Alvin Lamar Worthy, born July 27, 1982, records as Westside Gunn. He grew up on the East Side of Buffalo, New York, moved around the city constantly as a child, and showed an early interest in fashion and comic books that still shapes his artwork and packaging. His paternal half-brother is Conway the Machine and his cousin is Benny the Butcher. He spent his early years managing Conway rather than rapping, and began releasing his own music in 2012 after Conway was shot and seriously injured, starting with the Hitler Wears Hermes series. He co-founded Griselda Records, signed the label to Shady Records from 2017 to 2020 and returned to independence afterward. His high-pitched delivery, ad-libs and curatorial ear turned Buffalo into one of the most important cities in underground rap.