WWCD (album)

WWCD
Studio album by
Griselda
ReleasedNovember 29, 2019 (2019-11-29)
Genre
Length46:27
Labels
Producers
Griselda chronology
Don't Get Scared Now
(2016)		 WWCD
(2019)
Singles from WWCD
  1. "Dr. Bird's"
    Released: October 18, 2019
  2. "Chef Dreds"
    Released: November 8, 2019

WWCD (an acronym for What Would ChineGun Do) is the debut studio album by American hip-hop group Griselda, composed of Benny the Butcher, Conway the Machine, and Westside Gunn. It was released on November 29, 2019, through Griselda, Shady, and Interscope. It features guest appearances from 50 Cent, Eminem, and Raekwon, among others, and production is handled by Daringer and Beat Butcha.

Background

WWCD is an acronym for What Would ChineGun Do. It is a reference to Chine Gun Black, Benny the Butcher's late brother.[1]

WWCD's lead single was "Dr. Bird's", released on October 18, 2019. On January 8 of the following year, a music video was released, directed by Hype Williams.[2] On January 23, Griselda performed the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the debut on the show for all members.[3] In a 2023 retrospective, Thomas Hobbs of Okayplayer named the song as the breakout song for producer Daringer.[4]

The second single, "Chef Dreds", released on November 8, 2019.[5]

In an interview on October 20, 2023, Westside Gunn said a sequel to WWCD was in the making.[6]

Cover

The cover of the album shows Clara "Claire" Gomez, a homeless woman who lived in Buffalo, New York. The Buffalo News reported she was killed on the night of May 23, 2023, aged 58, after being hit by a car.[7] On May 25, Westside Gunn donated $10,000 to a GoFundMe set up by her family to cover the costs of her funeral.[8]

Contents

Writing for Pitchfork, Evan Rytlewski compares WWCD's production to hip-hop from the 1990s broadly. The album was produced by Griselda in-house producers Daringer and Beat Butcha,[9] who did not use samples for the album.[10]

The lyrics of WWCD cover criminal stories from each Griselda member, primarily cocaine dealing. On the song "Kennedy", an interlude, Westside Gunn repats the lyric "blow your fucking face off" while ad-libbing gun sounds. The opening song, "Marchello Intro", features spoken word from Raekwon.[9]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
EarmilkStarStarStarStarStar[11]
HipHopDX4.5/5[12]
Pitchfork7.7/10[13]

WWCD received positive reviews from critics. Evan Rytlewski of Pitchfork rated it a 7.7/10, complimenting the group's synergy, while criticizing the repetitive production.[9] Hip Hop Golden Age rated it 79/10, calling it a "great but a just slightly (frustratingly and unnecessary [sic]) flawed project".[14] Writing for Earmilk, Margaritë "Magi" Camaj rated it 5/5 stars, calling it "an impeccable album".[15] Riley Wallace of HipHopDX rated it 4.5/5.[1]

Track listing

All music is composed by Daringer and Beat Butcha,[16] except track 13 co-produced with Eminem.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Marchello Intro" (featuring Raekwon)
2:11
2."Chef Dreds"
  • Pennick
  • Worthy
  • Price
  • Dubock
  • Paldino
2:48
3."Moselle"
  • Pennick
  • Worthy
  • Price
  • Dubock
  • Paldino
3:59
4."Cruiser Weight Coke"
  • Pennick
  • Worthy
  • Price
  • Dubock
  • Paldino
3:52
5."Freddie HotSpot"
  • Pennick
  • Worthy
  • Price
  • Dubock
  • Paldino
3:52
6."Dr. Bird's"
  • Pennick
  • Price
  • Worthy
  • Dubock
  • Paldino
4:52
7."The Old Groove" (featuring Novel)
  • Pennick
  • Price
  • Worthy
  • Alonzo Stevenson
  • Dubock
  • Paldino
6:56
8."Scotties"
  • Pennick
  • Price
  • Worthy
  • Dubock
  • Paldino
2:31
9."Kennedy" (featuring Tiona Deniece)
  • Pennick
  • Price
  • Worthy
  • Tiona Deniece
  • Dubock
  • Paldino
0:42
10."City on the Map" (featuring 50 Cent)
3:12
11."May Store" (featuring Keisha Plum)
  • Pennick
  • Price
  • Worthy
  • Keisha Plum
  • Dubock
  • Paldino
4:46
12."Lowery (AA Outro)" (featuring AA Rashid)
  • Pennick
  • Price
  • Worthy
  • AA Rashid
  • Dubock
  • Paldino
1:57
13."Bang (Remix)" (featuring Eminem)
5:08
Total length:46:27

