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Benny the Butcher | |
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![]() Benny the Butcher in November 2023 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Jeremie Damon Pennick |
Also known as |
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Born | Buffalo, New York, U.S. | November 27, 1984
Genres | East Coast hip hop |
Occupation(s) |
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Years active | 2004–present |
Labels | 5 to 50 |
Website | bennythebutcherstore |
Jeremie Damon Pennick (born November 27, 1984), known professionally as Benny the Butcher, or simply Benny, is an American rapper and songwriter. He came to prominence in 2018 following the release of his debut album, Tana Talk 3 . Along with his cousins and fellow rappers Westside Gunn and Conway The Machine, with which he forms the collective Griselda, he is known for his '90s inspired rap songs and is often credited with leading a revival of the so called 'grimy' and 'gritty' hip hop music, influenced by mafioso and drug dealing themes. [1]
Despite being signed at the age of 15, he continued to engage in drug dealing activities for a significant portion of his early life. Following the death of his brother, Machine Gun Blak, Pennick released numerous mixtapes and collaborative albums. His notable and most cited works are the albums Butcher on Steroids, Tana Talk 3 , Burden of Proof , Tana Talk 4 and the EP The Plugs I Met.
Pennick's music often centers on his experiences as a young drug dealer in Buffalo, New York, the obstacles and the experiences he encountered. He has been praised by peers and critics for his storytelling ability and choice of sound. [2]
Pennick was born on November 27, 1984 and was the second-eldest of eight siblings, raised by a single mother. He spent his childhood growing up on Montana Avenue in the city of Buffalo, New York. Due to the prevalent youth poverty rate in the area, Pennick started dealing heroin at the age of 14, [3] despite witnessing his mother struggle with addiction.
Early in his career, Pennick started to work with local Buffalo hip hop record producer DJ Shay and started to record songs regularly. Pennick released his first mixtape titled Tana Talk in 2004. Pennick notes he printed 5,000 copies of his mixtape and handed them out for free to gain fans. Tana Talk is considered a piece of lost media, of which Pennick himself initially commented that he does not have a copy. However, in an interview promoting Tana Talk 3 , Pennick hinted that he does have the source files for the mixtape, and would release the mixtape should he feel inclined to in the future. [4] He released the follow up, Tana Talk 2, in 2005.
On October 3, 2006, Pennick's older brother Marchello Lowery, also known as Machine Gun Black, was shot in a drive by shooting on Montana Block, in Buffalo, New York. Pennick was in jail for violating his parole at the time. The death of Lowery impacted Pennick and his cousins profoundly, and has a major influence on the content of their music and lyrics. [5]
Motivated by the legacy and work ethic of Lowery, Pennick started to record songs and compile mixtapes at an increased rate, releasing 12 between 2007 and 2013. [6] During this time he was still an active drug dealer, being caught numerous times by the police and serving multiple sentences in prison.
In 2014, Westside Gunn founded Griselda Records, through which Benny, Conway The Machine, and Westside Gunn would self-release their own projects. Pennick's music would take a major shift from popular sounds and reused beats from existing artists, as was the trend in the 2000s mixtape period, to more targeted in house production. He adopted the sound pioneered by his cousins, Westside Gunn and Conway the Machine, and developed by the in house producer, Daringer. Pennick appeared on many releases by Griselda Records and started to gain popularity as a regular featured artist. Around the same time Pennick founded the Black Soprano Family, a collective of Buffalo rappers that he was affiliated with. They released the collective mixtape Black Soprano Family on May 11, 2015. [7] He then released the mixtape My 1 on a 1 in 2016. The Black Soprano mixtape marked the end of his work as 'Benny', as future releases from this point would be under the moniker Benny the Butcher.
During 2016, Pennick began to work with the in house producer for Griselda Records, Daringer, and moulded his sound to match the sonic aesthetics of other Griselda imprint members. He released his first solo mixtape under Griselda, titled My First Brick, on October 8, 2016. This mixtape marked a change in Pennick's style and choice of beats to rap over. The mixtape followed a more 'boom bap' aesthetic, incorporating live instruments instead of the more heavily 808s and synthesizers typical of his previous mixtape efforts, and showed more experimentation with sound. He then released the EP 17 Bullets, emphasizing his new artistic direction.
