by Westside Gunn
Released August 27, 2021 via Griselda Records / EMPIRE
Reviewed September 6, 2021
Top tracks (based on community voting)
Margiela Split Toes (39%), Bash Money (34%), Mariota (30%)
As the penultimate victory lap for the most memorable mixtape series from a name no less memorable in the past decade, Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Sincerely Adolf feels like the return to form Westside Gunn needed. Both of his solo releases following the eloquent gangster of Pray for Paris––Flygod is an Awesome God 2 and WHO MADE THE SUNSHINE?—suffer from a lack of consistent intrigue that’s usually a staple in Gunn’s track record. HWH8 wastes no time in returning to the grit and grime that tapes in this series’ past have delved into. That isn’t to say this isn’t void of Gunn’s eccentric bursts of personality (particularly on “Vogue cover” and “Claires Back”), but this tracklist is near air-tight. A flaw shared by the aforementioned two records is that Gunn played the curator role to a fault, and on HWH8, he’s able to toe the savvy line between curator and MC magnificently. His verses on “Mariota,” “Peri Peri,” and the obligatory tit-for-tat performance on “Spoonz” with Conway, deliver shades of HWH6 and HWH2 in terms of the hunger and focus that many fell in love with almost a decade ago. Even with two absolute gems entered into the Griselda lore in 2021, with Mach-Hommy’s Pray for Haiti and Boldy James’ Bo Jackson, Westside Gunn’s latest may be the zenith we weren’t expecting, with 18 more tracks on the way for Side B. – Ben (Synth) (9/10)
Another year, and another entry into Westside Gunn’s flagship mixtape series; he’s registered eight Hitler Wears Hermes installments over the last nine years. Stove God Cooks, who released the Roc Marciano-produced Reasonable Drought in 2020, was featured prominently on Gunn’s Flygod Is An Awesome God II the same year. Stove God’s presence makes an emphatic return on HWH8, guesting in five of the mixtape’s thirteen tracks, adding plenty of excitement along the way. Overall, this latest Hermes tape is up to snuff with the prolific quality that Griselda has become associated with over the years, but experiences some give and take in arriving at the benchmark. Westside Gunn is an even better curator of talent than he is a rapper, and that’s a trend that continues to alter the very nature of his music. In HWH8, Gunn comes across less hungry an emcee than can be heard in Hermes’ 2 or 6, but leaves room for more capable emcees to snag a larger share of the tape’s vocal canvas. In true Draymond form, Westside Gunn has embraced his role as the “glue guy” that allows those like Benny, Conway, Stove God, Mach-Hommy, and Boldy James to be the hip-hop all-stars they are. – DeVán (8.3/10)
On the eighth installment of the Hitler Wears Hermès series, Westside Gunn proves once again that he still hasn’t run out of bars. Clean production combined with chopped vocals and harmonious samples all blend to create a wonderful project. Gunn is one of the few rappers who will only talk about violence and still manage to make the song sound beautiful. His skill has been cemented, with an otherworldly work ethic. This man and the whole Griselda crew are able to flood the market with excellent, full projects, multiple times a year. As with every Westside project I’m never disappointed; now I even know how to properly pronounce Richard Mille. – Daniel (8/10)
Ben (Synth): 9/10 | Jared: 8.5/10 | Alan: 8.4/10 | DeVán: 8.3/10
Pax: 8/10 | Dominick: 7/10 | Cam: 6.8/10
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