Conway the Machine
{{Short description|American rapper (born 1982)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{BLP sources|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Conway the Machine
| image = File:Conway the Machine November 2022.png
| caption = Conway the Machine in November 2022
| birth_name = Demond Price{{Cite web|last=Miers|first=Jeff|date=May 14, 2020|title=Watch now: Rapper Conway the Machine gives back to Buffalo|url=https://buffalonews.com/news/local/watch-now-rapper-conway-the-machine-gives-back-to-buffalo/article_b86bbc54-65ec-5869-9647-1b9690a7757b.html|access-date=December 10, 2024|website=The Buffalo News|url-access=subscription|archive-date=October 1, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231001101402/https://buffalonews.com/news/local/watch-now-rapper-conway-the-machine-gives-back-to-buffalo/article_b86bbc54-65ec-5869-9647-1b9690a7757b.html|url-status=live}}
| alias = {{hlist|Conway|Nash}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|2|16}}
| birth_place = Buffalo, New York, U.S.
| origin =
| genre = East Coast hip hop
| occupation = {{hlist|Rapper|songwriter}}
| years_active = 2012–present
| label = {{hlist|Daupe!|Griselda|Shady| Drumwork}}
| current_member_of = Griselda
{{Infobox
| child = yes
| label1 = Producer(s)
| data1 = {{hlist|The Alchemist|DJ Green Lantern}}}}
| website =
}}
Demond Price (born February 16, 1982), known professionally as Conway the Machine, or simply Conway, is an American rapper and co-founder of the hip hop label Griselda Records, alongside his paternal half-brother Westside Gunn. Acclaimed for his 1990s inspired, dark and gritty lyricism, he rose to prominence following his mixtape Reject 2 (2015) and debut studio album From King to a God (2020). His second album, God Don't Make Mistakes (2022), was released by Shady Records and met with universal acclaim.
Conway announced his departure from Shady and Griselda Records in February 2022, and has since founded his own label, Drumwork. He has since continued his collaborations with Gunn, as well as their cousin Benny the Butcher.{{Cite news |last=Moorwood |first=Victoria |date=February 21, 2022 |title=Conway the Machine announces split from Griselda and Shady Records |work=Revolt |url=https://www.revolt.tv/article/2022-02-21/153601/conway-the-machine-leaves-griselda-shady-records/ |access-date=February 25, 2022}}
History
=2012–2019: Early mixtapes and ''G.O.A.T.''=
Throughout his 20s, Conway was in and out of jail.{{cite web |last1=Eustice |first1=Kyle |title=How Conway The Machine Turned Tragedy Into Triumph |url=https://hightimes.com/culture/how-conway-the-machine-turned-tragedy-into-triumph/ |website=High Times |date=March 4, 2022 |access-date=January 4, 2024}} During this time, he reflected on what he wanted out of life and began weaning from a gangster lifestyle to focus on his career in music.{{Cite web|url=https://consequenceofsound.net/2017/11/artist-of-the-month-conway-on-repping-buffalo-second-chances-and-being-the-grimiest-of-all-time/|title=Artist of the Month Conway on Repping Buffalo, Second Chances, and Being the Grimiest of All Time|date=November 16, 2017|website=Consequence of Sound|access-date=June 1, 2019}}
In 2012, Conway was shot in the head, neck, and shoulder.{{Cite web|date=March 18, 2012|title=4 wounded in 3 separate shootings|url=https://buffalonews.com/news/4-wounded-in-3-separate-shootings/article_9c9044ab-9a4e-5500-95f8-86997c2b6314.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210609155109/https://buffalonews.com/news/4-wounded-in-3-separate-shootings/article_9c9044ab-9a4e-5500-95f8-86997c2b6314.html |archive-date=June 9, 2021 |access-date=|website=The Buffalo News}} Originally, doctors believed that he would be paralyzed from the neck down, however, today the only permanent injury is his face being partially paralyzed, giving him his signature slur.{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/conway-goat/|title=Conway: G.O.A.T.|website=Pitchfork|access-date=June 1, 2019}}
In 2014, Westside Gunn founded Griselda Records, through which Conway and Westside Gunn would self-release their own projects and the works of artists such as Benny the Butcher and Mach-Hommy.{{Cite web |title=A Guide to Griselda |url=https://www.complex.com/music/griselda-records-guide-everything-you-need-to-know |access-date=2022-11-26 |website=Complex |language=en}} In 2015, Conway released his first two official mixtape projects through Griselda Records, The Devil's Reject and Reject 2.{{Cite web |title=Conway the Machine - The Devil's Reject |url=https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/135924-conway-the-devils-reject.php |access-date=2022-11-26 |website=Album of The Year |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Reject 2, by Conway |url=https://daupe.bandcamp.com/album/reject-2 |access-date=2022-11-26 |website=Daupe |language=en}} Conway and Westside Gunn also released two collaborative EPs through London-based record label Daupe!,{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/label/489399-Daupe!|title=Daupe!|website=Discogs|access-date=June 1, 2019}} the first of which was 2015's Hall & Nash, followed by 2016's Griselda Ghost. In April 2016, during Mobb Deep and Smif-N-Wessun's "Hell On Earth" tour, Conway was introduced to Prodigy of Mobb Deep, who would become one of his earliest notable collaborators and supporters.