On March 3, 2017, Griselda (as a collective), as well as Pennick's cousins Westside Gunn and Conway the Machine, signed a deal with Eminem's Shady Records, a subsidiary of Interscope. In April 2017, Benny the Butcher and his collective Black Soprano Family signed a label deal with Entertainment One Music. [8] While working on his next project and debut album, Following this, he released the EP Tommy Devitos Breakfast on October 28, 2017. [9]
That same year, on November 17, 2017, Pennick, as Benny the Butcher, released the mixtape Butcher On Steroids, in collaboration with DJ Green Lantern. This was part of a series of mixtapes that DJ Green Lantern was creating with Griselda Records members, having made similar 'Steroids' mixtapes with Conway The Machine and Westside Gunn. The mixtape was received with critical acclaim and widely praised by fans and critics who noted Pennick's progression and refined sonic Palette. [10] [11]
Capitalizing on the success of Butcher on Steroids, Pennick collaborated with his hometown friend and fellow rapper, 38 Spesh, to release the joint mixtape Stabbed and Shot, officially released on 18 February 2018. [12]
On November 23, 2018, Pennick released his debut studio album Tana Talk 3 , produced by The Alchemist and Griselda Records' in house producer Daringer. This would be the third in the installments of Tana Talk projects, named after the block Pennick grew up on, Montana Avenue. The cover is a painting of his deceased older half-brother, MachineGun Black as a baby, and the lyrics to the album would focus heavily on Pennick's feelings on the death of his brother. The album was developed by setting aside suitable songs and beats created during Westside Gunn's, Hitler Wears Hermes 6, recording sessions. [13] Once those recording sessions were complete The Alchemist and Pennick completed recording other songs within two weeks. Critics praised the production and content of the album, saying "There's a certain introspection that guides Benny’s lyrics on this song, as he touches on topics ranging from drug trafficking to police racism in the murder of Eric Garner". [14] HipHopDX claimed that "Benny the Butcher crafts his magnus opus with Tana Talk 3 ", [15] writing that "the project is all the things you love about everything Griselda ever drops, but with this extra layer of sonic consistency crafted by the two upper-echelon grimy beatsmiths". [15]
June 21, 2019 marked the release of his fourth extended play, The Plugs I Met, which included guest appearances from Black Thought, Pusha T, 38 Spesh, Jadakiss, and Conway the Machine. [16] [17] [18] On August 6, it was announced that Pennick signed a management deal with Roc Nation. [19] Writing about Benny the Butcher's 2019 project, Dan-O of Freemusicempire said "Benny The Butcher did an EP with the greatest guest list of the year. Right after the intro skit you hear him next to Black Thought. Next song Jadakiss, and closing out the project with Pusha T's second best guest appearance of 2019 on 18 Wheeler. No matter who was with him Benny blew like Sonny Rollins on the Sax, whether Conway the Machine or Eminem was coming on next...it didn't matter. The Butcher has a gift and no fear." [20]
On August 27, 2020, Benny the Butcher announced in an interview with Adam22 for No Jumper that he would release an album under eOne called Burden of Proof between late September and early October. [21] The album was eventually released on October 16 to rave reviews. [22]
On March 19, 2021, Benny the Butcher released the sequel to The Plugs I Met EP, with a collaboration EP with Harry Fraud, named The Plugs I Met 2 . This EP received widespread critical acclaim from various music critics. [23]
On November 12, 2021, he officially signed a record deal with Def Jam Recordings for upcoming releases. The announcement was made by American rapper Snoop Dogg, a creative consultant for the label, on Joe Rogan's podcast The Joe Rogan Experience a week after Benny the Butcher was featured on Snoop Dogg's single "Murder Music" alongside Jadakiss and Busta Rhymes. [24] [25]
On January 28, 2022, Benny released the single, "Johnny P's Caddy", with rapper J. Cole. The song is the lead single from Benny's album, Tana Talk 4 , which he has labeled "album of the year". [26] Tana Talk 4 was eventually released on March 11 to generally favorable reviews. [27]
Two years following the release of Tana Talk 4, Benny made his major label debut under Def Jam on January 26, 2024, with the release of his fourth full-length studio album, Everybody Can't Go . [28] [29] The album included guest appearances from Armani Caesar, Babyface Ray, Conway the Machine, Jadakiss, Kyle Banks, Lil Wayne, Peezy, Rick Hyde, Snoop Dogg, Stove God Cooks, and Westside Gunn. [30] The album was solely produced by The Alchemist and Hit-Boy, with Corbett providing additional production on the title track. [31]
