Westside Gunn Drops Flyest N in Charge Vol. 1 – Today in Hip-Hop

XXL celebrates 50 years of hip-hop with this moment:

Jan. 2, 2020: Three years ago, on this day, Westside Gunn kicked off the new year with a mixtape he had previously stashed in his vault. The Buffalo, N.Y. rhymer’s project, Flyest Nig@@ in Charge, Vol. 1, was initially made in 2005, but wasn’t released because he had to handle some pending legal issues.

“[This is] where it all started from[.] Made this tape in 04-05 didn’t take anything off and didn’t add anything this just raw Hip Hop,” Westside Gunn wrote about the tape in a since-deleted Instagram post. “We was all hustling and heavy in the streets recording wit a house full of Homies that’s not here in Anymore. I had to go on the run and NEVER released this sh*t until NOW but this is a classic.”

The tape offers a listen into early Griselda Records before they became hip-hop’s independent superstars. The collection features Griselda rhymers Benny The Butcher, under his rap alias 2 Chain Benny Mane, and Conway The Machine, then known as Kannon. Other MCs appearing on the project include the late Machinegun Blak, Cutter, Hollowheadz and Thugzman.

Sonically, FNIC is not too far off from the group’s current music output of cinematic street-hustling narratives and solid production. Standout tracks include “Lord,” which features Gunn detailing the life and mindset of a street hustler. On “How It Feel,” Benny salutes the hustlers on the block over a thrilling soul-sampled beat. But the MVP award for this mixtape goes to the Machinegun Blak, who spits bullet-riddled rhymes on “Pack Heat” and “Death Keep Calling Me.”

If you need a primer on Griselda, Flyest Nig@@ in Charge, Vol. 1 is a great starting point. It’s a stellar mixtape of raw, uncut hip-hop.

Listen to Westside Gunn’s 2005 Mixtape Flyest Nig@@ in Charge, Vol. 1 Below