Drake has been an admirer of the Griselda wave for years. He have them a shout out during his 2019 interview with Rap Radar. He also linked up with acclaimed Griselda producer Conductor Williams for “8AM In Charlotte,” one of his best songs in years. The fans were itching to see what a legitimate Drake and Griselda collaboration would sound like. “Buffalo Freestyle” delivered. The track has been floating around on social media for a couple days, but the streaming release of the song has made it official. It turns out, Drake and Benny the Butcher are an elite pairing.
The production is as dusty and soulful as one would hope for a Benny the Butcher outing. There’s a vocal sample, and a tempo that screams East Coast. Drake kicks things off with an elongated verse that reeks of the energy he brought to the Scary Hours 3 EP. He sounds hungry, and given the outcome of the Dot battle, he has reason to be. It’s a good pocket for Drake to be in, and he proves that he can still go bar for bar with the best out there. The 6 God has spent the summer dabbling in dancehall and pop tracks, so it is a nice reminder. That being said, Benny the Butcher dominates the track. He’s on his home turf, and he proves that few rappers can compare when it comes to hard-bitten bars. “Buffalo Freestyle” was a long time coming, and it’s worth the wait.
Let us know what you think of this brand-new track, in the comments section down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.
Keep my circle small so the blunt gets back quicker I just woke up and tripped on a glass slipper I guess Cinderella must’ve called up her own Uber I’ve always been able to see the depths of my own future
Corny rap fans only have two ways of looking at a relationship between two MCs: they should either be best friends dropping a joint album or dissing each other on wax for sport. It’s a pretty reductive way of looking at artistry and collaboration, especially in today’s hip-hop climate that has some really salient examples of both extreme outcomes, but is mostly filled with friendly or distant competition on smaller scales. But a lot of times, these corny rap fans are right on the money with their thirst for beef… Did they get it right this time around? Well, Benny The Butcher himself finally has an answer on his new album, Summertime Butch.
For those unaware, there’s been some fan rumblings for some time now that J. Cole sneak dissed Benny on their “Johnny P’s Caddy” collab off the Black Soprano Family boss’ 2022 album, Tana Talk 4. Even some media figures like Math Hoffa speculated on this idea, taking incredibly competitive and flag-planting verses from each lyricist to their logical extremes. It’s similar to the conversation that once dominated Kendrick Lamar’s feature on Big Sean’s “Control,” as less knowledgeable fans (and rappers…) misrepresented K.Dot’s competitive invitation as outright disrespect. On the track “The Blue Building,” Benny The Butcher finally spoke on these rumors.
“Trolls tell me I got dissed by Cole on my record,” Benny The Butcher raps on the cut. “I’m like, ‘Is y’all slow?’ That’s my n***a / We having hour-long conversations from home / I’m picking his brain on my way to the throne, I ain’t no dumb n***a / I ain’t get here focusing on figures alone, I played more of the distributor role / He told me, ‘Butch, if you see yourself winning, you got a vision to throw.’”
So there you have it, fans: you don’t have to worry about Benny The Butcher and J. Cole trading bars anytime soon. In other Butch news, he recently gave due flowers to another killer spitter: Lloyd Banks. “Lloyd Banks, one of the top n***as ever,” the Buffalo native shared on Instagram. “That’s one rap n***a that n***as don’t wanna play with, He got a million lines. You be like, ‘How the f**k I didn’t think of that?’”
It’s been six months and change since Grammy-Nominated and Emmy-Award-winning artist Benny The Butcher, a proud member of Buffalo’s acclaimed Griselda collective, delivered his Def Jam Recordings debut Everybody Can’t Go; which was produced in its entirety by The Alchemist & Hit-Boy and featured appearances from Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Jadakiss, Babyface Ray, Conaway The Machine, Westside Gunn, Peezy, Stove God Cooks and others.
The Butcher has returned to hold you down for the rest of the summer, and he’s outside and activated with the release of his new project Summertime Butch, which is now available on all streaming platforms.
