Rap Radar: Benny The Butcher

The Butcher’s here! After much anticipation, Benny The Butcher is set to drop his Def Jam debut, Everybody Can’t Go. In addition to the album, the Buffalo native has been busy managing his Black Sopranos Family label and collective. Here, Benny speaks on the project, J.Cole’s advice, Lil Wayne, LeBron James, Griselda, fan critiques, and a whole lot more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yo, it's a rap raid on podcast. My name is
beat I Elliott Wilson. How you feeling, man? Feeling good?

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Beat Out? How you feeling brother?

Speaker 1 (00:06):
After that Steve Stout conversation, I feel like I can
run through a brick wall.

Speaker 3 (00:10):
The commissioner Man word, I even know who Superstar Pride was? Man,
you put me up on game Man.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
If you don't know, now you know?

Speaker 4 (00:17):
Man shout out to the commissioner.

Speaker 3 (00:18):
Steve style feels like you know we had we had
a classic episode with him back in the day for
people that know know the black and white era, like
the twenty what seventeen era, blah blah, But it was
dope to connect with him in the modern day and
like Calf him dropping his gems. Man shout out to Steve.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
Man, legendary interview. Legendary guy. You know what I mean?
This guy's been around for twenty five years. Play go
yeah Man, manager of NAS and a whole bunch of others.
So you know, Steve Stout is Steve Stout. Steve Stoutman.
What can you say?

Speaker 3 (00:47):
Every time I hear it was written, I think that
that's like the Stout album. You know, see it is
a big pay back to the Illmatic. It's like Yo
Stout got him with track Masters. It was written though
word you know, it's written with his new guy that
we got today.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
Man, not a new guy.

Speaker 4 (01:02):
It's one of our guys.

Speaker 1 (01:03):
Man, come on, he is one of our guys. Betty
the Butcher.

Speaker 3 (01:06):
Griselda Man, we came. You know, it's finally time. And
we've had the Griselda group as a crew all time.
Rap Radar our connection is so solidified. But you know,
last what was it last year? So we had Wesside
gun by himself and then he brought the crew. But
we did have gun by himself and then we had
Conway top of your solo dolo.

Speaker 2 (01:26):
So it's only right man. I think it's Beny the
Butcher time. It absolutely has Beeny the Butcher time. But
you're coming. Butcher's here. Man.

Speaker 1 (01:33):
Everybody can't go. One of the best albums this year.

Speaker 4 (01:36):
Whoa wait, hold up, hold on, let's take a moment.
Let's take what if Brian b do Miller say and
the man with.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
The list you could take two moments. What did you say?
Let's let's take him back what you say about this album?

Speaker 1 (01:47):
Everybody can't go one of the best albums this year.
It's very very very good death him like that they delivered.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
Man, what can I say? Wow? The high praise, but
it's old deserve it, man, that standing on it.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
Man, we've been We've been waiting for this for a
long time, and I feel like the fans are going
to definitely be pleasantly surprised with.

Speaker 3 (02:09):
Benny about to be publiced. You know, hip Boy Alchemist production.
Now there's a lot of girlfriend album. I like it
a lot too, man. We got the privilege to have
a little early ye see peak of the record, like
it's there, man, Like it delivers. Man, it's been you know,
it's not been the greatest year in hip hop. So
I think that this Benny project is going to bring
a lot of excitement to the game. You know, he's

(02:31):
right now, he's got a little drama going on the internet. Man,
he's out here spawn with everybody. You know what I'm saying,
Like Benny Bet he's not afraid to tell you how
he feels out here.

Speaker 2 (02:39):
Everybody can't critique, everybody can't go, everybody can't go.

Speaker 3 (02:45):
But now we was like, we gotta come down to Atlanta.
We food just down here to how at Benny was like,
we ain't coming for the festivals and all that. We
ain't invited to that. We just came out here to
get this interview. Man Baby, the Butchers out here in
Atlanta was like, Yeah, we got to talk to our
guy knew album coming out, Death Jam.

Speaker 1 (03:01):
It's only right. Man, is the rap radar. Let's do
it Man's tradition. Let's get into it. Eli, you're ready.
I'm ready, Baby, Let's get into it, man Baby. The Butcher,
Rap raid Doll Podcasts. Yeah, Yo, it's the Rap raid
All podcast. My name is beat I, Elliott Wilson, Ellieah.
We got the Butcher here, Benny solo baby, first.

Speaker 2 (03:19):
Time on the Rap Raido podcast. This is my first
solo interview. Yes it is, oh Man, progress is taking
place the rap radar. You can't get rid of us.
That's a fact. I remember my first one, all three
of us, you know what I'm saying. And I was
sitting there and had the fatigue cold on and ship.
I was nervous as a bitch. The lights was.

Speaker 4 (03:39):
How's it feeling to be way richerd Now Bennie.

Speaker 2 (03:41):
Here, knowing, knowing the place that it came from. It's satisfying. Man,
It's satisfying because all I set out to do. I'm
not gonna lie all a lot of what I set
out to do is to satisfy west Side Gunner Conway.
You know what I'm saying. Them boys brought me here.
I got to be able to bring shit back to
the table. I got to be able to say, like,

(04:02):
look what I did with the opportunity, because niggas be
fumbling the opportunity. So just know that I made good
on the opportunity. I love it.

Speaker 3 (04:09):
So you felt that from Jump that you had to deliver,
Like you in a position of like attentions brought your way.
You're being recognized part of the family. It's like you
gotta deliver.

Speaker 2 (04:19):
Hell yeah. Like I always say, when I came in,
these dudes was giants. You know what I'm saying. I
remember in twenty seventeen. Now mind you, we're just small
collective from Buffalo. In twenty seventeen, I remember Double XL
posted it's Conway the best rapper from New York, and
I'm like, damn, like I want them to say some
shit like that about me one day, you know what
I'm saying. So just know that he was getting that

(04:39):
type of look. It was like, damn, I got my work.
I got my work cut out for you know what
I'm saying, So hell yeah.

Speaker 1 (04:46):
So I want to be one of the first we're
talking about the new album, everybody can't go. I wanted
to say, this is probably one.

Speaker 2 (04:52):
Of the best albums of the year. I'm going to
go on to that on the record and say that
congratulations and thank you, thank you. I put a lot
into it, a lot into it. See when I when
I first signed A Depth Jym, I thought, like four
months ago, I thought like, did I do the right thing?
Not by signing to him, but when I first signed,
I start relaxing. I wasn't in no rush to record
no album. I wasn't. I'm like, just let me get

(05:16):
my profile up a little bit, go to some industry parties.
You know what I'm saying, back of R and B bitch,
do some shit like that, you know what I'm saying,
and then it's time to write the album. Let me
get in my space first.

Speaker 1 (05:26):
Because you're like one of the most prolific artists in
the game. So I was curious, like when did you
start focusing on this album?

Speaker 2 (05:32):
And I start focusing on this album. Maybe maybe about
a year ago, I would say about a year ago.
And you know, you hear you hear a lot about
when you hear when you hear west Side Gunn say
all the time, like, Yo, I did this album in
two days. You know what I'm saying. It's like, you know,
I'm not that guy. You know what I'm saying. I
got to live with it, especially when it's so much

(05:52):
rying on it. To me, it's a lot rying on it,
you know what I'm saying. So about a year ago.

Speaker 1 (05:56):
Yeah, a year ago, you also tweeted, I'm gonna have
the best hip hop death gym album since DMX.

Speaker 2 (06:01):
It's dark and hell, it's time. I remember that and
stand on that ship. It was said that they did,
they did, and I stand on that. I stand on
that man.

