The Weekly Coos

Surprises come in all forms, and when it’s in the negative sense (with an album), that ruins the appeal of what can arrive as you progress through the journey with the artist. That is how I felt listening to the new Westside Gunn album, And Then You Pray 4 Me. Though one might immediately think it’s a spiritual successor to Pray 4 Paris due to the album cover, which carries over influence from the other, it doesn’t feel like it. A departure from boom-bap laced soundscapes of previous albums, Westside Gunn (WSG) uses more Trap beats than the norm while relying heavily on features, where this feeling for a blockbuster gets immediately washed with the boredom I got going through it multiple times. There are highs and lows, but when each hit, the peaks can reach past the ceiling or crumble past the floor, which makes the 75-minute mess feel more forgettable in the long run. And Then You Pray 4 Me isn’t devoid of hits, but rather, this new full-on trajectory from WSG feels shortsighted as he tries to wash the downs with distractions like the features; fortunately, the highs are worth the time.

And Then You Pray 4 Me runs 21 tracks, with many feeling redundant, creating a slowed pace that might bore you more than expected. It isn’t so much the quality of the writing because if you separate it from the final construct, you’ll find a lot to reflect on, so when you get to the final product, it just oozes confusion. It has many trap beats, sometimes has an aesthetic reminiscent of a mid-2000s mixtape with the producer tags, and your apropos darkly boom bap Westside Gunn music, and when it’s all in the pot, it’s largely directionless. It isn’t a hosted mixtape or hosted anything, so these producer tags add nothing as if they were coming from a mixtape, taking you here and there with no real reward at the end of the tunnel. Unless the lyrics and features are enough to keep you hooked, WSG isn’t the most proficient, as he flows over these trap beats without much energy or zeal. Many of the same producers are here, like Beats Butcha, Conductor Williams, Denny Laflare, and Daringer, and in conjunction with the others, there are some good beats, but there is only so much they can do.

The production of And Then You Pray 4 Me fluctuates between quality. So, when I speak about the highs and lows in the opening paragraph, the beats have an identity that distinguishes them in this regard. Though many trap beats could be relative lows as they retread through familiarity in the percussion, others either blend trap and boom bap like with “JD Wrist” or don’t. But the song also contains that mixtape aesthetic with the rough overlays adding some dimensions to the contrasts filling the album. Though, depending on the listener, that may be true for half the album, if not more, but it maneuvers through too many distinct avenues that I start to question if WSG is taking A Road Less Traveled, or is trying to redefine himself as an artist, and that is commendable; more so when the quality is worth the time like with “Babylon Babis,” and “Mamas Prime Time,” the latter of which is this darkly emphatic posse cut that slowly reels you in before the eventual drop-off.

When it comes down to it, And Then You Pray 4 Me clearly has moments where WSG shines and delivers something worth returning to, even if the lyrical depth isn’t as vast. It’s introspective but mostly boastful with confidence that retreads familiar themes and content; it starts to tack on like there is little to go around and little to think back on. Fortunately, the features reinforce some equilibrium between what doesn’t work and what does. You may think to yourself, is this an overly negative appraisal of the album…well, it mostly is; it’s a disappointment that kept riding the coattails of some minor glimpses of solid work like “Jalen Rose” with Boldy James; others like “Kitchen Lights” with Stove God Cooks, and “Disgusting” with Giggs, with the rare solo coming through like with “Flygod 2x” – an instance we hear him over that smooth gritty boom bap we’ve come to love from Westside Gunn – is trendsetting in a great direction. “Ultra GriZelda” or “The Revenge of Flips Leg” can be added to the mix, as well, since they bring resoundingly smooth flows that highlight their strengths, even if the content stays relative to what they know best, like slanging drugs, hustling, and more, and for the most part it’s solid.

The trap aspect isn’t the most potent, as it glides without making a dent, so when the boom-bap or the gritty New York style, where the piano and dark synths elevate the percussion notes, gets heard, it’s fantastic, unlike most of the trap beats, which have percussion motifs that become tepid and an afterthought as you progress. For every “Kostas,” there’s a “Freddy J’s;” the contrasting levels of connectivity are noticeable within its structure and demeanor. Sometimes, the simplicity hits beautifully, like the Trap-A-Holics drops on “JD Wrist,” which may not work for others. But what I can tell you is, despite the influx of features, the bloatedness is a positive for the album, as their presence balances the scales and makes going through it the first two times at least bearable. Stove God Cooks, Denzel Curry, Boldly James, Rome Streetz, Giggs, and JID – with Benny the Butcher and Conway the Machine – are ones that strike gold due to their cadence with the material and synergy with the beat and primary artist. Though Stove God Cooks is more hit or miss, when he hits, it’s great.

To say I’m very disappointed is an overstatement as little expectations were coming from me when seeing the length and copious amount of features. It’s as if what could have been great ends up being more middle-of-the-road. It doesn’t have time to breathe between tracks, instead just bringing an onslaught of nothing burgers with a few highlights. But if I’m being honest, I’d more likely return to other tracks from past albums instead of the ones here as they fall within this microcosm of content that has gotten heard in the past and better.