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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]
Benny the Butcher | |
|---|---|
 Benny the Butcher in November 2023 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jeremie Damon Pennick |
| Also known as |
|
| Born | November 27, 1984 Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | East Coast hip hop |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels | 5 to 50 |
| Website | bennythebutcherstore |
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]
Early life
editPennick 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. Pennick started dealing heroin at the age of 14.[3]
Career
edit2004–2005: First mixtapes
editEarly 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.
2005–2013: Shooting of brother and initial mixtapes
editOn 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] [better source needed]
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.
2014–2016: Signing to Griselda Records, Black Soprano Family and final projects as Benny
editIn 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.
2016–2017: Benny the Butcher and new artistic direction
editDuring 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]
2018–2019: Debut album Tana Talk 3, The Plugs I Met, WWCD and critical acclaim
editOn 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]
2020–present: Commercial success and Def Jam deal
editOn 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 June 2024, Benny's "Big Dog" feat. Lil Wayne was nominated for the Hollywood Independent Music Awards in the Adult Contemporary Hip Hop category.[32]
Personal life
editIn November 2020, in Houston, Texas, Benny the Butcher was shot in the leg during an attempted robbery in a Walmart parking lot.[33]
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.[34][35] 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".[36]
He was embroiled in a two-year feud with Indiana rapper Freddie Gibbs. In August 2022, after trading insults with Benny the Butcher over social media for several months, Freddie Gibbs was beat up by a large mob of people while on a date at a Dinosaur BBQ location in Buffalo, New York. TMZ acquired footage of the brawl, leading the video to go viral.[37] Benny seemed to confirm his involvement in the incident, posting images on social media of a chain allegedly taken from Gibbs during the fight.[38] In a January 2024 interview with The Breakfast Club, Benny stated that the beef between the two rappers was over, but that he was not interested in making amends with Gibbs.[39]
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [40] |
US R&B/HH [41] |
US Rap [42] |
US Ind. [43] |
CAN [44] |
UK DL [45] | ||
| 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 | |
Collaboration albums
edit| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Butcher on Steroids (with DJ Green Lantern) |
|
| Trust the Sopranos (with 38 Spesh) |
|
Extended plays
edit| Title | EP details | Peak chart positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [40] |
US R&B/HH [41] |
US Rap [42] |
US Ind. [43] |
UK R&B [46] | ||
| 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 |
|
— | — | — | — | — |
Mixtapes
edit| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Tana Talk (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
|
| B.E.N.N.Y. vs. Lil Wayne (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
|
| The American D.Boy (as B.EY) |
|
| American D.Boy II: Lindsay Lohan (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
|
| American D.Boy III: Paris Hilton & Kate Moss (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
|
| B.E.N.N.Y. Best Ever (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
|
| The Mayor's Back (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
|
| American D.Boy IV: Amy Winehouse (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
|
| Tana Talk 2 (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
|
| American D.Boy V (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
|
| Chains Bond (as 2 Chain Bennymane) |
|
| Benny Montana (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
|
| Benny Montana (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
|
| Married 2 Da Game: The Mixtape (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
|
| B.E.N.N.Y. Best Ever (as B.E.N.N.Y.) |
|
| Black Soprano Family (as Benny) |
|
| 1 on a 1 (as Benny) |
|
| 1 on a 1 |
|
| My First Brick |
|
Collaboration mixtapes
edit- Best of the Underworld (as B.E.N.N.Y. with Johnal) (2006)
- Cocaine Cowboys (as B.E.N.N.Y. with .38 Special) (2009)
- Who Wants What (with Street Entertainment and DJ Kay Slay) (2006)
- SE Gang Bang Bang (with Street Entertainment) (2005)
- The Pre-season: Mixtape Series (with Buff City Music Group) (2012)
- Stabbed & Shot (with 38 Spesh) (2018)
- Searchin' for a Purpose (with Black Soprano Family) (2020)
- Da Respected Sopranos (with Black Soprano Family and DJ Drama) (2020)
- Long Live DJ Shay (with Black Soprano Family) (2022)
With Griselda
edit- WWCD (2019)
Charted songs
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [51] |
US R&B/HH [52] |
US Rap [53] |
CAN [54] |
WW [55] | |||
| "Johnny P's Caddy" (with J. Cole) |
2022 | 72 | 22 | 14 | 84 | 139 | Tana Talk 4 |
Music videos
edit| 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 | ||
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Conflicted | Nick | Film Debut |
References
edit- ^ Findlay, Mitch (November 9, 2020). "Benny The Butcher Flexes Griselda's Grimy Hip-Hop Revival". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
- ^ "The Best Rap Albums of 2018". Pitchfork. December 18, 2018. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
- ^ "Benny the Butcher: "I will always find a way to win"". Huck. October 26, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
- ^ Benny The Butcher Interview. Talks Griselda Records, Tana Talk 1 & 3, Restoring the sound & More, December 4, 2018, retrieved December 27, 2023
- ^ Buford, Jayson (March 25, 2021). "How Benny the Butcher Channeled Survivor's Guilt on 'The Plugs I Met 2'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
- ^ "Benny the Butcher - Discography". Albumoftheyear.org. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ "Black Soprano Family by Benny the Butcher". Genius. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
- ^ "Black Soprano Family: eOne BSF Signing Day". YouTube. April 7, 2020.