Speaker 1 (06:11):
You also said it's gonna be the most anticipated album
this shit.

Speaker 2 (06:14):
Yo. The crazy thing about it is before I even
got to any before I was Griselda, before I was
even before I was even like doing any of this shit,
I always wanted my album to be called the most anticipated.
That's what I always wanted my album to be called
the most anticipated. And it's not called the most anticipated,
but it is the most anticipated, I feel. Uh, you know,

(06:36):
these dudes put out albums when nobody asking for him,
when nobody's waiting for him. So just have the people
and the culture and the genre waiting for my album.
Your where it's at. I could post a picture with
me hanging with my dog. They be like Nigga dropped
the album, you know what I'm saying. So see that
there at that point. I mean, I love it. It's
on the way.

Speaker 1 (06:54):
It's definitely worth the way, man. And like the title suggests,
why can't everybody go?

Speaker 2 (06:59):
I can't. Everybody can't go. Everybody can't go because you
know they they not cut like that, they not made
like that. And you can't dance to every song. You
know what I'm saying. This is for y'all out there.
You can't dance to every song. Everything is not for everybody.
And when new levels come, new devils in and I
want different, I want more, I want bigger for myself.

(07:20):
So this is this is the second cut, you know
what I mean? You know when you make that first cut,
when you when you can clearly see, okay, these people
are not for me. They don't need to be here.
So the people who made that, who got past that cut,
they think they safe the first round. Yeah, no, you're
not safe because everybody can't go. This is the next
level up. And what I mean by level up is

(07:42):
you know what I mean my way of thinking, of course,
my way of making music, my approach at this shit.
It's just just so many things that there's so many
things that I'm saying. What I mean, everybody can't go
because they can't. This shit ain't for everybody.

Speaker 4 (07:55):
Man, Why do you think you want to land on
that message to be the message.

Speaker 2 (07:58):
Around this album, because honestly, it's motherfuckers feel like they
can go. You know what I'm saying, Uh, Basically, I
want to. I want to. I want to. I want
to visually and sonically go into a space where people
know that he's a different guy right now. You know
what I'm saying. Okay, this is not the Benny the

(08:19):
butcher from him. You know what I'm saying. I want
to go into that place visually and sonically, and I
want people to know because it's exacts who slept on me. Uh,
it's artists who slept on me. It's a homeboys, friends
and family who slept on me. Uh, you know what
I mean. This is this, this is my victory lap.
You know what I mean. Everybody can't go you know,
a nigga did this ship. Like I said, I come

(08:40):
under the under the umbrella of Griselda, Westside Gunna Conway,
and you know what I mean, Like theom dudes me
and everything to me, them dudes are giants to me.
So it's for me to you know, when I when
I came, when I came in this ship, nobody expected
me to to to to live up to it, you
know what I'm saying. And I did it, you know
what I mean, So exceed.

Speaker 4 (09:00):
Exactly exactly, you know, just fit in, but took it
to another level.

Speaker 2 (09:04):
Let's talk about it, you know what I mean. Like
you hear the Westside Gun album, It's crazy. I love it.
I love his approach at it and you.

Speaker 3 (09:13):
Wrap it over take Keith beat Man. We didn't expect
that exactly, wrap it.

Speaker 2 (09:16):
Over to take Keith, you know what I'm saying. And
I love the way that he drives and pushed the
culture forward. And you know what I'm saying. You know,
Benny the Butcher was the first Grizelda artist rapping over
trap beats in twenty nineteen, and I've been doing that
and just to see that the whole Griselda's evolving. They're
just trying to do different things. That just lets me
know where we're at in time right now. You know

(09:36):
what I'm saying is that we came so far with
it that we're just trying to move the culture in
a different direction right now. What I'm saying, I.

Speaker 1 (09:42):
Love it, right And that's the one thing I love
about this album so much.

Speaker 2 (09:45):
Like the production.

Speaker 1 (09:46):
It sounds so polished, like you have hit boy on
the boards, and we also have alchemists, right.

Speaker 2 (09:51):
Yeah, yeah, like al That's what I do. I fuse
my you know what I mean? My uh, I'm not
gonna say my faceavorite producers because you got Drreinger and
you got Harry Fraud, you got uh Rick Hide, and
you got JR. Swift the Conductor. You got so many

(10:11):
guys I love working with, but two of my favorite
producers that I've been most successful with. And now I'm
dropping my major debut, I'm gonna go get my dream team.
You feel what I'm saying, so to speak, this is
my dream team. I can't go wrong. I never went
wrong with al I never went wrong with hit boys.
So when it's time to do this shit for the masses,
click them boys up together, let's do this shit.

Speaker 1 (10:31):
Yeah, I saw you posted a while ago you said no,
my album won't be loaded with boom bad beats.

Speaker 2 (10:36):
I did that already.

Speaker 1 (10:37):
Do you think like people had this preconceived notion of what.

Speaker 2 (10:39):
The Benning the Butcher sound is. Yeah, and they're wrong.
They're they're wrong because I tell this all the time. Man.
You know, we jumped into this ship making this kind
of music because we were good at it and we
felt it and this was the the yellow brick road,
you know what I'm saying. But we can make all

(11:01):
kinds of music. It's just like UH being getting famous
for your three point shot, but nigga, I could dunk
the ball, you know what I'm saying, better than your
favorite who won championships. So it's about it's about just
UH doing doing what we feel, you know what I'm saying.
And like people think that when you're an artist, people

(11:21):
think that you're a jukebox. They press a button and
certain type of music comes out. No, it don't work
like that. Man. Music is a living thing and the
way we make music. We have to live. We have
to live our experiences. We have to go through things
and see things and feel things and pain, hurt joy
in order to come out with these records. Right, You
feel what I'm saying, And it's no telling how it's

(11:43):
gonna come out on the other end when you're doing
that out of feeling. You know what I'm saying. You
see this Nigga Litt Wayne has a rock album. You
feel me? You see what whole did this ship with
Blink one Ad two? You know what I'm saying. It's like,
you know, Link Park, Lincoln Park Off, fuck that up.
But I knew you was gonna know that. But it's like,
you know, you never know how this shit gonna come out, man,

(12:03):
when you're doing it, when you're doing it from emotion,
you never know how I was gonna end up.

Speaker 1 (12:06):
What I mean, was it as seamless this time around
because you did burden the proof of hip Boy?

Speaker 2 (12:11):
Was the chemistry as organic as it was previously? I
would say it was, man, I would say it was
this only this is the only thing because I'm a
little superstitious. It's the only thing I recorded. I recorded,
like a lot of my hit boy uh songs in Vegas.
You know what I'm saying. And I wasn't at Challice,
you know what I mean. I'm superstitious. I'm like, damn,

(12:31):
do I need to be at Challice?

Speaker 4 (12:33):
But this studio exactly.

Speaker 2 (12:35):
But it's like I didn't need to be. I just
needed his energy. I just need a hit boy in
a room. A lot of these records. I do these
records with the producers in the room. When you see
ten ten more crack commandments, danger is in the room.
You know what I'm saying. When I'm doing these records,
these guys in a room, and it's like I need
that I need because they made to beat. You feel

(12:56):
what I'm saying. They made to be. I need them
to tell me. It's like Benny stopp And had that
in mind when I made this beat. You're going in
a totally different direction. I need to hear that. They
never told me that, you know what I'm saying, But
if they, if they felt that way, they would tell me.

Speaker 3 (13:09):
So I feel like somebody's sending you beat. You want
to feel like you're cooking up with the person.

Speaker 2 (13:15):
I love the producer to beat himself to do his job.
I love the producer to come to me with an
idea already for the song. I love for the producer
to uh to tell me where he was thinking when
he made the beat, like what he had in mind
when he made this beat. That helps me. That helps
my vision. I can craft my idea around the song
and his idea. You know, I need that.