As Benny comments, “Every summer needs a soundtrack,” and Summertime Butch captures the essence of the season, as Benny’s gritty storytelling and unfiltered bars serve as the perfect backdrop to the heat of summer. The project features appearances from his BSF brethren Rick Hyde, ElCamino, and Fuego Base, Ed Lover makes a cameo on “Summer 24,’ and Harry Fraud and StreetRunner add production.
In conjunction with the release of Summertime Butch, Benny also dropped a new visual for “One Verse Butch,” which you can view below.
Benny the Butcher turned heads when he announced title of his new album. Summertime Butch seemed tailor made for mockery. The rapper was either going to put a unique spin on his tried and true sound, or flop attempting a glossy, shiny suit detour. Thankfully, Benny went with the former. The album has more of a summer vibe than, say, the Tana Talk series, but the whole point of those is to make the listener feel like they’re experiencing a chilly NYC winter. Summertime Butch is a cool change of pace in this regard. It’s the sound Benny the Butcher waxing poetic in a white linen shirt.
“One Verse Butch” is vintage Mafioso rap. Benny the Butcher drops Pacino references over a wicked piano loop, and true to form, he knocks out his stellar verse in one extended run. The production is the biggest change on Summertime Butch, and the best songs on the album know to keep it simple. Benny the Butcher’s flow is so captivating that he doesn’t need a lot of musical flourishes to make a compelling track. “Knightfall” and “Summer ’24” are perfect examples of this formula. The latter is a candidate for best on the album thanks to the pocket Benny finds on the second verse. “The Blue Building” is a close second, thanks to Amber Simone’s soaring chorus. Bottom line: Benny the Butcher did it again.
Benny The Butcher is more than just a prolific lyricist, he is also a label executive. The now Def Jam artist has been leading the charge for his Black Soprano Family since the early stages of the 2010 decade (2011-2012). Since its founding, The Butcher has brought on a lot of talent from the East Coast and his hometown of Buffalo. Some of them include Heems, Elcamino, Rick Hyde, and more. The goal for Benny was to really give his artists a true chance to really shine. Speaking to Billboard about this in 2022, he said, “There’s no ‘I’ in team; everybody holds everybody down. I’m the kind of exec that’s artist-friendly, because I give them the whole play. I let them be involved with their careers as much as possible and show them how to get to the money”.
In addition to this, Benny The Butcher is also doing his part by contributing releases to BSF like “Summer ’24”. This track is very short, but thanks to the killer and grandiose violins and nasty boom bap drums, courtesy of Nyckles, it is still memorable. Benny’s gritty performance on the 1:59 record is also a welcome addition. Even though it has been a few months since Everybody Can’t Go, the Buffalo bully is here to remind everyone of his greatness in the thick of the summer months.
“Summer ’24”- Benny The Butcher & Black Soprano Family
Quotable Lyrics:
It feel like Thugger already running trial but in my town it barely started And the tension is strong It’s like something telling me to kill soon as the weather get warm The worst case for a veteran As feds get involved N****, I carry the weight with me like a medicine ball
Grammy-nominated and Emmy-award-winning artist Benny The Butcher, a prominent member of Buffalo’s Griselda collective, has released a new track titled “Summer ’24.” This comes nearly six months after the launch of his acclaimed Def Jam Recordings debut, Everybody Can’t Go.
After teasing the track on Instagram, Benny responded to fan enthusiasm by officially releasing “Summer ’24,” now available on all digital streaming platforms.
Benny the Butcher has a lot of eyes on him. He’s one of the most respected New York rappers in the game at the moment. He’s also worked with multiple superstars. Yet somehow, Benny the Butcher was locked up for four days without the general public realizing. The rapper recounted his unexpected stay encounter in Gwinnett Country via Instagram. Even more unexpected, the experience turned out to be a wholly positive one.
