Westside Gunn had a huge 2023. The rapper dropped And Then You Pray for Me, his most high profile album to date. He also kept the hardcore fans fed with Hall & Nash 2. He’s had a relatively quiet 2024, in comparison to his Griselda brothers (Benny the Butcher can’t stop dropping music). That said, Westside Gunn is back. The Buffalo rapper has confirmed that his new album Still Praying is in the works, and it will be out sooner than later.
Westside Gunn made the announcement via Instagram on September 4. “Still Praying coming soon,” he wrote in the caption. He tagged Griselda, and then proceeded to build up hype even further by dubbing the new album a “f*ckin art piece.” The rapper failed to provide a release date or tracklist, but he did give fans a look at the cover art. Still Praying continues Westside Gunn’s run of stellar album covers by giving fans a photo of the late wrestler Sidney “Sid Vicious” Eudy.
Westside Gunn Channels WWE On The Album Cover
Westside Gunn is one of the biggest wrestling fans in hip hop, so the shoutout makes sense. He rapped a song at AEW Dynamite in 2022, and provided the walkout song for wrestler Daniel Garcia. “It’s been time for him to get a little shine,” Garcia told Pitchfork. “So I’m glad we were able to put that shine on him and give him that moment.” Westside Gunn has also made numerous wrestling references in his music. In a 2023 interview with Billboard, the rapper cited Scott Hall as his all time favorite wrestler. “I respect all the old fly sh*t,” he asserted. “That n**ga was the illest. That don’t take from the other n**ga with the chains and the toothpick…. It’s like me in real life.”
Westside Gunn may be known for his tireless work ethic, but the rapper did admit that he wants to take more time crafting albums. Less output, even more quality. “Back in the day, it was the flood sh*t,” he told Billboard. “Now you only hear me when I do an album or a feature. It’s like you really only hear me when I do an album now.” It’s not like the quality of Westside’s albums were suffering to begin with, so we can’t wait to hear what Still Praying sounds like. Whenever it drops.
About The Author
Elias is a music writer at HotNewHipHop. He joined the site in 2024, and covers a wide range of topics, including pop culture, film, sports, and of course, hip-hop. You can find him publishing work for HNHH from Monday to Friday, especially when it comes to the coverage of new albums and singles. His favorite artists are Andre 3000, MF Doom, pre-808s Kanye West and Tyler, The Creator. He loves L.A. hip-hop but not L.A. sports teams. The first album he ever bought was Big Willie Style by Will Smith, which he maintains is still a pretty good listen.
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