Speaker 3 (13:36):
You mentioned Wayne got a big record called Big Dog
You and Little Wayne. It feels like, you know, also
like there's a lot of care to you with like
the chorus and how you approached that song, like talk
about that record.

Speaker 2 (13:47):
The Big Dog record is like I always felt like
I was an underdog, y'all know. Sometimes I beat it
in the ground. But you know, a nigga a big
dog now, you know what I'm saying. And just the
way the beat sound is just so melodicing, you know
what I mean? And with the hook. Let me tell you, man,
did he told me this? Did he told me? The
difference between Nas and Jay are the melodies? You know

(14:08):
what I'm saying. Not saying that one is better than
the other. He said, just the difference. And you take
from that what you take from that. And I took
certain things from that. I didn't want to. I didn't
want to be trying to rap people to death. I'm
been need the Butcher from Griselda. I feel like I've
done that already. You feel what I'm saying. If you're
a fan out there and you're looking like for me

(14:29):
to prove anything, I'm not saying that I'm the greatest,
but I am saying I am at the same time.
So it's like, if you're looking for me to prove
myself lyrical acrobatics and shit like that, I don't know
what to tell. You know what I'm saying. You know
what I do? You know what I do? You know
what I do? You know what I'm saying. Just enjoy
the music, man. It's a piece that we all can enjoy.
And that Big Dog song it's like fire that shit fire.

(14:51):
So it's so eclectic, you know what I mean. And
I have fun making that song. And Wayne is true
to his word. He said, any time I need him,
shout out mac mahone and shout out everybody over there.
But anytime I needed Bro, he came through for me.
This is the third collaboration you had, timeless Rushman. What
now this one? Now this one? And I'm on a
College Grove album, I'm a Mad album. You know what
I'm saying. Got some heat on there. And the Butcher

(15:13):
that's a fact. That's a fact.

Speaker 1 (15:14):
I like it because I feel like you bring the
best out of them every time you're on the collaboration.

Speaker 2 (15:18):
Yeah. Yeah, and and and I think and I think
that's that's one of my superpowers is I bring the
best out of a lot of artists, not even on
no competitive ship. I just think people are excited about
working with me, you know what I mean. And I
love that. And I love that that I got that energy.
So I think people are like, oh, that's the butcher.
I mean, let me give him one of those, because
let me give him that energy that he given, you
know what I'm saying. So I love that.

Speaker 1 (15:39):
And you guys finally got the video to the pit
with Dobeman pictures.

Speaker 2 (15:43):
Man. Listen, I got I got dogs myself. But it
was one scene. They had the dogs in the back
of the seat and the back seat with me and
the car and it was two of them and they
got the dogs ain't know each other, so they got
to going back and forth. They seen my face. They
was like, just get one of them dogs out. Of there.
Please don't tell me like that. I'm just trying to
the video man, trying to get my ear chewed the
fuck off. Nothing but hell yeah that was crazy.

Speaker 3 (16:04):
But you said like it was so tapping into the
melodic point. You said that puff was like, so Jay's
a little more melodic with certain things, Like what was
the approach there.

Speaker 2 (16:12):
That you I feel? I feel I feel that he
meant that. I feel that he meant who was uh
more melodic? And I felt I didn't really want to
lose people by trying to be too too rappy what
I'm saying. I wanted to connect with people in a
different way with maybe the melodies and and the things
that I was saying without jumbling a bunch of things together,

(16:35):
leaving points in the music where they got time to
think about what I said and time to digest it,
you know what I'm saying. So definitely this.

Speaker 4 (16:41):
Is a challenge when you're right like that, or is
it still feels natural just.

Speaker 2 (16:44):
Like easier, you know what I'm saying. It's actually easier
because I'm getting on the mic and I'm trying to
prove a point. I'm trying to rhyme words, I'm trying
to catch pockets and everything like that. And when I'm
writing like this, I'm just letting it flow. I'm just
letting it fig exactly, just letting the flum, just saying
what's on my mind and saying what I feel and
not trying to create a punchline or not trying to

(17:07):
create a wild factor with a bar. I'm just saying
what's on my mind and just letting it flow out.
It's easier like that.

Speaker 1 (17:12):
That was what I think was so impressive with this
album was like the different flows in the pockets that
were using. I think one song in particular, back again
with Snoop Dogg. Man, I remember you played that for
me months ago, right, and it has like this West
Coast field.

Speaker 2 (17:24):
I didn't even know Hip Boy did it at the time.

Speaker 1 (17:26):
But the flow, especially on the second verse, it's like
you're walking down the beat. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, Like
did Stoop av pointers on that or did you just
come up with that flow by yourself?

Speaker 2 (17:36):
I just came up with that. And that's another thing.
And man, it's sure man, cold cold world. Man. That nigga.
That nigga like basically like coached me on a lot
of shit on this album. Really he let me know that.
He was basically like the pockets. He was like, find
the pockets, he said, people love the pockets. And basically
that's what I try to do, and I try to

(17:57):
switch the flow up. I try to have like different
flows and different songs and different moves, and I feel
people gonna appreciate that. But you know what I'm saying,
I definitely got that piece of advice from Bro.

Speaker 4 (18:08):
So how important was that? Johnny Peace Caddy?

Speaker 3 (18:10):
Right, that's the record breaking for Griselda, first gold record
for the brand. Definitely like speak about that, Like how
important was that? And like the lessons you learned from that?

Speaker 2 (18:21):
Man? The lesson I learned. The lesson I learned is
is do what you feel. And that's why I can
go into this album comfortable with this album coming out.
I could be comfortable with it because I just did
what I feel. And and trust me, everybody around me
felt good about that record before we even sent it
to Cold they felt good about that record. And by

(18:43):
the time Cole got on it, you know what it
just did. It just shot the record through the roof
and how we felt about it before we even let
the world here the record. So I was basically I
was basically just taken from that, like, damn, just do
what you just do your shit. You know, we come
from recording the bathroom right, re recorded record in the

(19:03):
bathroom back in the day where the booth was at
and then maybe somebody else could get on the record,
no hook and no nothing to see that we earned
a gold plaque like that, you know what I'm saying.
It's crazy because I always thought, like, man, you know,
when we get when we get higher up in the game,
we're gonna have to start changing the shit. We don't
have to start putting hooks on these records, you know
what I'm saying. But that went just the way it went,

(19:25):
Like we're on the take Heath beat, just on West
Side album, just rapping, no hook, one after another, and
that is our formula, you know what I'm saying. That's
our formula, doing what we're comfortable doing. You could put
a hook on it, you you don't have to. But
getting that gold plaque over an Alchemist's beat, over a
beat with no hook and just rapping, and that just
showed me, man, you could really do what you want

(19:47):
and be comfortable in your own lane. And I have
to and I have to be a dancing bear for
these people. You know what I'm saying. Real shit, where
were you? Ain't got the news that the gold plaque? Yeah,
I think it was at home. I got a call
from Al. You know Al never calls. Al never called,

(20:07):
and man, I know he always up in the morning,
and shit, he was like, yeah, you know, we about
to get a plaque for that. We about to get
a plaque for that. You're like, yeah, you know what
I mean. I get on the I get on the
Billboard website and I don't see it. But he must
know because it extremes so much every day, they must know, like, okay,
by seven days, this is going to be some So
about a week later and I was telling people I

(20:28):
posted it. You know, my lawyer called me. He called
me being a negative Nancy. It's like, I looked it up.
I don't see it. I'm like, man, it's going to
be there, be there, you know what I'm saying. But
I felt good, man, like I said, just to be
able to hand that to Westside Gun after the opportunity
that he handed me. And that's all you can ask for, man,

(20:49):
in this business where you're presented an opportunity that could
go to up somebody else. You know what I'm saying,
somebody maybe would have got a platinum album or whatever.
But to be able to bring something to the table
to these guys who who set this platform for me,
that means everything, something tangible exactly, that means everything to me,
you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (21:10):
So and he took that everywhere man, and he brought
it to the cemetery.