- ^ "Tommy DeVito's Breakfast by Benny the Butcher". Genius. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- ^ Benny The Butcher (2017), Butcher On Steroids, retrieved December 29, 2023
- ^ Butcher on Steroids by Benny the Butcher - RYM/Sonemic, retrieved December 29, 2023
- ^ "Stabbed & Shot by Benny The Butcher & 38 Spesh". Genius. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- ^ "Tana Talk 3 by Benny the Butcher". Genius. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- ^ Shackleford, Sy (July 24, 2023). "Benny the Butcher :: Tana Talk 3". RapReviews. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- ^ a b "Review: Benny The Butcher Crafts His Magnum Opus With Tana Talk 3". HipHopDX. November 30, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- ^ "It's Benny the Butcher's World, and He's Starting to Realize It on 'The Plugs I Met'". Complex.
- ^ "Benny The Butcher – The Plugs I Met (Album Review)". Globalmoneyworld. June 21, 2019.
- ^ Josephs, Brian (June 20, 2019). "Benny the Butcher Explains Why Pusha-T's 'Daytona' Is Like 'Gospel Music,' Premieres 'Crowns For Kings' Featuring Black Thought". Billboard.
- ^ Ortiz, Edwin. "Benny the Butcher and Westside Gunn Sign Roc Nation Management Deal". Complex.
- ^ "2019 Fme MVP =Griselda". December 24, 2019.
- ^ "The Benny The Butcher Interview: New Album & Label Deal, Scam Accusations, XXL Cover & More". YouTube. August 27, 2020.
- ^ "Critic Reviews for Burden of Proof – Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- ^ "Critic Reviews for The Plugs I Met 2 by Benny the Butcher". Metacritic. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
- ^ Espinoza, Joshua (November 12, 2021). "Benny the Butcher Inks Record Deal With Def Jam Records". Complex. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ "Snoop Dogg Taps Jadakiss, Benny the Butcher & Busta Rhymes for "Music Murder" Single". 2DopeBoys. November 5, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ Espinoza, Joshua (January 8, 2022). "Benny the Butcher Shares Video for J. Cole-Assisted "Johnny P's Caddy" Off Upcoming 'Tana Talk 4' Album". Complex. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ "Critic Reviews for Tana Talk 4 – Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- ^ Hopkins, Earl (January 25, 2024). "Benny The Butcher Is Ready To Rise On 'Everybody Can't Go'". Grammy. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
- ^ Berry, Peter A. (January 29, 2024). "Benny the Butcher On 'Everybody Can't Go' Album, Working With Snoop Dogg, and More". Complex. Archived from the original on January 30, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
- ^ "New Music Friday: Stream new albums from Benny The Butcher, NewDad, and more". The Fader. January 26, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
- ^ Grant, Shawn (January 26, 2024). "Benny The Butcher Delivers New Album 'Everybody Can't Go'". The Source. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
- ^ "2024 Nominations Table | Hollywood Independent Music Awards".
- ^ "Rapper Benny the Butcher shot in robbery attempt in Houston". USA TODAY. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
- ^ Espinoza, Joshua (October 27, 2021). "Benny the Butcher Hospitalized for Asthma-Related Issue". Complex. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ Rodrigues, Ashwin (October 20, 2020). "Benny the Butcher Talks Record Deals, Ad-Libs, and 'Burden of Proof'". Vice. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ "Where Would I Go". Genius. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ "Freddie Gibbs Fight Video from Alleged Assault and Robbery in Buffalo". May 17, 2022.
- ^ "Freddie Gibbs and Benny the Butcher Trade Disses and Reference Altercation in Buffalo". www.complex.com. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
- ^ "Benny the Butcher Addresses Freddie Gibbs Beef, Says 'Hell No' When Asked About Burying the Hatchet". www.complex.com. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
- ^ a b "Benny the Butcher Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ a b "Benny the Butcher Chart History: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ a b "Benny the Butcher Chart History: Top Rap Albums". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ a b "Benny the Butcher Chart History: Independent Albums". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ "Benny the Butcher Chart History: Canadian Albums". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart: 2 February 2024 - 8 February 2024". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. March 26, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ "17 Bullets - EP by Benny the Butcher on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ "A Friend of Ours by Benny the Butcher on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ "Statue of Limitations - EP by Smoke DZA & Benny the Butcher on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ "Pyrex Picasso by Benny the Butcher on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ "Benny the Butcher Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ "Benny the Butcher Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ "Benny the Butcher Chart History: Hot Rap Songs". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ "Benny the Butcher Chart History: Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ "Benny the Butcher Chart History: Global 200". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2023.