Benny the Butcher was vague about the circumstances in which he was arrested. He didn’t want to delve into the specifics. “That’s the first time i ever made it on a unit in 11 years,” he said. “I had some bullsh*t probation hold.” The real heart of the story lies in time behind bars, however. The Griselda rapper stated that he encountered someone that he was actually able to help. “I met some brothers that I probably wouldn’t have been able to meet if i wasn’t in there,” he noted. I got to meet somebody and got the opportunity to help him with his lawyer. Somebody who i just met, ain’t even know him.”
Benny the Butcher’s legal history has been well-documented. The rapper was arrested violating his parole shortly before the death of his brother in 2006. His past, coupled with the power that he’s been able to accrue as a rapper, resulted in a full circle moment. “I helped that n**ga, just out of nowhere,” he explained. “That’s the least I could do. Being back in there just opened my eyes up and showed me what’s still going on.” Benny noted that God works in mysterious ways.
He did clarify, however, that he didn’t help the unnamed man out so he could brag about it on social media. “I ain’t do that shit to get on here and tell y’all I did that sh*t,” he asserted. Rather, he did it because it made him feel like he was making a difference. “That sh*t just made me feel good in my soul,” he added. “I was able to do it because I’ve been in that position before. I just be trying to help strangers.” Benny’s parting words to viewers was to help one’s own self whenever possible. “Can’t nobody save you but your muthaf**kin’ self,” he explained. “But that person in the mirror, your own worst enemy.”
Two months ago, I tweeted: “Best year of hip-hop. EVER. #2024.” and the Internet’s feisty commentators tore me up. Pardon my excitement and wild proclamation, but I haven’t felt this good about the state of rap music since life before the pandemic. The 2020s have stunk — until now. What’s not to love today? Older rappers like Nas are showing and proving that great lyricists don’t have a retirement age. The historic, long-awaited showdown between Aubrey “Drake” Graham and Kendrick Lamar Duckworth lived up to the hype and transcended it. Plus, I’ve lost count of how much terrific content Future and Metro Boomin can cook up.
Still, everybody can’t get a trophy. It’s time to recognize the best of the best. I dare you to disagree. Ha! Spoiler alert: No Ye. No Q. No Vince Staples. No J. Cole on my albums list. You got a problem with that? Turn that frown upside down and turn the music up. Here’s the best hip-hop songs and albums of 2024, so far.
The Top 10 Hip-Hop Songs Of 2024 So Far
10. Nas & DJ Premier — “Define My Name” (Mass Appeal)
Three decades since working together on his classic debut, Illmatic, Queenbridge’s finest reconnects with Preemo for some classic Big Apple boom bap. Hopefully the promise of a future full-length project between the hall-of-fame duo comes to fruition.
9. Bossman Dlow — “Mr. Pot Scraper” (Alamo/Sony)
One of hip-hop’s most celebrated freshmen, Big Za has got plenty of digestible dope boy raps, but this one is the best. He’s a hustler, baby.
What’s better than one good Atlanta female MC? Two. Newcomer Nene gets a big assist from ATL Birthday Bash headliner, Latto. The fellas better pay attention — you don’t wanna piss these ladies off.
7. Cash Cobain — “Fisherr” Feat. Bay Swag (Giant)
Bronx-bred rapper/producer, Slizzy takes his sexy drill NY sound nationwide with this irresistibly catchy, tender ode to young love. Should you play this one multiple times? For sure.
6. 21 Savage — “Redrum” (Slaughter Gang/Epic)
Murderous material made by a mad man? Yeah, that’s a pretty good summation of Savage’s haunting anthem, which pays homage to the horror classic movie, The Shining. And I still can’t believe that’s Usher at the end, gettin’ his “Vincent Price on Thriller” on.
5. Sexyy Red — “Get It Sexxy” (Open Shift/Gamma)
It’s a rallying cry to act ratchet as Ms. “Pound Town” stomps all over producer Tay Keith’s kinetic track. Whoop! Whoop!