Speaker 2 (21:16):
Dead man. He took my mom and and my mom
went and I was dope. And that was dope because
I'm gonna be honest with you, Me and Westside Gunn,
we handle my brother's passing away different. You feel what
I'm saying. It's like he he he kind of like
you know, rejoices and celebrates it. And I know my brother,
his family and his kids love that. But it's hard

(21:39):
for me to do that. Sometimes it's hard for me
to speak his name, you know what I'm saying, because
it takes me back to a place that I don't
necessarily want to go. So a lot of times I
get to celebrate my brother through the love west shows,
you know what I'm saying, Because a lot of things
that I'm not strong enough to do. You know what
I'm saying, It's like a lot of shit that I'm
not you know what I mean. So I lived through
West with a lot of that, you know what I mean.

(22:00):
Like me, how he went back to the grave site,
it was like a celebratory moment. He was with my mom.
Like me going to the gravesite with my mom. I
wasn't able to be I wasn't able to be there
at the funeral to hold her down. So it would
have been like all of that all over again for me,
you know what I'm saying, Because I've been to the
grave site, but I haven't been with her, so that
would have conjured up so many feelings and so many

(22:21):
emotions that sometimes I just stay away from that shit.
And I just I mean, I lived through my brother,
through a son, you know what I'm saying, that's his twin,
through his daughters, and you know, just through old memories
we shared. But man definitely appreciate we's holding it down.
And I'm happy he got the plaque. Take the plaque
on tour everywhere, the Black Up Tour.

Speaker 1 (22:39):
On the first song of Germans Graduation, you said, like how.

Speaker 2 (22:45):
To clean up the rumors?

Speaker 1 (22:46):
Yeah, about you gun and contract. Why was that important
to get big free?

Speaker 2 (22:52):
Yeah, because because you know, people see us and being like, yo,
it's Griselda broke up or you're not on Griselda's. Like
the best case scenario happen, you know what I'm saying.
Where I delivered four projects, four albums took Griselda. One
of them earned a plaque. One of those are what
What She Ain't Gonna Do? One of those are Burden Approof.
One of those are Tanne Talk three, Tannet Talk four.

(23:14):
I handed, I got an impressive catalog over at Griselda
and then decided to go and be a boss like
I was showed by my big cousin. You know what
I'm saying, It's nothing to be like damn, he not
over there anymore. You know people look at it that way.
I don't know why. So just because you know Conway

(23:35):
started drum work. That is the best case scenario. You know,
when the Patriots dynasty run, all of those head coaches
and quarterback coaches, they went over to get good jobs,
better paying jobs at different organizations. Though, you know what
I'm saying, and I'm pretty sure they all come and
reminisce over their championship run. That's all of it. That's

(23:55):
all this is, man. It's a dynasty that we lived through,
that we helped creating. And I just want people to know.
It's like, Man, we ain't got no you know what's
happy for me? You know what I'm saying. Contwait, happy
for me? I'm happy for them dudes. Man, that just
I mean, we can never split up. I've seen we
said that in a different interviews, like we might be
doing other things, but we can never break up. That
shit don't even make no sense, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (24:15):
Right, It's been a busy year for you though, Bessef
the Black Sopranos Family.

Speaker 2 (24:20):
Yeah yeah, man, I executive produced a whole bunch of
albums and got my feet up under me. I don't
want to thank my whole staff, because that's what it's
really about. When you putting out these records, after these records,
after you get out the booth, Like is who's going
to push these records? Who's going to see to it
that these records is getting put out officially? Keeping up
with the dates? Man, that's all the staff, a whole
bunch of people who don't rap and allowed us to

(24:42):
have a good year. Man, real, you give a roll
co who's officially and besself? Oh yeah, yeah, where you
got Rigatte, Yes, you got hem, you got a fuigle Bass,
you got su le A, you got Malik Flames. You
know what I'm saying, Flames, that my league flames, and
that Nigga's crazy. He's crazying. You know, I told you

(25:03):
we just finished his deal. Yes, congratulations, brother, my palm
is together. I can't wait, Heroin that Nigga's crazy. For Rochester,
New York. I got ari Ari Almighty from Rochester, New York,
the first female This is my first time even announcing
I signed her, the first female artist on BSF. El Camino,

(25:23):
el Camino, Definitely, I'm trying to think definitely El Camino.
You know, El Camino been down and been part of
the team for a while. But we officially did his
deal and then he officially put out his first BESSEF
release about two weeks ago, and that was just his
best release ever. What I'm saying that those hits out
of his those words out of his mouth, like, Yo,
this is my best release ever. And I didn't think
that because you know, he got releases and anything. So

(25:45):
just lett him know, nigga, we got to stick together, nigga,
you know what I'm saying. And uh, who else? Man?
My nigga Bundy over there. You know what I'm saying,
Bundy Bush, this is my homeboy. We was in prison together,
right and he the first person I told him out
when I started being seth. He's been a guy who
pushing me, pushing me, pushing me when I wanted to

(26:07):
give up and shit. So I mean, that's my nigga
over there. You know, City Boy, Harlem, Cat, Jake, those
that's the staff man, whole bunch of guys man who
just you wouldn't see Benny the Butcher without them, you
know what I mean.

Speaker 4 (26:21):
Going back to death JM. Though, for a second I
remember talking.

Speaker 3 (26:24):
We were talking to Snoopause was like, you know, we
hear those rumors about you was going to death Jam.
He was lingering blah blah, and at a certain point
it felt like, well, Snoop Dogg just stepped in and
made it happen.

Speaker 4 (26:34):
He speak to that, like, how did the whole death
JM deal finally come together?

Speaker 2 (26:38):
Man? Just by Snoop get me on the phone with Jeff.
You know what I'm saying. You know, there's no secret, Dad,
I was looking for a certain number before I jumped
to the major side because if it wasn't if the
number wasn't right, it didn't make no sense to me
and my family. We was kind of stuck on the
number for a minute. Then you know, Snoop really got
me on the phone with Jeff Houston. You know what
I'm saying, He really done that. You know what I mean, Man,

(27:00):
the dog ain't have to do that. We all know that.
You know what I'm saying. I'm from the East coast,
he from the West coast. And he didn't get nothing
out of it. Ain't like he was getting ten percent
of the money. Ain't like he was getting nothing. He
just did it because he wanted to do it for me.
So I appreciate the dog for that. But that's all
it was. Man. I wanted to be I wanted to
feel safe for the number because me being a successful

(27:21):
independent artist, I wanted to feel like this label wanted
me here. You know what I mean. It's different, like
you know, you know you earned it exactly. It's easy
to say, Yo, we want you here, let's do this.
You do this they show it right the check let
the check reflect That's some new shit right there, check
reflect you know what I'm saying. So and they did that,

(27:43):
and you could you can't ask for more. You know,
we're already a well oil machine. I come from under
the Griselda cloth, so I know how to take care
of my own business. But you know, just adding a
machine to that, and the check reflecting was a big part. Man.
Shout out Snoop, Shout out everybody at Depth, Jamm and
Archie Naim, Charlene Man Tungee of course, and then everybody
else over there who I'm forgetting. Man, it's been it's

(28:04):
been dope for me.