In November 2023, his recording studio in Buffalo was raided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He later discovered he was on a watchlist. [32]
In June 2024, Benny's "Big Dog" feat. Lil Wayne was nominated for the Hollywood Independent Music Awards in the Adult Contemporary Hip Hop category. [33]
In November 2020, in Houston, Texas, Benny the Butcher was shot in the leg during an attempted robbery in a Walmart parking lot. [34]
On October 27, 2021, Benny the Butcher cancelled a concert at Detroit's Saint Andrew's Hall after he was hospitalized with asthma, a condition he has both rapped about and spoken about in interviews. [35] [36] In a verified annotation on Genius's lyric page for his song "Where Would I Go" off the 2020 album Burden of Proof , he wrote he has lived with asthma for 25 years and the condition forces him to go to the emergency room two or three times a year: "I got to be careful, I got to make sure I wear my mask, I got to make sure I'm taking my medicine. Running the streets and being in and out of prison, it's probably something I haven't done the best of. But being older, that's something that I take care of". [37]
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [38] | US R&B/HH [39] | US Rap [40] | US Ind. [41] | CAN [42] | UK DL [43] | ||
Tana Talk 3 |
| — | — | — | — | — | — |
Burden of Proof |
| 27 | 14 | 15 | 8 | 100 | — |
Tana Talk 4 |
| 22 | 12 | 9 | 6 | — | — |
Everybody Can't Go | 93 | 37 | — | — | — | 46 |
Title | Album details |
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Butcher on Steroids (with DJ Green Lantern) |
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Trust the Sopranos (with 38 Spesh) |
|
Title | EP details | Peak chart positions | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [38] | US R&B/HH [39] | US Rap [40] | US Ind. [41] | UK R&B [44] | ||
17 Bullets |
| — | — | — | — | — |
Tommy Devito's Breakfast (with Cuns) |
| — | — | — | — | — |
A Friend of Ours |
| — | — | — | — | — |
The Plugs I Met |
| — | — | — | 22 | — |
Statue of Limitations (with Smoke DZA) | — | — | — | 38 | — | |
The Plugs I Met 2 (with Harry Fraud) |
| 33 | 16 | 13 | 5 | 21 |
Pyrex Picasso |
| — | — | — | — | — |
Title | Album details |
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Tana Talk (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
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B.E.N.N.Y. vs. Lil Wayne (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
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The American D.Boy (as B.EY) |
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American D.Boy II: Lindsay Lohan (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
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American D.Boy III: Paris Hilton & Kate Moss (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
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B.E.N.N.Y. Best Ever (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
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The Mayor's Back (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
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American D.Boy IV: Amy Winehouse (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
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Tana Talk 2 (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
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American D.Boy V (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
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Chains Bond (as 2 Chain Bennymane) |
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Benny Montana (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
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Benny Montana (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
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Married 2 Da Game: The Mixtape (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
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B.E.N.N.Y. Best Ever (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
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Black Soprano Family (as Benny) |
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1 on a 1 (as Benny) |
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1 on a 1 |
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My First Brick |
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Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [50] | US R&B/HH [51] | US Rap [52] | CAN [53] | WW [54] | |||