4. GloRilla — “Yeah Glo” (CMG/Interscope)
Suffice it to say, this self-affirmation selection slaps. Who can resist cheering along to this assertive chorus? Go, Gloria!
Before ultimately losing his intense exchange with rival Kendrick Lamar, Drizzy captivated with this sonic triumvirate of lyrical warfare. Too bad that he probably foreshadowed another K Dot Grammy triumph.
Over Metro aka hip-hop’s best producer’s best beat, Compton’s most wanted deads all comparisons to Aubrey and Jermaine and declares his dominant position. There can only be one.
1. Kendrick Lamar — “Not Like Us” (Kendrick Lamar/Interscope)
It’s a diss song and a hit song. Over DJ Mustard’s masterful canvas, King Kendrick simultaneously ends hip-hop’s greatest beef and empowers the West Coast hip-hop scene. A true victory lap.
The Top 10 Hip-Hop Albums Of 2024 So Far
10. Mach-Hommy — #RichAxxHaitian (Mach-Hommy)
Mach-Hommy
Hip-hop’s most mysterious MC delivers a musically diverse magnum opus that commands your attention from beginning to end.
9. Flo Milli — Fine Ho, Stay (‘94 Sounds/RCA)
Flo Milli
Anchored by her biggest single, “Never Lose Me,” Flo defies sophomore jinx pressure and captivates with her most compelling body of work to date.
8. Benny The Butcher — Everybody Can’t Go (5 To 50/Def Jam)
Benny The Butcher
With a co-sign from West Coast icon, Snoop Dogg, this Griselda spitter subtly takes his signature gritty raps to new heights. Growth is good.
7. Rapsody — Please Don’t Cry (We Each Other/Jamla/Roc Nation)
We Each Other/Jamia Records
You can’t handle the truth? Too bad. Marlena Evans bares her mind and soul on this sprawling but still soothing soundtrack.
6. Bossman Dlow — Mr. Beat The Road (Alamo/Sony)
Bossman Dlow
A ferocious force from Florida, Dlow delivers a riveting, raw mixtape that moves him one step closer to mainstream exposure.
5. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie — Better Off Alone (Highbridge/Atlantic)
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie
New York’s most consistent MC of the past seven years releases his best album and you all lame out? Don’t let the low numbers fool you, The Artist is on his A-Game here.
4. Gunna — One Of Wun (YSL/300)
Gunna
Although his career remains riddled in controversy as long as Young Thug is on trial, Gunna remains musically unfazed, following his should’ve-been-Grammy-nominated 2023 album, A Gift & A Curse, with a melodic masterwork that only he could put together.
3. 21 Savage — American Dream (Slaughter Gang/Epic)
Slaughter Gang/Epic
Fresh off his successful collab album with Drake, Her Loss, Savage subtly addresses his immigration saga and delivers his most cohesive collection of music.
1. TIE: Future & Metro Boomin — We Don’t Trust You + We Still Don’t Trust You (Wilburn Holding/Boominati/Epic)
Future X Metro BoominFuture / Metro Boomin
How can I choose? Same foundational premise: “The elimination of Drake.” Ha! But the execution is pure flawless excellence on both sides. We Don’t uses Mobb Deep’s Prodigy as a muse, as the two Atlanta heavyweights set their mark in hip-hop history. The follow-up, We Still Don’t, hearkens back to 2017’s HNDRXX as Pluto proves his singing can be just as potent as his rhymes. The aftermath of these two releases still resonates, as it single-handedly led to the Kendrick-Drake showdown. Future and Metro did the impossible. Then they did it twice.
Benny the Butcher is part of a long line of New York rap cliques. Griselda took the music world by storm in the 2020s, thanks in no small part to Benny’s gritty rhymes and intricate wordplay. He helped to spark a movement alongside Westside Gunn and Conway the Machine. Benny is no stranger to the cliques who came before, however. The Buffalo rapper has praised the likes of Dipset and G-Unit in the past, but he felt the need to single out one artist in particular during a recent Instagram Story: Lloyd Banks.
