Conway The Machine Talks ‘La Maquina’, Collaboration With J.I.D. And Ludacris, And More

With the Griselda collective being one of the best we’ve seen in the music industry, Conway The Machine continues to take his lyrical abilities to the next level with each release. He’s already given us next-level performances throughout his career thus far and it just got even better with the release of his highly anticipated studio album La Maquina. I had the pleasure of speaking with the Buffalo rapper about the album, how it came together, connecting with J.I.D. and Ludacris, his record label Drumwork and more! Check out our convo below.

Conway The Machine, Instagram

DJ First Class: What’s good bro I definitely appreciate you taking the time out to chop with me!

Conway The Machine: No question about it, thanks for having me.

First Class: Fasho! Let’s kick it off with you telling me your approach going into this album versus your approach going into your last album From King To A God.

Conway: Man, I be having so many songs and a couple songs just inspired me to do a whole body of work. My artist I’m working with, Jae Skeese, was in New York working on some records and shit and they just inspired me to get back in the studio and do some more shit. I just wanted to get in my RAP RAP bag just killing beats that niggas didn’t expect me to be on and all. I wanted to take off on niggas, give niggas something before God Don’t Make Mistakes actually drop.

First Class: Yeaaahhh! When I heard the album I definitely thought “I know this nigga not rapping on a Bangladesh, Don Cannon and Cardiak beat! Sheesh.” How did you handpick all the producers for this specific project?

Conway: I was really looking for a certain — I can’t really explain the sound I was going for — I just wanted to rap over stuff that was different from the norm. I like to challenge myself. I don’t like people to feel like they got me figured out or boxed in and marginalized. So I reached out to a couple of niggas who I respect like Don Cannon, Bangladesh, Murda Beatz my lil bro. I’ve been rocking with Murda way before we even got on. Of course I had to have Alchemist on there as well as Daringer, my dog Cosmo. They got that sound that I wanna talk on these days.

Courtesy Of Jawad Mahmood

First Class: Yea man I can definitely see you doing a joint EP with somebody like Bangladesh especially after hearing that “630 Tipoff” record! Like that shit is really some theme music. Not only was it the way you was flowing on it — it was a bar you said that stood out where you said “They say West is the brains behind it, Benny is the star, but let’s not act like Machine ain’t the silliest with the bars.”

At this point, do you feel like you’re slept on as a lyricist?

Conway: Yea and no. No because I feel like the people that matter to me and that I fuck with and respect as icons and legends in this shit……the entire culture of Hip Hop respect and fuck with me. Niggas like Busta Rhymes, Raekwon, Ghostface, Method Man, Prodigy (R.I.P.), Pete Rock, DJ Premier, guys like that. They give me my flowers. I don’t really need flowers from anybody else. Other than that, in the public eye, a lot of people overlook me and I really feel like that so yea I agree.

First Class: I feel like it’s a lot more people that’s paying attention to the BARS these days especially with COVID moving the way it is/was last year. No clubs, outside activity or anything like that so niggas was forced to stay in the crib and indulge in the more lyrical content that’s not club anthems and all that other shit. I feel like a lot more people appreciate the type of art you paint with your words and the messages that resonate with them. Have you seen an increase in your fans/following since the pandemic hit?

Conway: Absolutely man, it’s been a lot of new fans a lot of new people that’s excited and tapped in now, tuned in. A lot of our day ones and die hard fans been waving that Griselda flag from the early days since like 2014-2015. They been putting on a lot of their homies like you said. I’ve definitely been seeing the increase and the love that’s been shown on my side.

First Class: Thinking back to where y’all started from with the signature sound with the eerie samples/loops and wrestling soundbites and all — I noticed there were little to no samples on From King To A God and La Maquina. Was it done on purpose that it was like that or was it any sample clearance issues or anything?

Conway: Nah not really bro, it was more of a nod to I’m working with new producers that’s more……..bigger and established, more known and more accomplished. So they’re probably used to doing things their way, having no samples in their shit so they can fully maximize the bag they’ll get. I really didn’t give a fuck if it was a sample or not — I just wanted to make some raw shit.

First Class: And you did just that bruh, top to bottom.

Conway: 100, I appreciate it king!

First Class: Yessuh! Let’s tap into these features though — besides “630 Tipoff”, that’s my shit to be honest. I done already spinned that joint about 50 times already I ain’t even gon lie to you bruh.

Conway: Haaaaaaaaa, no question king!

First Class: Fasho haha, but in my opinion, the biggest record on there is the joint with J.I.D. and Ludacris. How did THAT come together? That’s one of the hardest collabs I’ve seen in a minute. How you pull that off?

Conway: Man, I’ve been building a relationship with them niggas you know what I’m saying? I met J.I.D. when we was on the same bill on the same tour (Soundset in Minneapolis). He such a real dude and showed love and I showed love back and we just continued to fuck with each other and patch in from time to time with each other. Luda, I met him in Buffalo actually. We always talked about doing some shit so when I got the beat from Don Cannon…….I heard that shit, I was just gon do the song myself and when I finished my first half…..I’m like “I ain’t gon lie, I need to send THIS shit to Luda.” I hit em, he was fucking with it and sent me his verse back fast as hell. Then when I heard that, I’m like “Damn I need to send this to my bro J.I.D.” you know what I mean? J.I.D. sent his verse back fast as hell as well so that was how that came together — that shit FIRE.

First Class: 1000% — I actually listened to that shit first before any other record as soon as I saw the tracklist hahaha. But for confirmation from everybody that was confused about the Shady Records situation with Griselda, I feel like it’s a lot of confusion on whether La Maquina is your label debut or is it going to be God Don’t Make Mistakes? To my knowledge, each of y’all had a solo album to do as well as a group album before the end of ya’ll term right?

Conway: Yea, the God Don’t Make Mistakes album is gonna be my Shady debut but this one is just another Griselda, Drumwork Record (my label) joint. Our deal with Shady was more of our solo projects and mine will be the like the final obligation to that and we’ll figure out things from there. That’s really all that shit is. The album done, it’s turned in……the shit ready. We probably get that muhfucka out like July. But all systems is green, that shit is crazy. Niggas gon love that shit. People gon fuck with that shit you know what I mean?

First Class: No doubt! This album is crazy and I can only imagine how the next one gonna be. And I feel like — correct me if I’m wrong — but as special as that album is about to be, I can hear a Jay-Z verse on there somewhere already.

Conway: Hahahaha, ay man my fingers crossed too man. I’d love that. But you know, I like to do things organically man. When the universe allows it, Allah is the best of planners it’ll happen when it’s supposed to you know what I’m saying.

First Class: I definitely feel that bruh. So what’s going on with your Drumwork label, what’s the scope for that right now?

Conway: Yea thats a label I started up I got some dope ass artists I signed and we just gonna open the floodgates and drop mad new music like on a regular basis. Getting my homeboys in position to do the shit they wanna do and live the way they wanna live. Jae Skeese album, Abolish Uncertainties, we gon drop that shit probably in middle of May. It’s ready to go and I promise you….top to bottom, the shit is one of the illest I’ve heard no lie.

Stay tuned for La Maquina dropping this Friday!