Podcast Summary: Joe and Jada – Conway The Machine on Griselda, Benny The Butcher, Jay-Z & NEW ALBUM

Date: September 2, 2025
Hosts: Fat Joe ("Craig" in transcript) & Jadakiss ("Jada")
Guest: Conway The Machine
Theme: Deep-dive conversation with Conway The Machine on his journey with Griselda, the Buffalo come-up, his creative process, influences, new projects, and legacy.

Episode Overview

Fat Joe and Jadakiss sit down with Conway The Machine for an authentic, energetic discussion packed with behind-the-scenes stories from Buffalo to the world stage. They explore the origins and impact of Griselda, the business hustle behind their movement, Conway’s approach to artistry, and what’s ahead for Drumwork and his solo career. The chemistry is warm, funny, and celebratory—with plenty of real talk on the grind, industry lessons, and hip-hop culture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Global Stages & Impact (03:20 – 04:24)

• Conway shares his experiences performing overseas, including Colombia, Argentina, Georgia:

  “The way that they love hip hop, man… it’s overwhelming. For the motherfuckers to barely speak English and rapping my shit word for word, dog, it’s a different type of feeling.”
  — Conway (04:14)

2. The Power of Live Performance (04:41 – 05:06)

• Influence from legends like DMX and Busta Rhymes

  “Watching DMX, watching Busta… they put a lot of emphasis in the stage performance part more than the pen. I just like to go out there and have an out of body experience. Just leave it on the stage.”
  — Conway (04:41)

3. Origins of Griselda (05:06 – 07:03)

• Tight-knit, family foundation:

  “Since the beginning, niggas is family. It started with me, Wes, Benny, and Machine Gun Black … That shit grew like that. But we ain’t really start trying to get serious until after I got shot…”
  — Conway (05:16)

• Buffalo’s struggles and perseverance:

  “Nobody think they gonna make it… it’s crack and that’s it. But I always had the mind state: just the right people hear me, I’m outta here.”
  — Conway (07:47)

• Strategic hustle with merch & music: self-distribution, limited releases, resale economy.

4. Getting “On” from Buffalo: The Boutique Approach (09:53 – 12:34)

• Organic buzz and DIY mentality:

  “We was getting into this stream era… we, like, went against that. You gotta come see me get this. There’s only 187 of these. Hoodies getting marked up, reselled. We took this formula from the sneaker game.”
  — Conway (09:53)

• Fashion & relatability: Yoked to their image, the collective embraced “having that shit on” as part of repping for their city.

  “We be having that shit on and we be talking that shit, too. That’s more relevant … Young niggas tap in and fuck with me.”
  — Conway (12:34)

5. Real MCs, Beat Selection & Influence (13:39 – 16:22)

• Awards from peers mean more than industry accolades:

  “To me, that’s the award — to get my flowers from the MCs I respect… I’m emcee first. For me to get that embrace from Busta, Chef, Starks, y’all…”
  — Conway (13:59)

• Importance of strong beat choices:

  “A lot of emcees that were the greatest… Didn’t know how to pick beats. You guys know how to pick beats.” — Joe (15:35)

• Conway describes now having access to Alchemist, Conductor, and Derringer, but recalls writing over whatever was available:

  “Having access… sometimes you might got no access to no fire. You making the best of what you got.”
  — Conway (16:22)

6. Creative Process (17:27 – 20:52)

• Routine:

  “Smoking me one, a lot of reposado… some type of sports presentation on mute… crazy beats. And by myself, just me and the engineer.”
  — Conway (17:31)

• Mostly off the dome:

  “I don’t even be hitting no pad. A lot of that, off the top. I’m thinking of it, giving it thought… on that album, I hadn’t even wrote. I’m writing the lyrics down now ’cause, you know, I need the lyrics…”
  — Conway (18:47, 19:13)

• Beat as creative catalyst:

  “If that beat is super fucking incredible, I don’t need nothing… The beat always tell me what to say.”
  — Jada & Joe (19:43, 20:50)

7. Drumwork & Mentorship (26:48 – 29:19)

• Drumwork label’s growth:

  “I got J. Skis… my man Kendricks, a couple shooters, nice roster… we doing a compilation.”
  — Conway (26:53)

• Putting others on:

  “Nothing like that. Putting somebody on… very commendable. You could just be thinking about yourself.”
  — Joe (27:28)

• Evolving through mentorship:

  “For me to even open up and let people come with me… is actually doing more for me. I’m getting out of my old self… more patient now.”
  — Conway (28:20)

8. Touring / Fan Love Overseas (29:23 – 32:49)

• Upcoming U.S. and overseas tour:

  “Yeah, I’m about to tour the States starting in November… going back on that road… couple of shows out in Greece.”
  — Conway (29:24)

• Wildest fan responses in South America:

  “South America was crazy, bro… electricity, whole different energy. Lines around two blocks.”
  — Conway (31:44)

• Street-level realities and culture abroad: Videos in Bogota amidst "danger element."