Speaker 3 (28:05):
So what does that mean to be like a death
jam artist in twenty twenty three, twenty four in your mind?

Speaker 2 (28:12):
To me, it means that, you know, for one, it's
the fiftieth anniversary of hip hop. That means hip hop
is still live flowing, you know what I'm saying. Where
label like dev Cham who started this shit is coming
to back, is coming back signing a guy who made
his bones in the underground, Not the guy who was

(28:35):
on fire on the internet, not the guy who had
the viral single. No, a guy who who set his
tone and made his bones in the underground is linking
with the greatest hip hop label of all time. You
know what I'm saying. That should be inspirational to every
fucking artist in the game, you know what I mean.

Speaker 1 (28:50):
Right, One of my favorite songs in the album how
to Rap and kind of talk with details the trajectory
of your of stardom. Right, and you say you built
your shit ciphering.

Speaker 2 (28:58):
You could talk about those early days. Oh yeah, you know,
I'm come from the era where it be fuck the booth,
like you're you're not making it. You're not making it
to the booth. If we haven't seen your work in
Cipher's you feel what I'm saying on the street. So
it's like you're not you know what I mean. Like
a lot of time you hear these guys, you hear
them over a record, Like I didn't have that liberty.
So I built my name Ciphering. And you already know,

(29:21):
like you you you have to be on your shit
even to make it in a cipher. So it's letting
people know, like I'm busy the Butcher and my nigga,
like I built my shit on them street corners, in
them parks in them prison yards, ciphering with no beat.
A nigga might be beating on his chest. A nigga
might be beat boxing, you understand. And I'm and it's
straight from my mom to everybody's ears who's standing around

(29:44):
in that circle. And I was impressing people then, and
that's where I got That's where I got the confidence
up to to want to go further with my That's
when I know I had a career when the oohs
and ohs, the constant oohs and aahs, is like, you know,
I might be on something, but definitely I built my
shit up ciphering on that corner Montann in Genesee. I
remember I used to be standing on the corner hustling,
and then you know, every once in a while somebody

(30:05):
I know who rap walked past and we spiring, and
we spiring. You know what I'm saying, real shit. So
I love them days that that helped me to do
what I do now. I love that song.

Speaker 1 (30:15):
It feels like a step by step booklet really to
get your ship on track?

Speaker 2 (30:18):
Right, that's that's that's a good record, right, hear that record?
That's a good record. You know what I mean, like,
these dudes just gotta listen. They gotta listen, right, You're
getting real creative. Man.

Speaker 1 (30:29):
I was listening. Another person that's been listening, Lebron James
is big fan. You have a song dedicated to Lebron
called Braun your Game of his own theme song. I did,
I did, And I've been said to Lebron months ago.
He been had that record. Dope record.

Speaker 2 (30:45):
Man. The first name of the record was Championship Conditions,
but I'm like, man, let's just call it Bron. Uh,
you know, just just getting to my championship ways. It's
basketball season, you know. Uh, being a champion as an
attitude to me. They're like like like a guy like
Allen Iverson who hasn't won a ring, but clearly he's

(31:06):
a champion, you know what I'm saying, and everybody eyes
So it's like it's an attitude, and I just wanted
to bring my winning attitude to that record to let
everybody know what I'm on. Like, like I spoke earlier,
like this is the Griselda dynasty. You feel I'm saying
that I'm a part of it. Championship Conditions. What I say,
I said, I moved my bricks and my family to
a place where it's warm, like he did when he

(31:28):
left Cleveland, he went to Miami. You know what I'm saying,
real shit, So definitely, Man, what was his feedback on
the song? Man? He fuck with it? He fuck with it?
What I want? What I want him to do? I
want him I want the song to motivate him. I
want that to be a record where he might listen
to it on his way to play ball. I'm saying,
I remember last time bron played my Ship, he dropped like.

Speaker 5 (31:50):
Fifty That's all I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (32:01):
Which song was that? Man? I can't remember, but he
went viral posting it was it Johnny Peace Caddy? It
could have been Johnny Peace Caddy. Man could have been
Johnny Peace Caddy. I think it was. Man. Where'd you
put the plaque in jelly Caddy? What's that at? Your
sitting right up over the fireplace? You know, the fireplace
is the most heralded spot in the house. That's the

(32:22):
place like nothing nothing goes there. You got to have
a picture of Grandma, Big Mamo and family. I probably
even took the family photo down the plack up there,
like let this let this go there? You know, what
I'm saying. I was just looking at it the other day,
like fucking plaque in my house. Dad didn't steal it.
I gotta get him his own. I gotta get him
his own. When they brought it to me, and and

(32:42):
they brought me to and then I was keeping one,
and I was like, I got to keep this other
one for West and his head. He gave me that
look like what I'm Johnny p the record, So, Dad,
your plaque is on the way. I'm getting it cooked
up for you. Pops.

Speaker 3 (32:55):
So you said where you minisesoungbout your dad, your wife,
everybody like family members in your catalog.

Speaker 2 (33:01):
You're so proud of that, right, yeah, definitely. Man Like
Germany's graduation. Whenever I named a song after a family
member is always do well. The first time was name
the intro to Tanner Talk three Babs. That's my mom's name.
Oh uh, India, that's my wife name. You know what
I'm saying, American graduations. Yeah, I appreciate you appreciation, yes, sir, Yes,

(33:25):
you know what I mean. She put a ring on it,
hey yeah yeah, and then uh, Johnny Peace Caddy. You
know what I'm saying. It's self explanatory what that record did.
So I thought it was only right man, to you know,
my daughter, she been there with me every part of
my career and going through the ups and downs with me.
Are traveling and not be able to make birthdays and
not be able to make events and doctor's appointments. So

(33:46):
she sacrificed a lot for me to be here. So
I named this intro after her Germany's graduation. You know
what I'm saying. You all speak about Cole, he said.

Speaker 4 (33:53):
Cole's like one of the most genuine in the game.

Speaker 2 (33:56):
He is. Man, if you ask me, a lot of
things that he do that he don't have to do it.
I know, we can say that about a lot of people,
but he take it. Seems to me like he take
interest in things like that. And that's the difference. He
realizes his responsibility of him being the top guy. And
make no mistake, he's the top guy. Cole is the

(34:18):
top fucking guy in his shit right now, you know
what I'm saying. And for him to understand this responsibility,
just say a lot about him because a lot of
these dudes don't. Man, you know what I mean. At
a lot of these dudes, A lot of these rat
niggas use their platform to flirt with these bitches, to
flirt with these female artists. You feel I'm saying. You know,
they use they use who they are to you know,

(34:39):
to slither and slime, you know what I'm saying, and
to be a nigga, you know what I'm saying, which
is all good because you know, they worked hard to
do what they want to do. But they're not worried
about pushing the culture forward. They not worried about it.
They're not worried about like like, how can I do
this without getting nothing out of it? Which just for
the soul of sake of seeing that person there, that's
my responsibility as a person in his game. You know

(35:00):
they don't. They don't take the responsibility serious. So a
guy like him who takes responsibility serious, you got to
commit that.

Speaker 3 (35:08):
You've been under fire lately of the Internet taking a
stance against like he said, overly critiquing stuff. Yeah, and
things like that, like he speak to that.

