In spite of the fact that it's about to be negative a million degrees Fareinheit in thier hometown, Griselda are doing the opposite of hibernating for the winter. The rap collective and record label are busting out another hyphen and becoming a movie production house with the announcement of their debut feature film Conflicted.
Conflicted features Benny the Butcher and Westside Gunn in a story set in their native Buffalo. Benny plays Hunter, an ex-con trying to go straight after returning home from prison. As the title suggests, things get a little complicated. The movie stars Benny and Westside, and is directed by their fellow Buffalonian AK Reed, but they did reach outside of their circle to fill out the cast. R&B singer J Holiday, MMA fighter Deuce King, and actor Michael Rappaport all feature in Griselda's first foray into filmmaking.
The movie is due out on January 15 and will feature a star-studded soundtrack (for fans of the label and hardnosed hip-hop in general). Recent signee Boldy James appears alongside tracks from Westside, Dave East, Lloyd Banks, El Camino, and Armani Caesar.
As a taste of the soundtrack, they shared Benny the Butcher's track "3:30 In Houston." It's Benny's first release since he was shot in the leg in Houston last month.
Boldy James is a great fit for the indefatigable crew. He just released his fourth project of the year, a collaborative effort with producer Real Bad Man called Real Bad Boldy. The album follows his critically acclaimed release The Price of Tea In China as well as his first project on the Griselda roster The Versace Tape. In a press release about the album, James credited his glut of material with being damn near 40 years old.
“I didn’t really make it in this industry as a youngin,’ I made it once I got a little older and I feel I am in my prime now. I had a life before music and that’s what I rap about," he said. "I've lived enough life to where it writes the music for me. I don't have to recap, or reflect, back on it too hard because this is my real life."
Give it a listen below.