On March 3, 2017, Griselda Records signed a deal with Eminem's Shady Records.{{Cite web|url=http://shadyrecords.com/2017/03/03/shady-x-griselda-ink-deal-for-westside-gunn-and-conway/|title=Shady X Griselda Ink Deal For Westside Gunn and Conway|website=Shady Records|access-date=June 1, 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/transcripts/789690521|title = Griselda Set Out to be Your Favorite Rapper's Favorite Rappers. It's Paying off| website=NPR }} On October 10, 2017, Conway contributed an a cappella rap verse to the 2017 BET Hip Hop Awards Shady cypher.{{Cite web|url=https://www.xxlmag.com/video/2017/10/conway-boogie-shady-2017-bet-hip-hop-awards-cypher/|title=Conway, Boogie and More Spit in Shady 2017 BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher – XXL|last=Mojica|first=Nick|website=XXL Mag|date=October 11, 2017 |access-date=June 1, 2019}} The same year, Complex included Westside Gunn and Conway in their list of "15 Best Unofficial Rap Duos in the Game",{{Cite web|url=https://www.complex.com/music/2017/07/when-these-rappers-pair-up-something-special-happens/|title=The 15 Best Unofficial Rap Duos in the Game Right Now|website=Complex|access-date=June 1, 2019}} as well as two of the "17 Artists to Watch in 2017".{{Cite web|url=https://www.complex.com/music/2017/01/artists-to-watch-in-2017|title=17 Artists to Watch in 2017|website=Complex|access-date=June 1, 2019}}
Following Griselda's deal with Shady Records, Conway's first official release was G.O.A.T. on December 21, 2017, which included production from Griselda's in-house producer Daringer and The Alchemist, and featured Royce Da 5'9", Raekwon, Prodigy, Styles P and Lloyd Banks.{{Cite web |title=Conway the Machine: G.O.A.T. |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/conway-goat/ |access-date=2022-11-26 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}} Earlier in 2017, he released a collaborative mixtape with DJ Green Lantern titled More Steroids.{{Cite web |last=Melis |first=Matt |date=2017-10-30 |title=Album Review: Conway - More Steroids |url=https://consequence.net/2017/10/album-review-conway-more-steroids/ |access-date=2022-11-26 |website=Consequence |language=en-US}}
=2019–present: Studio albums=
On May 16, 2019, Conway, Benny The Butcher and Westside Gunn released their first single with DJ Premier titled "Headlines".{{Cite web|url=https://djbooth.net/features/2019-05-17-dj-premier-griselda-gang-headlines-interviews|title=DJ Premier & Griselda Interview: Making "Headlines"|last=Chesman|first=Donna-Claire|website=DJBooth|date=May 17, 2019 |access-date=2019-06-01}}
Conway released "Bang", at the time expected to be the first single from his album God Don't Make Mistakes, alongside Eminem on July 19, 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2051790/conway-the-machine-bang-feat-eminem/music/|title=Conway The Machine – "Bang" (Feat. Eminem)|date=July 19, 2019|website=Stereogum|access-date=July 30, 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/2019/07/conway-the-machine-eminem-bang/|title=Listen to Eminem's Guest Verse on Conway the Machine's "Bang"|date=July 19, 2019|website=Spin|access-date=July 30, 2019}} God Don't Make Mistakes had been intended to be Conway's debut studio album, and Westside Gunn had stated it was "90 percent complete" in 2018;{{Cite web|first=Riley|last=Wallace|title=Westside Gunn Takes One Last Independent Swing on 'Supreme Blientele' Before Heading to the Big Leagues|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/westside_gunn_takes_one_last_independent_swing_on_supreme_blientele_before_heading_to_the_big_leagues|website=Exclaim!|date=June 26, 2018|access-date=October 10, 2022|archive-date=October 10, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221010134348/https://exclaim.ca/music/article/westside_gunn_takes_one_last_independent_swing_on_supreme_blientele_before_heading_to_the_big_leagues|url-status=live}} however, Conway's first studio album would instead be the project From King to a God, which he released on September 11, 2020.{{Cite web|title=Critic Reviews for From King to a God - Metacritic |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/from-king-to-a-god/conway-the-machine/critic-reviews |access-date=2022-10-10|website=Metacritic|language=en}} During this period, Conway continued releasing mixtapes and collaborative albums as well.
God Don't Make Mistakes was ultimately released on February 25, 2022, as Conway's second studio album.{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/god-dont-make-mistakes/conway-the-machine|title=God Don't Make Mistakes by Conway the Machine|website=Metacritic|access-date=2022-10-10}} It was followed by his third studio album, Won't He Do It, released on May 5, 2023, being Conway's first studio album not released with Griselda,{{cite web |title=Conway the Machine Drops New Album Won't He Do It: Stream |url=https://consequence.net/2023/05/conway-the-machine-wont-he-do-it-stream/ |access-date=January 13, 2024 |website=Consequence of Sound}} and Slant Face Killah, released on May 10, 2024.{{Cite web |date=April 24, 2024 |title=Conway The Machine announces "SFK Album" |url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/792760-conway-the-machine-sfk-new-album-hip-hop-news |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=HotNewHipHop}}
Discography
{{Main|Conway the Machine discography}}
Studio albums
- From King to a God (2020)
- God Don't Make Mistakes (2022)
- Won't He Do It (2023)
- Slant Face Killah (2024)
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Conway the Machine}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conway (Rapper)}}
Category:Rappers from New York (state)
Category:East Coast hip-hop musicians
Category:Musicians from Buffalo, New York
Category:Shady Records artists
Category:African-American male rappers
Category:21st-century American male rappers
Category:African-American male songwriters
Category:Songwriters from New York (state)
Category:American shooting survivors