Benny The Butcher- Everybody Can’t Go Review
Andrew Kenekham (Random Writer)
7 min read
·
Just now
Everybody Can’t Go released on 1/26/2024
Hip Hop is a sport where people compete so they can gain notoriety. The culture push has evolved tremendously since the birth in 1973. Many people has different aspects on how ecological change happens to rap. Trends come and old styles come back. When you listen to a certain record where it reminds you of the Golden Era in Hip Hop; it was meant to be released. Benny The Butcher has solidified himself from the ground up as an underground artist to a mainstream attraction. Signing a deal with Def Jam in early 2020’s; Benny has made a name for himself and his brand, The Black Soprano Family.
*circa 2023 single released
From experience in 2021, Benny has performed songs that can touch a person’s soul whether it be street tales, drug stories, or even music about anxiety. Subjects such as stress, anger, and hunger has made Benny who he is today. Not to mention; Griselda Records has been a mark in Hip Hop history as a record label who merge art, fashion, and professional wrestling into one.
Benny The Butcher’s confidence has became stronger everytime a press conference is shown. With his deal with Def Jam, Benny promised to drop the hardest album on Def Jam in a longtime. According to Hip Hop DX (2022), “DMX’s It’s Dark and Hell it’s Hot has been hailed as one of thegreatest debuts in rap history”, ( Cummings-Grady, 2022). Benny was feeling overly confident that his album will be the biggest street record since DMX’s debut. That is a hard shoe to fill in because that is a landmark that Def Jam created. Benny creating his street buzz took time and patience for his dream to happen.
Benny promises to drop the most street album since 1998.
During the inking of his Def Jam deal, Snoop Dogg has stepped up to become the creative control of Def Jam records making big steps and moves to pushing the culture forward. According to Complex.Com (2021), “ Snoop Dogg has made his position as a creative consultant for Def Jam Records and decides to sign Benny The Butcher; One of the most talented rappers out of Buffalo, Ny “, (Espinoza, 2021). If Snoop Dogg listens to you, something is special about you.
During the Def Jam Deal, Benny drops Murder Music Feat. Snoop, Jadakiss, & Busta Rhymes.
On January 26, 2024, Benny drops Everybody Can’t Go. His Def Jam debut is one of the most anticipated albums in a long time. Many people had speculations if he is going pop or not. Maybe people are getting skeptic about his new found deal and wonder if the money will ever change him. Apparently, Benny kept to his gums and wrote nothing but gangster bars for those to cherish.
As I go track by track, I will narrow down the songs and mention the meaning of this wonderful art.
- Jermaines Graduation- A beat that Benny takes a ride through the instrumental. The music takes me back to Capone N Noreaga’s The War Report from 1995. Benny gets very grim with his lyrics. Spittin lines like “ Ask these rappers, shit I did upstate to make them hot/ When I invite them to the lab, they be scared to play what they dropped”, (Benny The Butcher, 2024). Benny The Butcher is feeling confident that he is putting rappers under pressure with his major debut. The intro for this album showcase Benny’s witty wordplay with the drug game. Using drug stories, punchlines, and delivery in his repertoire; The Butcher Coming.
- Bron- Hit Boy has had himself a busy year. Benny gas came on this beat with confidence reminding those why he is in his championship condition. For instance, he raps “ Bad Boy like I’m Sean/ I’m Goldeneye Bond”, (Benny The Butcher, 2024). Bringing back the grimey side back to Hip Hop; New York can turn they’re back & Benny can hold a light to his city.
- Big Dog Feat. Lil Wayne- An anthem for NY with a verse from Weezy. Benny boast about his drug dealing past while Lil Wayne takes us back to Nostalgia )7 Wayne with him overloading us with punchlines.
- Everybody Can’t Go Feat. Kyle Banks- A tale about a hustler coming out the trenches trying to make it in the game. He is reminding us that Everybody can’t Go. Punchlines like “No gingerale, I bleed Canada Dry”, (Benny The Butcher, 2024). It is a reminiscent of punchline rappers from the 90's.
- TMVTL- Story telling at it’s finest for this generation. A story about the drug game and how the scenery is not pretty. This type of story that involves jealousy, envy, greed, & betrayal. The beat switches up but it is all one song. Trust more valuable than love is one of the greatest street takes that has ever been recorded.
- Back Again Feat. Snoop Dogg- A reminder of millenial rap with it’s vintage throwback beat. “ I had to get my mind right and drive like Andretti/ Cause the further you go, the road to riches gets narrow”, (Benny The Butcher, 2024). Benny reminds us Everybody can’t go.
- One foot in Feat, Stove God Cooks- Steps into making out the streets. Rapping about cocaine, the vintage 90’s grimey side of rap has shown it’s face.
- Buffalo Chicken Club Feat. Armani Caeser- Caeser and the Butcher do make a wonderful collaboration. Benny rapping “ When Pac died, he didn’t have one hundred”, (Benny The Butcher, 2024). He is implying that when he dies, he gonna die a hundred million compared to Pac (I still got to research the network) but Butch is highly self-assured in himself to win.
- Pillow Talk & Slander Feat. Jadakiss & BabyFace Ray- All different separate tales of haters talking distaste among another hustler. Each one of these rappers describing how each one dealt with betrayal.
- How to Rap- Benny delivering his lyrical exercise to show off his wordplay. Each cadence has made stand out on every beat and has solidified himself as one of the best top tier lyricist in today’s generation. Rapping about how he came up saying stuff like g, “ If they let me go, my own career I can find it”, (Benny The Butcher, 2024) meaning he does not need a label to help him expand.
- Griselda Express Feat. Westside Gunn & Conway The Machine- Westside comes after Benny’s verse with a grimey hook. Conway still coming in with his spooky lyrics putting fear on the game.
- Big Tymers Feat. Peezy- The outro with a catchy hook. Big Tymers is a hustler anthem about people getting mad and jealous. It doesn’t matter what you do because there is someone who is willing to talk about youre success. The moral of this song is that most people hate on you for doing good for yourself.
Overall.
Benny & Snoop gambling at the table.
Story telling rap is still relevant depending on what you want to hear. Griselda never disappoint’s when it comes to their artist and Benny has made his way from independent to the majors. Marking his debut on Def Jam; Benny the Butcher managed to drop a solid effort. I do not rate albums by the way, I appreciate the art and this is pure art for the culture. Benny the Butcher came from the independent scene to becoming his own boss.
Only a few can do what they do but not everybody can do what they do. Benny perfect ionized his craft to continue to deliver grimey street tales about streets and violence. Back when rap had slower but boom bap kicks with soul samples; New York rap scene is the most colorful but dark image of the culture.
This article means a lot because I gave double entendres of street tales and dark imagery because Everybody Can’t Go is one of the latest street releases on Def Jam since It’s Dark & Hell It’s Hot By DMX. It may not match the goal of that heavy debut release but it does bring the streets back into the office. Benny the Butcher added on to his discography. A street manuel called Everybody Can’t Go.
Live from The Stove Top,
Andrew Kenekham AKA Druski Dru
Reference
Cummings-Grady, M. (2022) Benny the Butcher vows to drop Best Def Jam album since DMX’s 1998 debut. Retrieved from https://hiphopdx.com/news/benny-the-butcher-DMX-Dark-Hell-Hot-Def-Jam-Debut
Espinoza, J. (2021) Benny the Butcher inks Record deal with Def Jam Retrieved from https://www.complex.com/music/a/cmplxjoshua-espinoza/benny-the-butcher-signs-deal-with-def-jam-records
