Conway the Machine | |
---|---|
![]() Conway the Machine in November 2022 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Demond Price[1] |
Also known as |
|
Born | Buffalo, New York, U.S. | February 16, 1982
Genres | East Coast hip hop |
Occupation(s) |
|
Years active | 2012–present |
Labels |
Demond Price (born February 16, 1982), known professionally as Conway the Machine, or simply Conway,[2] is an American rapper. Alongside his paternal half-brother, Westside Gunn, and cousin, Benny the Butcher, Conway was a member of Griselda Records. On February 21, 2022, Conway announced his departure from Griselda Records.[3]
History
2012–2019: Early mixtapes and G.O.A.T.
Throughout his 20s, Conway was in and out of jail.[4] During this time, he reflected on what he wanted out of life and began weaning from a gangster lifestyle to focus on his career in music.[2]
In 2012, Conway was shot in the head, neck, and shoulder.[5] Originally, doctors believed that he would be paralyzed from the neck down, however, today the only permanent injury is his face being partially paralyzed, giving him his signature slur.[6]
In 2014, Westside Gunn founded Griselda Records, through which Conway and Westside Gunn would self-release their own projects and the works of artists such as Benny the Butcher and Mach-Hommy.[7] In 2015, Conway released his first two official mixtape projects through Griselda Records, The Devil's Reject and Reject 2.[8][9] Conway and Westside Gunn also released two collaborative EPs through London-based record label Daupe!,[10] the first of which was 2015's Hall & Nash, followed by 2016's Griselda Ghost. In April 2016, during Mobb Deep and Smif-N-Wessun's "Hell On Earth" tour, Conway was introduced to Prodigy of Mobb Deep, who would become one of his earliest notable collaborators and supporters.[2]
On March 3, 2017, Griselda Records signed a deal with Eminem's Shady Records.[11][12] On October 10, 2017, Conway contributed an a cappella rap verse to the 2017 BET Hip Hop Awards Shady cypher.[13] The same year, Complex included Westside Gunn and Conway in their list of "15 Best Unofficial Rap Duos in the Game",[14] as well as two of the "17 Artists to Watch in 2017".[15]
Following Griselda's deal with Shady Records, Conway's first official release was G.O.A.T. on December 21, 2017, which included production from Griselda's in-house producer Daringer and The Alchemist, and featured Royce Da 5'9", Raekwon, Prodigy, Styles P and Lloyd Banks.[16] Earlier in 2017, he released a collaborative mixtape with DJ Green Lantern titled More Steroids.[17]
2019–present: Studio albums
On May 16, 2019, Conway, Benny The Butcher and Westside Gunn released their first single with DJ Premier titled "Headlines".[18]
Conway released "Bang", at the time expected to be the first single from his album God Don't Make Mistakes, alongside Eminem on July 19, 2019.[19][20] God Don't Make Mistakes had been intended to be Conway's debut studio album, and Westside Gunn had stated it was "90 percent complete" in 2018;[21] however, Conway's first studio album would instead be the project From King to a God, which he released on September 11, 2020.[22] During this period, Conway continued releasing mixtapes and collaborative albums as well.
God Don't Make Mistakes was ultimately released on February 25, 2022, as Conway's second studio album.[23] It was followed by his third studio album, Won't He Do It, released on May 5, 2023, being Conway's first studio album not released with Griselda.[24]
Discography
Studio albums
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
US [25] |
US Heat. [26] |
UK R&B [27] | ||
From King to a God |
|
126 | 1 | — |
God Don't Make Mistakes |
|
175 | 1 | 30 |
Won't He Do It |
|
— | 7 | — |
Slant Face Killah |
|
— | 16 | — |
Collaborative albums
- Organized Grime (released in collaboration with Trillmatic Goods) (2019)
- Lulu (with The Alchemist) (2020)
- No One Mourns the Wicked (with Big Ghost) (2020)
- If It Bleeds It Can Be Killed (with Big Ghost) (2021)
- Organized Grime 2 (released in collaboration with Trillmatic Goods) (2022)
- What Has Been Blessed Cannot Be Cursed (with Big Ghost) (2022)
- Pain Provided Profit (with Jae Skeese) (2023)
- Speshal Machinery (with 38 Spesh) (2023)[28]
Compilation albums
- Drumwork: The Album (with Drumwork Music Group) (2023)
Mixtapes
- Welcome 2 the Badside (2007)
- The Transition (2007)
- T2: The Machine (2008)
- The Worst of Conway (2010)
- Welcome Back (2 da Badside) (2010)
- Amerikan Greed (2012)
- PhysiKal Therapy (2014)
- The Devil's Reject (2015)
- Reject 2 (2015)
- G.O.A.T. (2017)
- Blakk Tape (2018)
- Everybody Is F.O.O.D (2018)
- EIF 2: Eat What U Kill (2018)
- Everybody Is F.O.O.D 3 (2019)
- Look What I Became (2019)
- La Maquina (2021)
- The Missing Bricks (2021)
- Greetings Earthlings (2022)
Collaborative mixtapes
- Who Wants What (with Street Entertainment) (2005)
- Bang Bang (with Street Entertainment) (2005)
- The Pre-Season (with Buff City Music Group) (2012)
