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In an exclusive interview with HipHopDX, Westside Gunn addresses Marilyn Manson photo and Kanye West's 'Donda' album.

Westside Gunn went to school at George Perimeter College in Atlanta for one day. Young and admittedly careless at the time, he took the financial aid money and bought drugs to sell instead. Deep down, Westside Gunn knew he was destined for something else, something great. Now at the helm of Griselda Records with his brother Conway The Machine and cousin Benny The Butcher,Westside Gunn is living the life he always dreamed of but on his own terms. His latest album, Hitler Wears Hermes VIII: Sincerely Adolf, found him collaborating with rap juggernaut Lil Wayne along with his labelmates Boldy James, Mach-Hommy, Rome Streetz Stove God Cooks and, of course, Conway and Westside. Two days after its arrival, Kanye Westfinally delivered his long-awaited Donda album and Westside Gunn was among its many, many guests. But at one point, he didnt think hed made the cut. During a recent interview with HipHopDX, the 39-year-old powerhouse explained how his inclusion on Keep My Spirit Alive wound up being a pleasant surprise and luckily, didnt need to go full-on Soulja Boyeither. That was one of the things that was a big deal to me, he tells DX. Im not going to lie, I didnt know it was going to be on the album at first. He ended up doing like the listening in Las Vegas and everybody was hitting me like, Yo, I heard you on Kanye album. So I was happy as shit. Im like, Word. I did it. So it was like, Damn, OK. He finally dropping it, and Im on it. Then he had the listening party in Atlanta at the Mercedes-Benz Arena, one of the biggest stadiums, period. He played and I wasnt on it. Im like, Wait a minute, Im not on this shit? I took my family, we all in there, I was just waiting to hear my part and it never came on. So Im leaving the stadium like, Man, fuck this man. I was mad as hell. So then he had another one in Atlanta and I was like, I aint going back to that one. And then I was on it . Kanye then reached out to Westside Gunn to attend the third and final public listening party at Soldier Field in Chicago and he happily hopped on a plane. I was like if hes inviting me to Chicago, I must be on it, he says. For him to want me in Chicago? So once I went to Chicago, Im thinking Im just going to watch it from the stands, but no he actually took me backstage. I hung out with everybody, was just chillin and then I ended up on the porch. Kanye had done the seemingly impossible and recreated his childhood home for the event. As the album played, various contributors to the album would pop up, including DaBaby and Marilyn Manson. DaBaby addresses being cancelled in his #DONDAverse Read more