Speaker 2 (35:17):
I'm happy he brought that up, man, because I get
so maybe I'll give it too too much energy, but
I get sick of all of these guys just weaponizing
their opinion. Uh, first and foremost the same artists that
these dudes dick fucking ride all fucking day. When them
dudes become too successful, now they don't like them. When

(35:39):
it was okay, when it was okay for y'all to
it was okay for y'all to try to like throw
like like when when when when Meek and Drake was
going through their ship, everybody Drake this, Drake, that Drake this.
You know what I'm saying. Now that he's winning, he
overly won the ship, he won, he collected everything, and
not a chip in the casino left. Now they' mad

(36:01):
at the man like no ya yeah, you know what
I mean. No, don't switch it up now. Same thing
with yay Uh. You see how everybody was going on.
They I hate yay shit man. Man, people big that
man head up like that to have him feeling like
he was that person. I'm not saying that he's not.
But a lot of this come from the fans. And
I heard the rappers say the other day, but the

(36:23):
fans told me this, So the fan, man, don't say
what the fucking fans told you, because that shit don't count,
you know what I'm saying. And these same fans who
get on here and then try to a bigger artist
up or a critiqua nigga. Like, somebody try to say
something to me today, Nigga, my DM telling me to
humble myself. Man, this dude, you look in our in
our history. This dude never reposted nothing, go on his page,

(36:45):
He never posted nothing, He never bought a shirt of nothing,
but telling me to humble myself. I'm not taking no
fucking advice from nobody who never supported me. Man. So
I think like one hundred thousand songs get loaded to
Spotify every fucking day, every day, and that's just Spotify.
You understand what we know. Who knows about YouTube and
all of this other shit. I think a lot of

(37:07):
the a lot of the fan supporter spectators want to
be in the artist shoes. So it's not like you're
critiquing your artists. You're critiquing your competition. You're trying to
think about what I would have said if I was
on that song, but why I would have did if
I was performing at No, No, nigga, sit back, shut
the fuck up, and enjoy it. I heard I heard
Ryan Daniels say, uh, you know, guys rappers brag too much,

(37:33):
and I got people feeling a certain way, and you know,
I kind of I don't. I don't feel like that
one hundred percent because when I hear when I hear
the artists talk about some shit, you know, like like
number one stunner, bird Man shit. You know that's my
new ship. You know what I'm saying. I bought me
one hundred thousand dollar car and that's what I listened
to Nigga number one stunner, you know what I'm saying.
So so it's like some people get motivated off of that.

(37:56):
I give you it too, exactly. So when you when
you hate on that, like you choose to take that stand,
you choose not to be motivated by that. So when
guys choose not to be motivated by that, you know,
I just don't like it. Listen to the music, like
we're the professionals, you know what I mean, Like we
love basketball, but I really can't be telling telling these
guys who are telling Josh Allen what the fuck to do?

(38:18):
Every Sunday. I could sit back and I can enjoy
the game, win a loss, that's it. I came like, man,
you know, he should have passed the ball I don't
know what's going on, what defensive lineman was bringing down
his neck, but to tackle him or how his wrisk
feeling what he was doing, I can't. I can't talk
about that shit. So I think they should. They should.
People think they're professionals, man, and they're not. Man. So

(38:38):
sit back and enjoy the music. Don't don't be so
ready to critique the shit for the sake of critiquing it.
For the sake of critiquing it. If it was good,
they wouldn't. They wouldn't go in there and say it's good,
but then go in there and say it's bad. You
know what I'm saying. You can't do that. You got
to play both sides of the fence. So I just
feel like a lot of people need it neither to

(38:59):
put more respect on the craft. It's not it's not
a lot of respect on being a rapper right now,
you know what I'm saying. So a lot of people
who don't know me, they see me, they see me
moving certain We're like, yo, you're a rapper, And I'm like, yeah, damn,
yeah I am. You know what I'm saying. And that's
not good man. You know, rap gave me a lot.
I should be able to want to say that loud
and proud, but you know, people try to hate on that,

(39:22):
you know what I mean? Like a lot of these podcasts,
a lot of these a lot of these influencers, a
lot of these characters or whatever they called h they
criticized rap. They got hold everything platforms to criticize rap,
and a bad way though of course you're gonna criticize it.

(39:44):
It's not for him, but in the bad way. Man rappers,
this rappers, that rappers, this rappers. That shitting on a rapper.
I hate that because almost we are almost the bar
for how people live their lives. You hear somebody say
like man, ship, like I got Richard and Richard than rappers?
Like what you want to be richer than a rapper?

(40:04):
For man, every rapper ain't rich I'm here to tell you.
I mean that that that's be richer than be richer
than every every person who went number one in the
NFL draft. Do that? Like people want to compare themselves
to rappers so bad. It's like people love us so
much they fucking hate us. They love us so much,
they hate us, man, they can't stand this ship and

(40:26):
a lot of times, the the critique and all of
that ship comes from people who want to do this.
They want to get people.

Speaker 4 (40:34):
People don't want to be rappers in your dms.

Speaker 2 (40:36):
And people look up like, yo, yo, Benny, that last
ship you dropped, it wasn't it. I go look click
on this page and he have a Spotify link, and
I'm like, Oh, that's what it is. That's what it is.
That's what it is. So you know, I get it.
But I just feel like, man, the culture did so
much for us, and it's so and it's responsible for
so much good as that. Man, we we we in

(40:59):
a way. Man, we have to. We have to. We
have to be careful and responsible of the things we
say and how we motivate our brothers. Man, I heard
someone I forgot who say this, but I said the
same thing. It's like, I never judge the music. I
judge the quality. Who the fuck am out of? If
a dude get on there saying his ABC's on a record,

(41:20):
who the fuck am I out of? Judge that. We've
seen records like that sell a lot of records. We've
seen a lot of records we thought was bullshit to
sell a lot of records. So the Who the fuck
am I? And I'm a rapper too, so who the
fuck am I to be critiquing that shit? Long as
you went in there, I'm critiquing your effort. If you
went in there, if I feel like you could have
said your ABC's better that shit trash, get back in
there and do that over, So I critique the effort.

(41:42):
I don't really critique the outcome because I would look,
there have egg on my face. If Love Nigga come
out and sell twenty million records and all the fans
going crazy, that don't make it good. But that gives
him an excuse. You Like, see what I said, Benny Nigga,
Fuck you talking about your opinion on me, and shit,
I'm gonna do this and I'm gonna do that.

Speaker 4 (41:58):
So but she's not afraid to say it, and then
the Internet goes crazy.

Speaker 2 (42:02):
It's like you're telling, oh, I'm definitely not afraid that
the Internet doesn't make believe place. The Internet isn't real.
The Internet isn't real, man. It's like, I'm never afraid
to speak my opinion on the Internet because every today
everybody can hate me, and tomorrow they all love me.
You know what, I'm saying, it's so many with this album.
When they get this album, they're gonna love it. Man,

(42:24):
they be back talking again. You know what I'm saying,
Are you open to constructive very very much? So? When
it's when it's when it's when I take it as
real criticism, Like I said, when I feel like it's
a weaponized opinion, I'm not with it. You can't tell
me you don't fuck with my ship if you never
supported my ship. M M, I'm not making it for you.

(42:45):
I hope you don't fuck with it. If a person,
if a person who been who could show me, like yo,
that last show you did, I really wasn't feeling that
you wasn't giving the energy. I've been to this show,
I've been to that show. When I've been at that show,
it's like, damn, I gotta deliver for this nigga. Now,
damn the gotta give him a free get to my
next show so I could prove to him that I
still got it. But when you never supported me and
you're saying what I need to do, what I'm like,

(43:06):
I don't. Man, I'm not trying to buy your supporter,
earn your support. I'm building up the people who already
support me, because those are the people are going to
convince you. I'm not going to convince you. The niggas
will tell you, Like I'm telling you this new Benny
the Butcher album is it, he's going to convince you.
I did all a rap and I could do shout
all the videos and did everything I could do. My
dog My fans and supporters are going to say, like, nigga,
you ain't hear this record. Yeah, you slept on this.

