Griselda’s three headed monster is back, this time in the form of a 7-song album from Conway the Machine: LULU. Entirely produced by the Alchemist, this project dives into Conway’s rough past, his rise to fame and him believing he is the best rapper out. On “The Contract,” Conway and Alchemist juxtapose the grimy, violent bars with the sweeping melody reminiscent of a meadow filled of horror.
Conway brags about his collection of weaponry and violent past on “Calvin,” as he raps “scope on the stick, I can hit you from distance” and “if we talking keys, I just moved a piano.” However, the mood of this song is too upbeat for the album and doesn’t quite fit in the middle of songs with booming drums and Scarface samples. A meaningful symmetry is presented between Conway’s struggle and fame on "14 KI" when he raps about his Balenciaga trench coat in comparison to the trenches he was metaphorically in as a poor youth. LULU is laced with hard, grimy, STANK FACE beats from the Alchemist and head bobbing verses from Conway the Machine. Basketball references and death threats echo in each song.
Now, Conway believes he is big time, from his past mentions of Roc Nation brunches to being “treated like the Big Ticket when I’m moving through Boston.” (Shout out Kevin Garnett). The combination of Conway over Alchemist beats sounds like the emptiness in a dark hallway that frightens us, yet is comforting to have them there for the journey. The beats have tones of death, royalty, and violence, and that all fits perfectly with Conway’s image. LULU is less impressive in its wordplay and replay value than some of his 2019 projects, but it is always refreshing to hear some new work from Conway to remind rappers what real gritty street rap should sound like.
6.5/10