- Hall & Nash (with Westside Gunn as Hall 'N Nash) (2015)
- Griselda Ghost (with Westside Gunn as Hall 'N Nash, produced by Big Ghost LTD) (2015)
- Hell Still On Earth (with Prodigy) (2016)
- Reject on Steroids (with DJ Green Lantern) (2017)
- More Steroids (with DJ Green Lantern) (2017)
- Death By Misadventure (with Sonnyjim) (2018)
- Untitled Drums EP (with Imported Goods) (2018)
- Hidden Drums (with Drumwork Music Group) (2023)
- Conductor Machine (with Conductor Williams) (2023)
- PALERMO (with Wun Two) (2023)
- Hall & Nash 2: The Original Version (with Westside Gunn & The Alchemist) (2023)
With Griselda
- Don't Get Scared Now (2016)
- WWCD (2019)
Music videos
Year | Album | Title | Director | Featured artist |
---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | Reject 2 | Rex Ryan | Mobile Kitchen Sound | Westside Gunn, Roc Marciano |
2019 | EIF2 : Eat What U Kill | G Money on the Roof | HDTV & Flee Lord | Flee Lord |
Overdose | Denzel Williams | |||
Look What I Became | Tito's Back | Benny the Butcher, Westside Gunn | ||
No Women No Kids | ||||
2020 | From King to A God | Lemon | Langston Sessoms | Method Man |
Forever Droppin Tears | El Camino | |||
Jesus Khrysis | Slim Gus. The Video Shotta & The Real Tony Dinero | |||
2021 | La Maquina | Scatter Brain | n/c | Ludacris, JID |
2022 | God Don't Make Mistakes | John Woo Flick | Langston Sessoms | Benny the Butcher, Westside Gunn |
Stressed | n/c | Wallo267 | ||
Chanel Pearls | David X. Pena & Chad Tennies | Jill Scott | ||
2023 | Won't He Do It | Quarters | Brucifix | n/c | Westside Gunn |
2024 | Slant Face Killah | Give & Give | Cool & Dre |
References
- ^ "Watch now: Rapper Conway the Machine gives back to Buffalo". The Buffalo News. May 14, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Artist of the Month Conway on Repping Buffalo, Second Chances, and Being the Grimiest of All Time". Consequence of Sound. November 16, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ Moorwood, Victoria (February 21, 2022). "Conway the Machine announces split from Griselda and Shady Records". Revolt. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
- ^ Eustice, Kyle (March 4, 2022). "How Conway The Machine Turned Tragedy Into Triumph". High Times. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ "4 wounded in 3 separate shootings". The Buffalo News. March 18, 2012. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021.
- ^ "Conway: G.O.A.T." Pitchfork. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ "A Guide to Griselda". Complex. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
- ^ "Conway the Machine - The Devil's Reject". Album of The Year. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
- ^ "Reject 2, by Conway". Daupe. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
- ^ "Daupe!". Discogs. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ "Shady X Griselda Ink Deal For Westside Gunn and Conway". Shady Records. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ "Griselda Set Out to be Your Favorite Rapper's Favorite Rappers. It's Paying off". NPR.
- ^ Mojica, Nick (October 11, 2017). "Conway, Boogie and More Spit in Shady 2017 BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher – XXL". XXL Mag. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ "The 15 Best Unofficial Rap Duos in the Game Right Now". Complex. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ "17 Artists to Watch in 2017". Complex. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ "Conway the Machine: G.O.A.T." Pitchfork. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
- ^ Melis, Matt (October 30, 2017). "Album Review: Conway - More Steroids". Consequence. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
- ^ Chesman, Donna-Claire (May 17, 2019). "DJ Premier & Griselda Interview: Making "Headlines"". DJBooth. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ "Conway The Machine – "Bang" (Feat. Eminem)". Stereogum. July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
- ^ "Listen to Eminem's Guest Verse on Conway the Machine's "Bang"". Spin. July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
- ^ Wallace, Riley (June 26, 2018). "Westside Gunn Takes One Last Independent Swing on 'Supreme Blientele' Before Heading to the Big Leagues". Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ "Critic Reviews for From King to a God - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ "God Don't Make Mistakes by Conway the Machine". Metacritic. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ "Conway the Machine Drops New Album Won't He Do It: Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
- ^ "Conway The Machine Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
- ^ "Conway the Machine Chart History: Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. March 4, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ Zamora, José (September 13, 2023). "Speshal Machinery: A Duo to Watch Out For". All Rap News. Retrieved September 16, 2023.