At the top of the year, Buffalo NY rapper, Benny the Butcher, created a ton of anticipation for his Def Jam debut, Everybody Can’t Go. On paper, everything seemed right, and it truly felt like this was the project that would catapult him from gifted street rhymer to celebrated mainstream lyricist. The album’s rollout was crafted meticulously, and additionally, the production was handled by two of rap’s biggest producers, Alchemist and Hit-Boy. But alas, things didn’t quite pan out the way he expected. Even with big singles like “Big Dog” (featuring Lil Wayne) and “Back Again” featuring Snoop, the album failed to make a dent among the cluttered space of non-stop music releases.
But what sets Benny apart from most emcees in the game right now is that he truly understands the basic rules of creating a thriving hip-hop career. One of those tenets is simply this: “Attention is Currency,” and he wasn’t going to let another season pass without reminding the fans that he still matters. Enter Summertime Butch, a terse yet very potent eight-track project from the BSF boss delivering gritty street rhymes and multiple warnings to all would-be competitors assuming his hunger for the sport had waned.
From the album’s bold intro “One Verse Butch” to the nostalgia-inducing lead single, “Summer ‘24,” Benny makes his urgency crystal clear and proves he’s taking nothing at all for granted. The quality continues with the posse cut “The Warehouse 3” on which BSF signee, Fuego Base continues to make a compelling case as to why he might just be the biggest thing out of Connecticut since Marcus Camby. On “Kitchen Table,” Benny puts on a storytelling masterclass, using a wobbly kitchen countertop as the perfect narrative vehicle for sharing detailed drug-dealing tales. The Griselda rapper saves the best for last with the album’s soaring closer, “Higher.” It’s a rousing piano-laden gem that reaffirms his lofty aspirations for his rap legacy — the feeling it evokes is reminiscent of some of Jeezy’s best thug motivation anthems.
Remaining at the highest echelon of the rap game is no easy feat, but Benny the Butcher has never been afraid to put in the work required to stand out from the pack. Summertime Butch is another worthy addition to his constantly evolving catalog.
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