How Griselda Turned Newstalgia into a Profitable Brand
In the late 2010s, a crew of rappers hailing from Buffalo, New York, started to make noise in Hip-hop.
Their beats had that vintage dusty boom-bap feel, and their raps painted a vivid lifestyle that you could only paint if you truly lived it.
They sounded distinctly New York at a time when it’s hard to tell where any artist is from.
In fact, the crew was named after an infamous narco. And that crew is none other than….
Griselda.
The record label consists of a ton of acts. But at the forefront, you have 3 Emcees: Westside Gunn (the founder), Benny the Butcher, and Conway The Machine — all blood-related hailing from Buffalo, New York, who are making exceptional music.
At a time when a lot of artists are struggling — some with tours and others with records- the Griselda crew is doing just fine.
Aside from the trio, acts like Stove God Cooks and Boldy James have cultivated strong fanbases, and at the heart of the rise of their label is the concept of
Newstalgia.
Yep, the cousin to nostalgia.
You might be wondering what newstalgia is, so here’s a quick definition from Google:
Newstalgia uses nostalgic items to create something new. Whereas nostalgia relies heavily on sameness to recreate an experience in an identical format, newstalgia seeks to improve upon items of the past.
In keeping with this definition, the Griselda crew takes the aesthetics of Hip-hop culture that made it great and they continue to improve upon it, creating something new in the process.
But exactly how do they do it? Let’s break it down.
I. MIXING IN THE OLD
Griselda’s artists don’t rely on the sameness of Hip-hop in its Golden Era, rather they take some of the best aspects of it and modernize it for a new era.
It’s just reminiscent enough to remind you of those times, but the flows and the aesthetics bring in a perspective that makes feel new.
If we examine the pieces of their art, nostalgia bleeds through in a few ways:
A. THE BEATS
Griselda’s production has a trademark sound (courtesy of producers like Daringer, Conductor Williams, Beat Butcha, and Alchemist to name a few).
Each of the producers above shows a commitment to the old school in their beats (soul samples, drum loops, gritty vibe, etc.), but unlike their colleagues who dabble in the same sound, they aren’t afraid to leverage new technologies to create something else.
A Daringer beat might have an eerie chorus-like effect, while Beat Butcha might make his original composition and then sample it.
No matter how they come up with their work, they manage to make something innovative and new.
Peep below for example.
Conway The Machine: Front Lines
B. THE RAPPERS
Each rapper in the Griselda crew also has a distinct style — Benny doesn’t sound like Conway, and Conway doesn’t sound like Westside Gunn.
Despite that, they all share a similar aesthetic musically, which helps sell the strength of the label.
When paired with production of above you get something new and old at the same time.
Below are a few records that stand out:
Benny the Butcher: 5 to 50
C. THE POP CULTURE REFERENCES
Much of Griselda’s artwork, especially from Benny, features pop culture references from the late 80s, and 90s.
For example, the cover for one of his most acclaimed mixtapes “The Plugs I Met,” which can be seen below, features an iconic scene from Scarface where Tony Montana goes to visit Sosa (the plug) who invariably helped him build his empire.
Below is the cover of Westside Gunn’s album The Fourth Rope which pays homage to 90s wrestling — a passion of his which he turned into a brand of the same name.
Throughout Griselda’s music, you’ll numerous references from wrestlers to NBA Players and every sport in between.
II. BLENDING WITH THE NEW
“I had the clothing line before Griselda Records. I knew the music would help the clothing brand, Griselda by Fashion Rebels” - Westside Gunn, Forbes
Occasionally you might see the Griselda crew use “GxFR” in their captions — the abbreviation refers to their apparel arm which preceded the music.
As for what it means?
The song above can answer that.
It says “Griselda by Fashion Rebels”
According to Striker Magazine, before Griselda broke into the world of Hip-hop, they started in fashion with the Griselda by Fashion Rebels imprint.
While their music pays homage to the sound of Hip-hop’s Golden Era, GxFR is new, and infused with all of their influences from cartoons to wrestling and everything in between.
Below are some GxFR pieces available for resell on Grailed.
“I told Virgil write BRICK on my brick” - Westside Gunn
Griselda’s commitment to bringing high fashion into the conversation of his music is a reminder of what rap used to be.
It’s part luxury — yes, but it’s always been about taste.
Being fly wasn’t always about the designer you wore, it was something you embodied. A way you carry yourself.
Each emcee brings that to life in a different way, and possibly none more than Westside Gunn aka “The Fly God” himself.
Westside can routinely be seen at Fashion Week, whether New York or France showing his style and bringing a different flair to Hip-hop.
See below for a recent pic from his visit at Paris Fashion week which shows how strong his commitment to fashion is:
More to the point…
Below is the artwork for Westside Gunn’s “Pray For Paris” (designed by Virgil Abloh), which features Caravaggio's 16th-century painting David with the Head of Goliath, except David is wearing Westside Gunn’s jewelry.
Covers like this show how Griselda also blends high and low culture, but more than that, it embodies the concept of blending the old with the new.
All of the comes together with the sound that was mentioned earlier.
When combined with the visuals (like the Hype Williams directed video below), you get the perfect combination of generations which helps them achieve something that few rappers (and brands, for that matter) can achieve.
Benny smoked this btw…
WHAT NOW?
The Griselda crew has been steadily pushing out projects and touring and their brand is definitely one that will stand the test of time.
Between the new brands that they’re kicking off, the artists that they signed, and their ability to create cross generational work that can appeal to a gen z’er and an X’er a like, they’re a great case study in newstalgia for any brand looking to leverage it in their future work or brand positioning.
With that said…
If you’ve never heard of any member of the crew you should definitely listen to some of the joints below.
Buffalo’s doing some dope things.
One.
Song of the Week: Conway the Machine (Feat. Westside Gunn & Benny the Butcher) - Tito’s Back
This week is about Griselda so of course the song of the week is about one of my favorite joints by them. Y’all know the vibes…
“My number retired, you can't wear my jersey”