(43:27):
They're going to so I try to cater to them more,
the supporters and the people there. You know what I'm saying.
Why you got some constructive criticism for me? Nah? Yo,
b you be under fire too because you know what
I mean, it's just me on your record. No, I
did coway, I beat you up on the I baged

(43:48):
you up on the record.

Speaker 1 (43:49):
No, but I mean for this album, I have no
real criticism.

Speaker 2 (43:53):
No, but you're different. To be honest with you, I
feel like you're different and people going to take your
opinion higher because you be that because it means something. Mhm,
it means something because you support it. Guys. You know
what I'm saying. So when it's like it was like
I liked it this I'm telling you, I like, I
really don't know so much. It's like, you know, this
guy showed his support before, so if if if you

(44:16):
feel some type of way about it, that's just how
he genuinely feel. And of course we're men, we're human
and we're grown, so of course we might take it hard.
But we're going to go back in that booth and remember.

Speaker 3 (44:27):
That did when they said the big free they say,
gun you Conway, you're not afraid to say about it.
Call it out if it's like critical against y'all and
say something about it. It's like, why do you think
y'all are that same sort of drive of like we're
gonna say, we're gonna bring into the conversation. We're not
just gonna take it quietly like we're gonna respond to
that in real.

Speaker 2 (44:47):
Time because I feel like a lot of people, a
lot of people have given us our flowers, but a
lot of people hasn't. And I'm saying people who hasn't,
it's quick to criticize us. Like I said, we don't
want to hear that ship. You know, like a person
like Wes, the things that he's done for this culture

(45:08):
definitely should be celebrated, and I feel like he's celebrated
the things that a guy like Yay done for this
culture should be celebrated. And it's like Drake, what he
done should be celebrated. It's like sometimes the dudes make
a fuck up, people be celebrate there like a ah,
not seeing if they if they fucked up, if they
go on to do something that that we don't that

(45:29):
we don't feel as right exactly exactly see see my
thing about it is that's why he.

Speaker 3 (45:34):
Said something with for all the dogs right, you felt
like it was the one way thing of like tear
this man down.

Speaker 2 (45:40):
I think so just because he's been winning so much,
just because he'd been winning so much. You know. My
take on a on a on an album is that
that's what I expect from him. I expect from him.
He's not interested in in giving people to the bars
how we feel he should. Because he felt like he
felt like what has that guy him? I can't speak
for him, but personally like what has that got me? Like? Nigga,

(46:02):
y'all see all these white women who fucking love me,
y'a don't see what's going on? And that's important to
him and the thing about it is man as a rapper.
I really don't knock these artists for that because the
game is unforgiven what I'm saying, These these these people,
these supporters, and they have way and these rappers, these
rappers will try to uh will try to have you

(46:24):
sharpen their sword so they could stab you with it,
you know what I'm saying. So he's careful about like
he talked all the time about how he helped rap
niggas out and shit like that, you know what I'm saying.
And he has and maybe a few of them has
to try to go on and use a status that
they helped give to him that he helped give them
and try to act like they bigger than him. Like

(46:46):
you never going to hear me saying nothing about crazy
about Cole. You're never going to hear me saying nothing
crazy about that man. That man helps sharpen my sword.
He don't have to worry about me using that sword
in battle against him ever, you know what I'm saying.
And rappers do that shit. Rappers do that shit to me.
It's rappers like, yo, let me get a feature, Let
me get a feature, come around and hang around and
then what they see it's not leading to a contract,
it's not leading to a feature. Then then what they're

(47:08):
doing they bad mouth for me, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 4 (47:10):
So it's apetitive stance against exactly.

Speaker 2 (47:12):
It's tricky.

Speaker 1 (47:13):
Going back to the album though, one foot then one
for the album Stove called Cooks.

Speaker 2 (47:17):
Yeah yeah, yeah, Stovie Stove stovee. Man, it's my twin man,
you know what I mean. I got a few twins
and the ship twins, specially my twin base, my tour
and Rick team and boys twin Conway definitely is like
that Stove and Butcher energy is different. It's different. So
upstick connection, man, something's going on up this something that
is going on. It's it must be the fracking up

(47:39):
there ship in the water man, when they doing something
up there. But and And I'm proud of bro and
And I'm gonna help him carry his torch, you know
what I'm saying. Whatever I gotta do to help him
carry his torch, bringing light to him, him, bringing him
on the album, me doing records with him, gettinghim on,
getting on his album. Whatever I need to do because
he represent what I represent. So I'm proud of bro
And And I know, people love that energy, you know

(48:00):
what I'm saying, So we're gonna continue to get out
of it. There was a lyric on there that really
stood out to me.

Speaker 1 (48:05):
You said one foot out the game with the freestyle
with Flex, and you had one foot in the door
at the jay Z's house with Wes. You know, at
what point did you is that at that point did
you feel like you made it when he was at
jay Z's house, because you talked about it too on
Burden of Proof as well.

Speaker 2 (48:19):
Huh huh, Yeah, you know what I mean. It's Sean's crib.
It's a nice crib, definitely, man, And that was just
a that was just a moment in time where you
feel like, Okay, what's going on right now in my
life where I'm just sitting at this guy's house and
we talking business And definitely a moment where I felt

(48:41):
like I made it. It's like I said, I was
one foot in the game at that after the freestyle
with Flex, because during that time I probably was doing
some things that I probably shouldn't have been doing that
maybe Wes ll Conley didn't know that I was doing
probably was. So that's that's the real underlying That's what
I really meant was one fit in a game. After

(49:02):
that freestyle with Flex, I had one foot in the
door at jay Z House with West. You know what
I'm saying. It's like I was taking that foot out
the door and putting it in a game. You know
what I'm saying. So that's what I mean by that.

Speaker 1 (49:12):
Yeah, and going back up state, man and Buffalo is
the hometown that's very close to your heart. There was
a record that we heard. We heard two versions of
this album, Black Santa. Is that gonna make the cut?

Speaker 2 (49:23):
No, it's not gonna make the come on right right right,
right right. It's not my fault. It's not my fault.
Who we got to run up on? Whoever? Whoever? Al
Green's of State clearing a sample? Ye yeah, oh well,
that was one of my favorite records on the album.
One of my favor hurts me not to make the
album what I'm saying, because I really like I was
really saying some ship. I got it off my chest

(49:45):
and it falls into the category of everybody can't go
That was that almost been like the title track of
the album. You know what I'm saying, right, damn well.

Speaker 1 (49:53):
The reason why I brought that up is because we
talk about community and like, you know, giving back to
the city of Buffalo, how important that was to you?

Speaker 2 (49:59):
That man, that's my that's that's my city, and and
that's what people expect me to do. And I'm gonna
go above and beyond, above and beyond. Like I was
like fucking delivering groceries to people. I went to a
grocery store and seeing people who needed rides, pilling people up,
giving the rise back to their uh, to their crib.