9. Expanding Ventures (37:30 – 39:49)

• Beyond music:

  “Got some Drumwork exotics [cannabis]…writing a short film…about to dabble in the podcast space… bringing Drumwork Fest back 2026.”
  — Conway (37:41, 39:31)

10. Connections, Collaborations, and Alchemist Story (40:22 – 41:35)

• How Conway linked up with Alchemist:

  “He seen the freestyle [online] … DMed me the number, next time you come to LA, come through. The rest was history.”
  — Conway (40:22)

• Alchemist’s impact:

  “Love Alchemist, bro. I’m glad everybody… acknowledging his greatness.”
  — Joe (40:56)

• Biggest "arrival" moment:

  “Probably Hov. We was doing a show out in LA and he pulled up… Just watching. I look up, he’s standing there on the stage just watching.”
  — Conway (41:35)

11. Respecting the “Beats and Rhymes” Tradition (44:28 – 45:25)

• Resisting industry trends for fast fame:

  “You guys just restored a feeling… a void that was really missing. Guys who felt like you… chose the other route… you just said, we’re going beats and rhymes.”
  — Joe (44:28)

• Overnight success vs. long game:

  “Overnight success is the gimmick shit… but we feel that pain… guys doing what you were doing never really took off.”
  — Joe (44:52)

12. Legacy, Giving Back, and Community (48:25 – 49:57)

• Next 5 years for Conway, Drumwork, & Griselda:

  “Rich like y’all!”
  — Conway (48:34)

• On giving hope for Buffalo's youth:

  “It’s extremely important. Coming from Buffalo, we ain’t had nobody to give us advice… You can’t take none of this shit with you, but you can leave it here.”
  — Conway (49:08)

• Navigating the upstate NY/jail culture, local solidarity:

  “It be a lot of Buffalo in upstate pens… for me to open up and let people come with me, it’s inspiring.”
  — Conway (50:49)

13. Musical Influences and What’s In Rotation (52:10 – 53:16)

• Artists who paved the way:

  “Rock Marciano, Sauce Walka, G Herbo…”
  — Conway (52:21)

• Current favorites & shoutouts to The Clipse:

  “The Clipse album crazy… hope what they did—beats and rhymes—continues to do numbers.”
  — Joe (54:24)

14. Crossing Genres and New Projects (54:24 – 56:36)

• On collaborating with mainstream/pop acts:

  “Would you ever do a song with Selena Gomez?”
  — Joe (55:52)
  “Hell, yeah. I can’t wait to.”
  — Conway (55:10)

• New album with Roc Nation:

  “[The album] is called 'Can't Kill God with Bullets.' Important to have that as a part of my chapter… bring my album, bring my business over here with them.”
  — Conway (56:10, 56:14)

15. Spirituality & Gratitude (56:47 – 58:02)

• Roots in faith:

  “God is the greatest, man. God is everything to me.”
  — Conway (56:51, 57:00)

Notable Quotes

• On Buffalo’s resilience:
  “Nobody think they gonna make it… but I always had the mind state: just the right people hear me, I’m outta here.”
  — Conway (07:47)

• Flowers from MCs:
  “To me, that’s the award — to get my flowers from the MCs I respect…”
  — Conway (13:59)

• On beat selection:
  “Some of my legends… didn’t have access to fire. Now I can hit Swizz, Alchemist… I got the resource now.”
  — Conway (16:22)

• Giving back to Buffalo:
  “You can’t take none of this shit with you, but you can leave it here… I don’t want it to end with just us.”
  — Conway (49:08)

• Big Jay-Z moment:
  “I go for a towel, I look up—he’s standing there on the stage just watching. I’m like, yo, am I bugging?”
  — Conway (41:44)

Important Timestamps

• [03:17] Conway introduced
• [04:14] On fans overseas rapping lyrics
• [05:16] How Griselda formed
• [07:47] On breaking out from Buffalo
• [09:53] Building a brand with limited runs/merch
• [12:34] Influence of fashion on their image
• [13:59] The value of MC respect
• [15:35] Beat selection in hip-hop
• [17:31] Conway’s creative process
• [19:13] Mostly writes verses in his head
• [26:53] Drumwork label’s roster
• [29:24] Upcoming tours
• [31:44] Craziest fan experiences in South America
• [37:41] Branching into film, podcasts, and exotics
• [40:22] Meeting Alchemist, building key relationships
• [41:35] Hov watching Conway’s show
• [44:28] Resisting gimmicks, staying true to hip-hop roots
• [48:34] Five-year outlook for Conway/Drumwork/Griselda
• [49:08] Giving hope to Buffalo’s youth
• [52:21] Musical influences
• [56:10] New album “Can’t Kill God with Bullets,” partnership with Roc Nation
• [56:51] Relationship with God

Final Thoughts

This episode offered a heartfelt celebration of Conway’s journey from Buffalo to global recognition. Joe and Jada guided the conversation through gritty stories, practical industry talk, personal growth, and plenty of laughs. Conway was open about his struggles, process, and mission to uplift others—mirroring the ethos that helped Griselda break through. The upcoming album, new business moves, and a strong message about community and legacy reveal an artist firmly rooted in hip-hop’s essence and eyeing a broader impact.

For listeners seeking inspiration, craft secrets, or a feel for modern hip-hop’s heart, this conversation is essential.

Hosts:
Fat Joe (@fatjoe)
Jadakiss (@jadakiss)
Guest:
Conway The Machine (@whoisconway)

Episode: Joe and Jada – Conway The Machine on Griselda, Benny The Butcher, Jay-Z & NEW ALBUM on the way (iHeartPodcasts and The Volume, September 2, 2025)