Conway The Machine talks about Griselda, Shady Records, Mounty Rushmore of rap, and more in a new interview.
Revolt has kicked off their new show called “Off Top”, where they will be inviting guests for interviews and freestyle sessions. On the first episode, host Rapsody and Big Tigger sat down with one of the hottest rappers in the game right now, Conway The Machine. To start the show, the host asks Conway about the advice he would give to up-and-coming artists from remote areas. “Just don’t believe in yourself and believing in your craft man and your pen,” says Conway. “Just stick to what you do best and do you. A lot of time I see a lot of artists get caught up in trying to do like, what’s hot or what they think going to play in the club or on the radio and all that. Hip-Hop is based off originality, people like originality. I just always wanted to be the guy that I want to stand out, I don’t wanna fit in. That would be my advice. Don’t try to be like anyone else, just be original.”
Conway The Machine was then asked about his time at the Shady Records and what it would like to be at a label. “It’s been good. It’s a part of the journey,” he says. “I feel journey is important because everything that you need to get through life is in your journey. You just look at it and pay attention to it. It’s beauty in a journey, It’s turmoil, it’s ups and downs but the beautiful part about it is lessons in it. You can actually grow and get smarter and I don’t really got anything bad to say. I just appreciate the chapter, you know f**kin with Shady and Paul and all of them giving me an opportunity coming from buffalo. Especially making the kind of music that we making and sh*t. Rolled the dice on us and f**ked with us and I feel like that’s major and I forever be grateful.”
“Jay-Z, the big homie, one of your biggest supporters. He could pop at the shows, always in the pictures. The people want to know is there any creativity going on in the studio,” the hosts ask. “We’ll see, we’ll see. Who knows man, stay tuned pay attention. I got friends in high places [laughs],” answers Conway.
Conway also responds to the question of would he drop a diss song if someone takes shots at him. “Nah I’m good I ain’t responding,” says Conway. “It ain’t worth my energy. See that’s the negative bullsh*t in it. Because I feel like we are men and we are individuals. It’s a phone call or whatever. They way me and Jim [Jones] going, it ain’t no smoke it ain’t like that. It’s the element of hip-hop that the game been missing like we can keep it respectful but I ain’t really jacking up no sneak attack. I don’t got time for no negativity in my life. I got a lot of responsibilities, a lot of people to take care of.”
Then the host asks him about his picks on the trending topic of “Mount Rushmore of rap“.
Conway The Machine says, “Jay-Z, Eminem, Nas Escobar and Christopher Wallace [Biggie]. However though, If i’m able to do another four. This is my four who I feel like, super unf**kwithable. And If wasn’t for these dudes, then this is my four. Andre 3000, DMX, Black Thought, and Scarface.”
The Buffalo, New York rapper is currently prepping the release of his upcoming Shady Records album “God Don’t Make Mistakes”.
Conway The Machine’s long-awaited Shady Records debut album, God Don’t Make Mistakes, is finally set to be released. While it’s uncertain if he’ll stay on Eminem’s label after this release, many fans have been waiting to hear how the Griselda lyricist’s next album, his third of the year after La Maquina and If It Bleeds It Can Be Killed, pans out.
Two singles, “Piano Love” and “John Woo Flick,” are released before the album. Beanie Sigel, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, 7xvethegenius, Jae Skeese, T.I., Novel, Benny the Butcher, Westside Gunn, Wallo267, Jill Scott, and Keisha Plum all make cameo appearances.
God Don’t Make Mistakes is the first moment the forty-year-old rapper has spoken openly about his anguish following his near-death experience. On “Guilty,” he talks of being shot in 2012 (“No sensation in my legs, I took a bullet in the head, n**a”) and putting everything on the line. When Conway recalls how Bell’s Palsy debilitated the right side of his face, you can detect a fragility in his voice–his delivery is solid, conjuring a hurt he still feels.
In another interview, Conway explained why he’s closer to Kanye West than Eminem. “Yeah. It was more business [with Eminem],” he said. “I don’t want to say the wrong thing. I’m kinda careful, but it was more business, and rightfully so, that’s how our relationship started. We didn’t really have no, I guess, relationship like that. We spoke a couple times on the phone and stuff, kicked it with him a couple of times at Coachella and stuff like that, but we cool, he a good dude.”
“He called me, told my album was a classic, man, and he love what I’m doing. I don’t got nothing bad to say about him but you know, Ye and Hov, guys like that, they more [personal]. There’s nothing bad to say about Em, he held me down, he gave this opportunity and platform.”
Watch the full interview below and also check out his new freestyle over Jay-Z’s “Ignorant Sh*t”.