"Johnny P's Caddy" (with J. Cole) | 2022 | 72 | 22 | 14 | 84 | 139 | Tana Talk 4 |
As lead artist | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Album | Title | Director | Featured artist |
2015 | Black Soprano Family | La Familia | Austin Martinelli | G Herbo |
2016 | 1 On A 1 | All In My Head | n/c | |
My First Brick | Me & Doug | AK.Reed Films | ||
2017 | Butcher on Steroids | Change | THC Films | |
Hustler's Wife | ||||
2018 | Stabbed & Shot | 2 Weapons | n/c | 38 Spesh |
Man Of The Kitchen | GrecTVfilms | |||
A Friend of Ours | India | Solo Visions | El Camino | |
Long Way | Slim Gus. The Video Shotta | |||
Jackpot | D. Hawks | |||
Tana Talk 3 | Joe Pesci 38 | Slim Gus. The Video Shotta | ||
Broken Bottles | Mercenary Films | |||
2019 | Rubber Bands & Weight | Slim Gus. The Video Shotta | ||
Scarface Vs. Sosa Pt. 2 | Condido Verona | |||
The Plugs I Met | 5 to 50 | Otto the Director | India | |
Took the Money to the Plug's House | Condido Verona | |||
Sunday School (Live Version) | 1000 Words | Jadakiss, 38 Spesh | ||
2020 | Burden of Proof | Legend | Joe Lombard | Hit-Boy |
Famous | The Wizard | |||
Trade It All | ||||
2021 | The Plugs I Met 2 | Thanksgiving | Harry Fraud | |
Plug Talk | Harry Fraud, 2 Chainz | |||
Survivor's Remorse | The Digggers | Harry Fraud, Rick Hyde | ||
When Tony Met Sosa | Harry Fraud | |||
Overall | Paperface | Harry Fraud, Chinx | ||
Long Live DJ Shay | Mr. Pyrex Man | The Wizard | ||
2022 | Tana Talk 4 | Johnny P's Caddy | Heirs | J. Cole |
10 More Commandments | The Wizard | Diddy | ||
Bust a Brick Nick | Kat, Tony Deniro, Blu | |||
Uncle Bun | Nitro4K | 38 Spesh | ||
Super Plug | CMDelux | |||
/ | Welcome to the States | n/c | ||
Tana Talk 4 | Thowy's Revenge | Max Toshiro | ||
2023 | / | Big Dog | Ricky Alvarez | Lil Wayne |
One Foot In | The Wizard | Stove God Cooks | ||
2024 | Everybody Can't Go | BRON | ||
Back Again | Thirdeyeraz | Snoop Dogg |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Conflicted | Nick | Film Debut |
Alvin Lamar Worthy, known professionally as Westside Gunn, is an American rapper. He is a co-founder of independent hip-hop label Griselda Records. He is the paternal half-brother of rapper Conway the Machine and cousin of rapper Benny the Butcher, both of whom he frequently collaborates with. Westside Gunn has released five studio albums in addition to an extensive catalog of mixtapes. Gunn was affiliated with Shady Records from 2017 to 2020, but has since returned to independent status.
Demond Price, known professionally as Conway the Machine, or simply Conway, is an American rapper. Alongside his paternal half-brother, Westside Gunn, and cousin, Benny the Butcher, Conway was a member of Griselda Records. On February 21, 2022, Conway announced his departure from Griselda Records.
WWCD is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Griselda. It was released on November 29, 2019, by Griselda, Shady, and Interscope.
Griselda Records is an American independent hip hop record label based in Buffalo, New York. It was founded by rapper Westside Gunn, his brother Conway the Machine, and Mach-Hommy in 2012. In addition to the founding members, Benny the Butcher and in-house producer Daringer make up the flagship artists of the Griselda Records roster.
"Keep My Spirit Alive" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his tenth studio album, Donda (2021). The song features vocals from fellow American rappers Conway the Machine and Westside Gunn and originally featured additional vocals from KayCyy.
Living Off Xperience is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group The Lox. It was released on August 28, 2020 through D-Block and Roc Nation. The album features guest appearances from Benny the Butcher, Clay Dub, DMX, Dyce Payne, Jeremih, Oswin Benjamin, T-Pain and Westside Gunn.
God Don't Make Mistakes is the second studio album by American rapper Conway the Machine. It was released through Drumwork, Griselda, Shady, and Interscope on February 25, 2022. The album was preceded by two singles, "Piano Love" and "John Woo Flick". It features guest appearances from Beanie Sigel, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, 7xvethegenius, Jae Skeese, T.I., Novel, Benny the Butcher, Westside Gunn, Wallo267, Jill Scott, and Keisha Plum.
Burden of Proof is the second studio album by American rapper Benny the Butcher. It was released on October 16, 2020, through Griselda/Empire. Produced entirely by Hit-Boy, it features guest appearances from Big Sean, Conway the Machine, Dom Kennedy, Freddie Gibbs, Lil Wayne, Queen Naija, Rick Ross and Westside Gunn. The album was acclaimed by critics and debuted at number 27 on the Billboard 200 with about 19,000 equivalent album units.
