Westside Gunn’s "Supreme Blientele" Turns 5

This year marks the 5th anniversary of Westside Gunn’s second studio album, Supreme Blientele. The album was released on June 22, 2018, via Griselda Records and EMPIRE Distribution. Named after Ghostface Killah’s classic Supreme Clientele album, Westside’s album also received vinyl releases under two other titles: Chris Benoit and God is the Greatest. The alternative titles alluded to Westside’s affinity for wrestling and his Muslim faith. 

Supreme Blientele was the official follow-up to Westside Gunn’s groundbreaking debut album, 2016’s Flygod, despite releasing multiple projects since. Flygod has its cult following, gaining Westside and the Griselda Records label a loyal fanbase that propelled the group to the top. They quickly became one of hip hop’s hardest-working collectives. Westside Gunn had continued to build the Griselda brand, teaming up with Eminem’s Shady Records and starting to play major festivals. Supreme Blientele was the culmination of the growing success of Griselda, showcasing the group’s talent and Westside’s knack for curation. It is widely ranked high among the expansive Griselda catalog by diehard fans. We’re looking back at Westside Gunn’s Supreme Blientele for its 5th anniversary.

Since the release of Flygod, Westside Gunn did not hold back from releasing music and merch to help build the Griselda brand and fanbase. He released a compilation mixtape, an EP, and multiple installments of his Hitler Wears Hermes series. All of his releases helped build a name for Conway The Machine and Benny The Butcher, who had only just become a part of the label not long before Supreme Blientele. Before mixtapes had become almost obsolete, there was a clear difference between Westside Gunn’s mixtapes and his albums. The mixtapes were often mastered in a lo-fi quality, consisting of dusty Daringer loops, songs without hooks, and features from the Griselda inner circle. Flygod on the other hand, had a central theme, included a variety of producers, and features from Griselda members and well-known artists alike.

Supreme Blientele followed the standard set by Flygod, featuring an all-star tracklist of talented artists and producers. Daringer, Pete Rock, The Alchemist, Sadhu Gold, Harry Fraud, and 9th Wonder contributed beats to the album. Supreme Blientele contained features from Jadakiss, Busta Rhymes, Crimeapple, Elzhi, and Roc Marciano. Anderson .Paak’s feature on “Wrestlemania 20” was a one-of-a-kind moment for Griselda, making for a show-stopping soulful rap closer. It is not a Westside Gunn album without a killer verse from Conway The Machine or a poem from Keisha Plum. Benny The Butcher’s three guest features built him an even greater buzz than his “Shower Shoe Lords” verse did two years prior. Supreme Blientele is also a quintessentially Westside Gunn album, as it puts his passion for wrestling on full display.

Westside Gunn was not the first rapper to embrace wrestling, but he made it a part of his brand. Supreme Blientele was also not the first time Westside incorporated wrestling into his music, naming many of his biggest songs after wrestlers. Previously, he had made wrestling-inspired songs such as “Dudley Boyz,” “Bob Backlund,” “Summerslam ‘88,” and “RIP Bobby.” Additionally, his duo name with Conway is Hall & Nash, named after the wrestlers Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. 

Out of all of Westside Gunn’s albums, Supreme Blientele is the one most closely associated with wrestling, including many of the songs named after wrestlers, skits from wrestling matches, and the album’s Chris Benoit alternative title. Supreme Blientele makes multiple references to wrestling, with tracks like “Elizabeth,” “Mean Gene,” “Sabu,” “Ric Martel,” and “Brossface Brippler.” There is also an album highlight “The Steiners,” which sees Elzhi and Westside Gunn spitting over a Pete Rock beat. With many quality songs and collaborations that allude to wrestling, the album was made for rap and wrestling fans alike.

By 2018, Griselda had already built a cult following and put Buffalo on the map. They had collaborated with notable names, played sold-out shows, and signed a major label contract with Shady Records. Supreme Blientele was released independently, but the album still gave Westside Gunn and Griselda mainstream recognition. The album’s features and the group’s cosigns helped immensely. The guest verses from Conway The Machine and Benny The Butcher also created avenues for their solo careers, especially the latter, who would drop his debut album, Tana Talk 3, later that year. 

Because of Supreme Blientele, 2018 was one of Griselda’s most prolific years and led to their takeovers of 2019 and 2020, where each member released multiple critically acclaimed projects. Supreme Blientele was the ultimate album for Griselda’s core fanbase, meeting the standards set by Flygod. It combined all of the unique elements of Westside Gunn’s style for a worthy follow-up and highlighted what made him unique, setting him and Griselda Records apart from the rest.

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