50 Cent was the head honcho of G-Unit, but Benny told fans that Lloyd Banks was the real unsung talent of the outfit. “Lloyd Banks, one of the top n**gas ever,” Benny the Butcher stated. “That’s one rap n**ga that n**gas don’t wanna play with.” The praise didn’t end there. The rapper claimed that Lloyd Banks was unrivaled when it came to “bars” and inventing clever turns of phrase. “He got a million lines,” he added. “You be like, ‘How the f*ck I didn’t think of that.’” The praise makes perfect sense, given that Benny has worked with Banks before. They were two of the rappers featured on the Griselda posse cut “Element of Surprise.” Benny and Banks also linked up for the 2022 single “Living Proof.”
The admiration that Benny the Butcher has for the G-Unit rapper is not one-sided. Lloyd Banks hopped on social media (a rarity) in 2022 to praise the Griselda album WWCD. He posted the artwork and track list for the album, along with the message: “Shout to the griselda family. New Album out now WWCD sh*t is [fire emoji] and the production is incredible.” The rapper has undergone a critical reappraisal in the last few years, partially due to the attention he’s gotten from Griselda. He told Billboard that he was grateful to be in the position he’s in. He then likened himself to former Lox rapper Jadakiss.
“They make these boxes with certain artists like me and Jadakiss,” Banks told the outlet in 2022. “We haven’t been pushed out of them boxes. I don’t know what you want to attribute that to, but I’m grateful we passed the test of time.” The rapper also noted that he’s going to continue to put distance between him and his peers as he gets older and refines his craft. “Moving forward, I feel like my subject matter alone is gonna put me in a different stratosphere,” he asserted. “I care more about my sh*t than anybody else does.” Hard to argue with him or Benny.
Drake isn’t getting lots of compliments these days. He lost the battle to Kendrick Lamar, and now has to contend with the fact that the number one single on the charts, “Not Like Us,” is song in which he gets called a pedophile. Not a great look. The Toronto rapper will rebound, barring any legal troubles, but he recently got support from an unexpected source. Benny the Butcher, a charter member of the grimy rap collective Griselda, praised Drake for his musical contributions.
Benny discussed the rapper during an April appearance on Montreality. He believes that those who hate on Drake for making radio songs are simply envious of his pen game. “Drake is phenomenal,” he opined. “N**gas that hate on Drake pen is jealous. Drake that n**ga, you know what I’m saying. He a fair n**ga, he look out for dudes, give dudes verses and sh*t.” The latter point is especially interesting, given that the Toronto rapper has been accused of being a “culture vulture” and a “colonizer” by Lamar. Drake’s been hit with these accusations for years, but Lamar crystallized them on record.
Benny the Butcher does not agree with this line of thinking. He went on to commend Drake for giving features to young artists and co-signing those who are less popular. “Drake takes the responsibility of pushing the culture forward,” Benny asserted. “When you have a position like he has in the game, you have to do that. He takes that responsibility head on.”
The Griselda rapper went on to dismiss the idea that Drake is not giving back to the artists he’s a fan of. “People ask ‘Why he got a song with him or why he doing features with him.’ Because he like those n**gas and that’s what he like to do,” Benny added. “He’s pushing the culture forward. He’s doing his part.”
The praise runs both ways. Drake praised Benny the Butcher and the Griselda crew during a 2020 interview with Rap Radar. “I really like… Just that whole cliquing up, Griselda sh*t is just ill,” he noted. When asked whether he would be willing to collaborate with Benny the Butcher, Drake said yes. “I’m down,” he asserted. “Benny showed me love one time on an interview, too. I think what they’re doing is great.” Drake has already worked with frequent Griselda producer Conductor Williams, so hopefully we get to hear more between the different crews.