The Plugs I Met 2 is a collaborative extended play by American rapper Benny the Butcher and producer Harry Fraud. It was released on March 19, 2021 through Black Soprano Family/SRFSCHL as a sequel to Benny's 2019 EP The Plugs I Met. Produced entirely by Fraud, it features guest appearances from 2 Chainz, Chinx, Fat Joe, French Montana, Jim Jones, Rick Hyde and Teyonahhh. The album debuted at number 33 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart.
Curtis Anthony Jackson II, known professionally as Capella Grey, is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and record producer from the Bronx, New York. He is the founder of Allepac the Family and released two songwriter mixtapes in 2020 and received widespread recognition in 2021 with his breakout single "Gyalis". His debut album, Vibe Responsibly, Vol. 1 was released on June 21, 2024, after signing a record deal with 10K Projects.
Tana Talk 3 is the debut studio album by American rapper Benny the Butcher. It was released on November 23, 2018 through Griselda Records and Black Soprano Family. The album is exclusively produced by The Alchemist and Daringer. It features guest appearances by labelmates Conway the Machine and Westside Gunn and other appearances by Keisha Plum, Meyhem Lauren, Melanie Rutherford and Royce da 5'9".
"Johnny P's Caddy" is a song by American rappers Benny the Butcher and J. Cole. It was released on January 28, 2022 as the lead single from the former's third studio album Tana Talk 4. The song was produced by The Alchemist, and is Benny the Butcher's first song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. On April 13, 2023 the single was certified GOLD marking the first RIAA certification for both Benny & the Griselda Records label. The song is known as one of the most acknowledged features by J. Cole and is widely considered to be his best feature.
Tana Talk 4 is the third studio album by American rapper Benny the Butcher. It was released on March 11, 2022, through Griselda Records and Black Soprano Family and distributed by Empire Distribution. It is the fourth installment in his Tana Talk series, following up the 2018 album Tana Talk 3. The album was produced by The Alchemist, Daringer and Beat Butcha. It features guest appearances by labelmates Conway the Machine and Westside Gunn and other appearances by J. Cole, Diddy, Stove God Cooks, Boldy James, and 38 Spesh.
"Bang" is a song by American rappers Conway the Machine and Eminem. It was released on July 19, 2019 through Shady Records as a non-album single despite being originally made for Conway's second studio album God Don't Make Mistakes. Production was handled by Beat Butcha and Daringer with Eminem and Luis Resto serving as additional producers. Its remix featuring Benny the Butcher and Westside Gunn appeared on Griselda's WWCD album.
And Then You Pray for Me is the fifth studio album by American rapper Westside Gunn, released on October 13, 2023, by Griselda Records and Empire. The album is a sequel to Gunn's 2020 album Pray for Paris.
Won't He Do It is the third studio album by American rapper Conway the Machine. It was released through Drumwork Music Group and Empire Distribution on May 5, 2023. The album was preceded by four singles, "Super Bowl", "Brucifix", "Quarters" and "The Chosen". It features notable guest appearances by Benny the Butcher, Dave East, Fabolous, Jozzy, Juicy J and Sauce Walka. It is his first studio album since his official departure from Shady Records and Griselda Records. Critics have characterized Won't He Do It as a highlight in Conway's catalog.
Everybody Can't Go is the fourth studio album by American rapper Benny the Butcher. It was released on January 26, 2024, through 5 to 50 and Def Jam Recordings. The album contains guest appearances from Armani Caesar, Babyface Ray, Conway the Machine, Jadakiss, Kyle Banks, Lil Wayne, Peezy, Rick Hyde, Snoop Dogg, Stove God Cooks, and Westside Gunn. Production was handled by The Alchemist, Corbett, and Hit-Boy.
Armani Caesar is an American rapper. She is currently signed to Griselda Records.
Demetrius Chawton Robinson, known professionally as DJ Shay, was an American disc jockey and record producer who often collaborated with Griselda Records artists.
Conflicted is an American 2021 crime drama film by Amire K. Reed. It was written by Duece King, and stars Griselda rappers Benny the Butcher and Westside Gunn.