Accolades

Publication List Rank Ref.
Ambrosia For Heads Top 15 Hip-Hop Albums Of 2019 List N/a
Complex Best Albums of 2019
22
HipHopDX The Best Rap & Hip Hop Albums Of 2019
4

Charts

Chart (2019) Peak
position
US Top Rap Albums (Billboard)[20]8
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[21]9

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Wallace, Riley (December 4, 2019). "Review: Griselda's "WWCD" Is Harder Than Concrete Wrapped In Iron — Minus The Eminem Feature". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on December 4, 2019. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  2. ↑ Saponara, Michael (January 8, 2020). "Griselda Get Trippy With Hype Williams-Directed 'Dr. Bird's' Video". Billboard. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  3. ↑ Saponara, Michael (January 24, 2020). "Griselda Brings Their Buffalo Grit to 'Fallon' For 'Dr. Bird's' Performance: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  4. ↑ Hobbs, Thomas (July 20, 2023). "Behind the Beat: How "DR. BIRDS" Cemented the Impact of Griselda & Daringer on Hip-Hop". okayplayer. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Griselda Drops New Menacing Single "Chef Dreds"". Hypebeast. November 8, 2019. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
  6. ↑ Nevares, Gabriel Bras (October 22, 2023). "Westside Gunn Says "WWCD 2" Is Coming, Proclaims 2024 Will Be A Great Griselda Year". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  7. ↑ Herbert, Geoff (May 24, 2023). "'RIP Claire': Buffalo woman featured on rap album cover has died, Westside Gunn says". Syracuse.com. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  8. ↑ Coleman II, Vernon (May 26, 2023). "Westside Gunn Donates $10,000 to Funeral of Buffalo Woman Featured on WWCD Album Cover". XXL Mag. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 Rytlewski, Evan. "Griselda: WWCD". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  10. ↑ Bandini (December 4, 2019). "Daringer & Beat Butcha Detail Producing Griselda's Album Without Samples (Video)". Ambrosia For Heads. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  11. ↑ Camaj, Margaritë "Magi" (December 3, 2019). "Album Review: Griselda - WWCD". Earmilk. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  12. ↑ Wallace, Riley (December 4, 2019). "Review: Griselda's "WWCD" Is Harder Than Concrete Wrapped In Iron — Minus The Eminem Feature". HipHopDX. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  13. ↑ Rytlewski, Evan (December 4, 2019). "Griselda: WWCD". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Review: Griselda - WWCD". Hip Hop Golden Age. November 29, 2019. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Album Review: Griselda - WWCD - EARMILK". EARMILK. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Griselda – W.W.C.D. Credits". istandardproducers.com. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  17. ↑ Commandeur, Jordan (December 18, 2019). "Ambrosia For Heads' Top 15 Hip-Hop Albums Of 2019 List". Ambrosia For Heads. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  18. ↑ Diaz, Angel (December 3, 2019). "The Best Albums of 2019". Complex. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  19. ↑ Wallace, Riley (December 19, 2019). "The Best Rap & Hip Hop Albums Of 2019". HipHopDX. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Griselda Chart History (Top Rap Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved Dec 10, 2019.
  21. ↑ "Griselda Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved Dec 10, 2019.
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