Westside Gunn’s Fourth Rope wrestling promotion gave his HEELS HAVE EYES mixtapes a practical purpose: he wanted Griselda listeners to discover the shows sharing their name. HEELMATIC follows that series with a sixteen song album through Griselda Records and Mass Appeal, bringing his wrestling business and musical curation into the same release history. In an XXL interview published earlier in 2026, Gunn explained that he and fellow rapper Smoke DZA also write Fourth Rope’s storylines. He traced the company’s name to his years watching from the front row, imagining himself as an extra rope around the ring. That interview also found him discussing a possible reunion with Conway the Machine and Benny the Butcher, while rejecting the assumption that their separate businesses meant a personal falling out. On HEELMATIC, the three share “DON PISTOLA.” The album gives substantial room to artists Gunn has been championing, too. Stove God Cooks appears four times, including on “BLOWDYSSEUS” and “BAVETTES,” while Rome Streetz and Brother Tom Sos also contribute. Gunn had specifically identified Brother Tom as an artist he wanted to push during 2026. On the seven minute “HURT + HEEL,” Brother Tom joins Gunn and Benny, putting that stated intention into one of the album’s longest collaborations.
Transparency Note: AI tools assisted with research, drafting and language refinement.
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