By Benjamin Vieira
Wrestling has many celebrity fans, but there is no one in hip-hop who loves it more than the FlyGod, Westside Gunn.
Highlights
- Westside Gunn is a key figure in hip-hop, with a deep love for pro wrestling reflected in his music and brand 4THROPE.
- He pays tribute to wrestling in his songs and performances, with ties to countless wrestlers and even a wrestler merchandise line.
- Through Griselda Records and collaborations, Gunn merges wrestling and hip-hop cultures, creating a unique and innovative brand.
Hip-hop and professional wrestling have had a connection for decades. In the last few months, Lil Wayne walked with Jey Uso down to the ring at WrestleMania 40. Travis Scott made an appearance on an episode of RAW. Sexyy Red is making an appearance in NXT. Action Bronson has even stepped in the ring. However, there is one artist whose love for professional wrestling outshines them all. On any given night, he can be seen sitting in the front row at a show for any company. He has countless songs named after wrestlers and events. He has even performed live on AEW Dynamite, and has his own wrestling brand that combines hip-hop and wrestling culture. All of this is used to describe Buffalo, New York’s own, Westside Gunn.
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Westside Gunn Is One Of The Biggest Names In Hip-Hop
Westside Gunn Is One Of The Founders Of Griselda Records
Years Active | 2005-Present |
Label | Griselda Records |
Notable Projects | Pray For Paris, Supreme Blientele, And Then You Pray For Me, FlyGod |
Affiliated Artists | Conway The Machine, Benny The Butcher, Mach-Hommy, Armani Caesar, Rome Streetz, Stove God Cooks, Conductor Williams, Daringer |
Gunn, also known as FlyGod, has been involved in creating art since the mid-2000s. However, it was in the early 2010s when he, Conway The Machine (who as duo, Gunn and Conway go by Hall N Nash), and Mach-Hommy built Griselda Records together. From there, the label has grown to be an independent powerhouse and includes other artists such as Benny the Butcher, Rome Streetz, Armani Caesar, Stove God Cooks, and Boldy James. Gunn’s raps are a true painting of his life. In one bar he could be talking about his life growing up in Buffalo and in the next he could be talking about his love for designer clothes. Wrestling has been a frequent mainstay of his music for years.
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The FLYGOD's Music Has Tons Of Wrestling References
Westside Gunn Has Incorporated Wrestling Into The Griselda Sound
- Westside Gunn often samples wrestling in his music.
- Westside Gunn and Conway The Machine are known as Hall N Nash.
- Westside Gunn has performed live on AEW Dynamite.
Gunn’s love for professional wrestling is something that has been seen well throughout his career. Across his numerous projects, he has songs named after wrestlers such as Eddie Kingston, The Lucha Brothers, Dean Malenko, and more. He also has shown a lot of love to fellow Buffalo natives Daniel Garica and The Butcher and The Blade.
Gunn has also been known to frequently sample sound bites from professional wrestling in not only his own music, but in that of other Griselda artists as well. For example, on Armani Caesar’s The Liz, the song “Gucci Casket” features audio from Miss Elizabeth. For Gunn, his love for wrestling is not limited to just a couple references. He has a genuine love and passion for the sport of professional wrestling. He told Pitchfork:
“Wrestling for me is like how Wu-Tang had karate…It just goes hand in hand.”
In addition to his music, Gunn has always been a consistent fan and attends shows very frequently. He sits front row, something that can be seen on his Instagram stories whenever he is attending a show. Gunn even rapped on “Derrick Boleman” that he would rather go to a wrestling event than an award show. He rapped:
“Skipped the Grammys two years straight to watch wrestling”
Gunn is also close friends with a number of wrestlers across a variety of different companies. You can often see him linking up with them after shows or wrestlers greeting him during their entrances and after wins. Eddie Kingston, Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill, Danhausen, Daniel Garcia, and many, many more. He rapped his song “DR. BIRDS” for Garcia’s entrance in Buffalo on the night he won the ROH Pure Champion on AEW Dynamite. He has even made music with MVP, who was on the remix of the song “The Hurt Business.”
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Westside Gunn Has His Own Wrestling Brand Called 4THROPE
Westside Gunn Is A Grammy Nominee
- 4THROPE first began as a collaboration with HOG Wrestling.
- Westside Gunn has released merchandise with wrestlers on it in the past.
- Westside Gunn made his own 4THROPE Title.
For years, Gunn has also operated 4THROPE, which is meant to be a combination of his love of the cultures of both professional wrestling and hip-hop. While he had merchandise in the past that featured images of wrestlers, Gunn aims to use 4THROPE to take it to the next level. While 4THROPE began life in 2020 as a collaboration between Gunn and the HOG promotion, he has grown it to be something much more. This has even included him posting 4THROPE Championships on his Instagram. On the website for the brand, Gunn stated:
“The Responses for 4THROPE has been overwhelming THANK U to EVERYBODY who’s reached out, we’re gonna make this SPECIAL & this is a brand I’ll be building with the Wrestling community… I want to have Fun, I want to continue to be innovative & I wanna make History #4thRope.”
Gunn is certainly someone to keep an eye out for next time you watch any professional wrestling event, whether it be WWE, NXT, AEW, TNA, and more. Gunn has a passion for professional wrestling that is unlike anyone else that has been seen before. He showcases it in every creative project that he has embarked on, whether that be music, fashion, or any other art that he loves to do. The former Grammy-nominee is building something that is truly special and one-of-a-kind.
