The Buffalo rapper chats with Billboard with his first ever Art Basel exhibit, the late Virgil Abloh’s importance to his life and more.
Thanks to Westside Gunn, Griselda’s reign over the rap game has extended into the art world. After utilizing works of art as his creative album covers, Gunn finally took his talents to Miami for his Art Basel debut.
Just before 10 p.m. on opening night (Dec. 2), the Griselda founder pulled up to the Diesel showroom in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood for his first-ever art exhibit, Vivian at the Art Basel. He stepped onto the red carpet with family by his side: his daughter, Pootie, his grandmother, and, of course, Claire — who appears on the cover of Griselda’s 2019 WWCD album. He wore a black jacket full of multicolored scorpions as his collection of diamond-laced necklaces gleamed off his neck. His daughter, Westside Pootie, flashed a huge smile as she stood by his side, and the rest of their family followed close behind. Gunn was more than ready to show off his collection of artwork — most of which were inspired by the 305.
“I was coming to Art Basel as a collector,” Gunn said about his first Basel exhibit. “Not as a designer, not as a curator. So it’s kind of surreal.”
In the venue’s outdoor section, D’ussé-based cocktails and delicious snacks floated around, as visualizers played on the wall — including a video featuring the late Virgil Abloh. Gunn knew he had to include the legendary designer in the days after his passing, who worked with him on several projects over the past few years.
“Virgil was one of those guys that was like a true brother to me behind the scenes. He’s the one who got me to go to Paris in the first place — I had never even left the country, bro. The reason why I went to Paris is because of Virgil,” remembered Gunn. “Virgil played my song at the Off White show. Virgil dressed me for fashion week. Just the inspiration from all of that, I went to the studio and made the first half of Pray For Paris in Paris, because it started as an EP. So the Pray For Paris was made in Paris, and it was all because of Virgil. He did the cover. All that.”
Gunn’s inaugural art exhibit, which shares its name with a song off 2016 album FLYGOD, was initially meant to be a pop-up clothing store that evolved into a brilliant showcase of the Buffalo native’s unique taste in art, sports, music, and fashion. Using masterpieces created by Mariella Angela and Isaac Pelayo, Gunn curated works of art dedicated to notable figures in Miami — like Angela’s version of DJ Khaled, veteran rappers Trick Daddy and Uncle Luke, Maison Margiela owner Renzo Russo, Miami Heat owner Pat Riley, and legendary late Dolphins coach Don Shula.
“Once we started talking, the plan expanded, and I said, ‘OK, We’re going to do something bigger,’” Gunn said. “I gave [Mariella] a list of over ten people who I thought of in Miami. So growing up as a [Buffalo] Bills fan, I think of Marino. I think of Shula. Off rip! But then I also think of [Rick] Ross. I think of Khaled. I think of Luke. These are the people I think of when I think of Miami.”
“I try to learn everything about my subjects because I try to put their souls into the canvas,” Mariella said. “I can’t paint a total stranger. I have to get familiar with them, find out who they are. I look at how they engage in a photograph that I can duplicate in a portrait.”
Gunn also featured paintings dedicated to other inspirational legends like LeBron James, the late Young Dolph, and Vivian Blake of the Jamaican Shower Posse himself, crafted by Issac Pelayo. Since Dolph was his favorite rapper, Gunn said the posthumous painting won’t ever be for sale. However, Blake’s portrait served as the face of the exhibit.
“I think of Vivian Blake of the Shower Posse and what they did,” Gunn explained. “Everybody knows I love the gangsta narrative, just being from the streets of Buffalo. Street legends are the people we idolize. It comes with the territory. So when I [made FLYGOD’s] “Vivian at the Art Basel,” I’m like ‘It’s only right.’ The song is beautiful. The instrumental is beautiful. You can play that song on repeat. It was perfect, and everything unfolded the way it needed to be.”
Pelayo is the mastermind behind Griselda’s signature third-eye images, which became his niche after giving 2Pac a third eye in one of his early paintings. Not only did he help create the Supreme Blientele and Hitler Wears Hermes covers, but he also lent a hand to labelmate Armani Ceasar’s album cover for The Liz.
“I think for some people who can understand art and appreciate it, they can look at it from an artistic standpoint and create a meaning that stirs up a conversation that’s deeper than rap and art,” said Pelayo. “[Westside Gunn] is a real art collector. He does this s–t like he is about it. He’s an artist himself. He’s a curator and a director, and no one can take that away from him.”
Both Angela and Pelayo had at least five days to create their works of art for the exhibit. Same for Yagi Sensei, who helped design the one-of-a-kind merch based on vintage Miami sports teams like the Miami Heat, Miami Dolphins, and the Miami Hurricanes. Each t-shirt, pair of jeans, sweatshirt, jacket, and hat has splashes of bleach and unique ‘GXFR’ embroidery. Despite the short amount of time, everyone could pull it off to put on a great exhibit.
Westside Gunn’s Vivian At The Art Basel exhibit closed out with a special concert at Esquina De Abuela near Wynwood. The show featured sets from DJ Heron, DJ Exes, Gunn, and other special guests like Smoke DZA plus Miami rappers Legacy and Fayn.
As far as what’s next, the Fly God is set on uplifting Griselda’s roster of artists like Conway The Machine, Benny The Butcher, Boldy James and Armani Caesar, and his newest signees Rome Streetz and Stove God Cooks. But his job as an art curator will continue. Gunn aims to bring his event to other cities across the country with custom-made pieces and clothing inspired by the legends he reveres in each town.
“I want to spread the art culture and fashion culture and give back to the people who have given so much to me. I also want to do a tour, of course. We got Rome Streetz, Stove God, Boldy, Armani — these are all fresh faces in the Griselda brand. I look forward to breaking these artists out. That’s my challenge right now: to make them the biggest they can be as a family.”