"I’m still on my 4TH ROPE sh*t" — Westside Gunn announces new album coming soon

Westside Gunn just took to Instagram to announce that he's finished working on a new album. Gunn's lengthy post provides an update on his music as well as his personal life and mental health.

The rapper uploaded a reel on June 10, describing it as a "wellness check" directed at his fans who've been concerned about Westside's physical and mental health. The video finds Gunn wearing a red New York cap over a beige Louis Vuitton puffer jacket, flexing his fit for the camera.

"I’m just posting this to let y’all know I’m still SUPER FLYGOD everyday!!!!! I’m still the best Father I know, I’m still on my 4TH ROPE s--t, I’m still creating new ideas to attack the culture, I’ve been designing some incredible pieces and Yes I’m done with my new Album" - Extracted from Gunn's Instagram caption.

Westside's caption also includes a bunch of hashtags, one of which appears to show respect to the late Virgil Abloh, who founded Milan-based fashion house Off-White and was the creative director for Louis Vuitton.

Westside's caption reassures his fanbase that although the recent passing of close friend Big Dump took a toll on him, he's been "more focused" than ever before and has started to look at life differently. His new perspective on life may form the core of Gunn's new project.

A new LP from Westside Gunn will officially mark his sixth solo studio album, following up on 2023's And Then You Pray for Me, which was distributed to all DSPs (Digital Streaming Platforms) last October via Griselda Records and Empire. The album blended hip-hop and boom-bap genres and included features from artists like JID, Rick Ross, DJ Drama, Ty Dolla $ign, Denzel Curry, and more.

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What is Westside Gunn's '4TH ROPE' reference mean?

Westside Gunn (Alvin Lamar Worthy) has always expressed his love for WWE and the "ART of wrestling," with the rapper showing up to several events over the years, like the AEW 2021 Grand Slam in Queens.

Supporting his admiration for the sport, the rapper released a mixtape back in 2019 titled Fourth Rope as a love letter to all wrestling fans, with over 21 tracks titled after some of the biggest wrestlers to have ever entered the ring.

Even the cover art for the album highlights how big of a fan Gunn is, with the rapper using a blurred-out face photo of rivals Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan, captured at the Hulkmania Tour in November 2009 at the Burswood Dome in Australia.

The album featured a list of artists, which included Action Bronson, Benny the Butcher, Conway the Machine, Eto, Hall & Nash, Keisha Plum, Mach-Hommy, Roc Marciano, Smoke DZA, and Tiona Deniece. Fourth Rope also introduced fans to Gunn's official wrestling-themed clothing line, named after the album.

The official album cover for Westside Gunn's 2019 mixtape 'Fourth Rope' (Image via Genius.com)

In January 2022, Westside Gunn's record label (Griselda Records) uploaded an email screenshot to their Instagram story that confirmed WWE had issued several copyright infringement suits against the rapper for illegal sampling of interviews and performances on Fourth Rope, resulting in Westside receiving a copyright strike from YouTube.

The tracks that were affected by the infringement, and later removed, were:

• Claiborne Kick (Feat. Boldy James),
• The Hurt Business (Feat. DZA and Wale)
• French Toast (Feat. Wale and Joyce Wrice)
• Allah Sent Me (Feat. Benny the Butcher and Conway the Machine)

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With Westside Gunn revealing his sixth studio album is complete, fans are intrigued by what the rapper and entrepreneur intends to deliver with his new LP.

More recently, Gunn was recruited to feature as the third supporting act on the collaboration album titled Hall & Nash 2, featuring Conway the Machine and The Alchemist. The mini-LP contains nine full-length tracks and was delivered to DSPs on December 29, 2023.