However, it would be a lie to say that it started off with a bang. After a spoken word intro from AA Rashid (“Sheik-Spear”) that frankly goes on a little too long, the first actual song starts, and it is underwhelming. Gunn steps outside of his comfort zone by rapping over a trap beat, something that longtime fans are not accustomed to, but that, in combination with a middle of the road guest verse from Doe Boy (“100 Shooters”), does not make for a very enjoyable listen.
Thankfully, things begin to pick up immediately after with the track “Super Kick Party,” in which Gunn effortlessly flows solo over a warped sample laced boom bap instrumental courtesy of in-house producer, Conductor Williams (“NEW RELIGION”). Regardless of what was said earlier about Doe Boy’s appearance on the previous track, features are actually a strong suit when it comes to this mixtape. The first win in that department comes in the form of both A$AP Rocky (“Sundress”) and Griselda affiliate Stove God Cooks (“Rolls Royce Break Lights”), who come through with their own respective choices of topics on the cut “Shootouts in Soho.” Honestly, the argument can be made that Cooks turned out to be the MVP of the entire tape, with him appearing on six of the 12 tracks and knocking it out of the park every time it was his turn at bat. In fact, it is his verse that closes out the show-stealing, nostalgic sounding “Switches on Everything.” That track in particular features prolific rap duo Run The Jewels (“Legend Has It”), with El-P (“Request Denied”) and Killer Mike (“Big Mike”) both providing performances that perfectly complement Gunn’s earworm of a hook in which he proclaims “Switches on everything/I don’t leave the house unless there’s switches on everything.” Other highlights include “Science Class” with guest appearances from Busta Rhymes (“Break Ya Neck”), as well as Wu-Tang Clan (“The Shogun”) members Ghostface Killah (“Back Like That”) and Raekwon (“Ice Cream”).
Finally, the album comes to an end with the ten minute posse cut “Red Death,” where nearly every member of the Griselda roster engages in combat to see who is able to drop the best verse. It is the perfect way to close out the mixtape and on a grander scale, the perfect way to put the “Hitler Wears Hermes” series to bed once and for all. For those who are disappointed that this is the end, remember that this definitely does not mark the end of Gunn. As prolific as he and the Griselda crew have been over the years, do not be surprised if another project is just around the corner.
Image from WESTSIDEGUNNVEVO via YouTube