(50:22):
You know what I'm saying. In the fucking blizzard with
a pool shisty mask, people don't even notice me. They
don't even know it's me. Like a couple of people
at the end I lift my mask, They're like, oh shit,
fucking bitny, Like damn, libody gonna lay this Like I'm
saving people. I'm jumping out the snow, helping people, throwing
people groceries in. I'm pulling up, giving people bread. You
know what I'm saying, donating, donating money so people can

(50:43):
get their ship right in My man is he in prison?
I'm saying, making sure his mom was good. And I
don't I don't always I don't always post about things
like that because it's almost corny to me and it's
almost what I should be doing. But you know what
I learned is you should post about things like that
because I was. I was interested in doing more for

(51:05):
my community when I seen somebody post about it, and
so maybe I could create that same effect when I
post about it like that buffalo shooting. You know what
I'm saying, man, We donated money. We raised twenty thousand
dollars up for the family I know personal I know
families personally that was affected by that. We went to
the White House to help bring awareness, speaking on Ari

(51:27):
Melbourn or MSNBC to help create awareness. You know what
I'm saying about the things that's going on. You know
a lot of people, a lot of people don't see that,
and they need to see that. Like I said, I
hate to try to like frontline that things because you know,
those are tragedies, you know what I mean that people
families are still dealing with. So I try not to
bring it up all the time. But you know, a
nigga do what he can for the city, man, And

(51:50):
and you know those me that they are me and
I'm them. So I'm gonna continue to do things like.

Speaker 1 (51:54):
That, or what song are you most proud of on
this album?

Speaker 2 (51:59):
I would say I would say back Again is a
moment back Again where Snoop is at the end talking
on a record and I heard him talk on records
like that for so many other people, Like I said,
it just I just realized, Okay, like I'm in this
chair now, it's my turn in the chair. Uh. Definitely
Germany's Graduation where basically where you know I like to
do reflect songs where I'm saying how I was here

(52:21):
and I made it from here, the triumphant songs, journey right,
how to be a rapper, Basically I'm telling my story
on there. You're all telling stories too.

Speaker 1 (52:30):
You got your storytelling bag on Oh yeah you trust
more valuable than love?

Speaker 2 (52:34):
Yeah, definitely definitely, Man, I can't wait for people to
hear that record, especially the last verse. You know what
I'm saying, Especially the last verse you listen to that,
listen to that.

Speaker 1 (52:44):
I want to be one of the first to tell
you this album is really it's you delivered. You know,
you were waiting a long time for it, and it's
like I was as I was listeners, like every song
just kept getting better and better. I was like, I
got to catch myself for a moment. Make sure I'm
mishearing that.

Speaker 2 (53:00):
That's what what happened when I sent to the Cold.
I sent Cold like for Fire Records, and he called me.
He was like, nigga, send me the rest because if
you got a classic, niggas got a classic. And you
know what I didn't do. I didn't send him the
rest because I want I want him, I want that
to linger in him.

Speaker 4 (53:19):
That let him sit with that until it's time.

Speaker 1 (53:21):
Well, it was so dope about that song. Is that
beat switches three times? And like what was the inspiration
behind that? We like watching Netflix or something.

Speaker 2 (53:29):
One day, man, I just wanted to I wanted to
get in my storytelling bag because people because people say
I'm a good storyteller, but when I'm telling stories, I
really never told like a story like that. I'm just
telling my story. So I wanted to, like to tell
some stories of people that I knew, or some things
that I heard of, you know, just you know, just
just something to keep people to the edge of the seat,
something in the edge of the seat, something to keep

(53:51):
people like, damn, what the fuck happened? Like, damn, how
the fuck you think of that? You know what I'm saying,
you know, just getting an art form of it. Man,
you're just trying to deliver, trying to cover all all
areas and all bases. Man, tell my stories, switch my
flow up, melodic songs, hip hop songs, the beat switches.
You know what I'm saying, Just try and everything right.

Speaker 1 (54:10):
So at the end of the day, like when this
album comes out, like, what do you feel like validation
is gonna be?

Speaker 2 (54:15):
Is is it another plaque?

Speaker 1 (54:17):
Is it the response from the fans?

Speaker 2 (54:20):
This? This is this is the validation and uh, thank
thank god that that I'm that I have self confidence
and self love that I don't need my validation to
come from nowhere else. I feel like it's already done.
Me Man shout out rock Mars, shout out mayhemmle Wren

(54:43):
shout out man. So many names I'm forgetting sky Zoo
shout out Action Bronson, shout out Danny Brown, all of
these guys, Flea Lord, a whole bunch of these guys. Man,
I'm sorry, I'm forgetting your name. But Ransom Ransom terminology
thirty eight spash static Selector is like when people see

(55:08):
me with depth, Jam on a higher level. Nigga, this
is this is the culture. I don't want people to
think that, Okay, I got them there, exactly. I don't
want to think people. I don't want people to look
at me going to depth Jam. It's like, Okay, he's switching,
he's he he's going. No, nigga, we're going come with
going to depth jam. This our genre music. And I'm

(55:30):
an artist that you guys champion and gave confidence to
and helped me rise up here. So we're going here
to get better looks and spread it and spread this
hip hop ship, this Griselda ship, this black soprano ship
in every fucking corner and every place that we can
get it to. So, I mean, I feel like that's
the validation. Is that a guy like me, Like I said,

(55:50):
I remember hearing Double Excel say that, what about Conway.
I remember being in the freshman meeting. I remember I
remember like, let's go go back to the rat rate.
Our energies. Look at my jewelry and when I wear
that ship like I wear this, but just look. I
remember like having to wait for my turn, you know

(56:15):
what I'm saying. So to have my turn, which I earned,
is a moment for all of us in underground hip hop,
because that's all we want. We want to have our turn.
We want to be looked at on a higher level
with all of these other guys who they look at,
all these other guys who want to chart. We want
our chance to dance with those guys, and with me,
through me, a lot of people getting their chance to

(56:36):
dance with those guys. Man, you feel what I'm saying.
So the underground world, man, we're validated. We did that shit,
you know what I'm saying. And it's not only West
who did it. It's not only Conway did it. It's
not only Rock Marsh who did it. It's like it's
another guy who doing it. You know what I'm saying.
And you can do that shit too. That's it. And
we're not scaring the holes, right, We're not scaring the holes. Man. Listen,

(56:56):
niggas told me Niggas love saying that I scared the holes.
I don't think I'm scaring the holes on this album.
You're not hose. I want to hear from y'all. I
don't feel like I'm scaring y'all, but let me know
when it happened.

Speaker 1 (57:07):
I think I think the narrative is changing though, I
feel like the holes are like and lyrical rap again.

Speaker 2 (57:12):
Right you see, Yo, West be like, come in, bitch,
I mean I need one of them joints. But yeah, man,
like I said, it's like different different corners man, in
different and different uh pockets that were spreading this ship too. Man,
you know what I mean. That's the wind for me,
that's the wind.

Speaker 3 (57:34):
What did you realize that with this album that you
was capturing everything you needed to capture, like you you're
an executive producer with that, Like you said, it's about diligence, growth, substance,
Like what was that final stage of like closing that
album out and feeling like it represents you the right way.

Speaker 2 (57:49):
Along the way where where I put certain records in place.
After I did a Snoop record, I'm like, okay, I
got okay, I got the Snow record. After I did
a story record, I'm like, okay, okay, boom, that's that's that.
I got that. After the Germany's graduation, I'm like, okay,
I needed that piece. Then I got the record with
Kahn and Rick on it and Con and West, I'm like,
oh shit, I know I needed my Grosela record. I

(58:12):
got that one foot out one shit with me in Stove,
So it was the ingredients. And I looked back and
I'm like, Okay, I covered every base on this joint,
because classic albums that we grew up off of cover
every fucking square. You always had that West Coast song,
you had that down South song, you had that East
Coast song. Remember the remix, Juvenile remix High jay Z

(58:33):
jumped on the motherfucker. That was all he was missing,
you know what I'm saying, Even though not saying that
they needed hole, but that was all he was missing,
just like you know Hove. We wonder why Hove was
fucking with short Dog all the time. Hove always going
back to fuck with Scarface. Pardon me, because those are
blanks that he had to fill in. I felt like
I felt in all the blanks on this you know
what I'm saying. I feel like everybody and hip hop

(58:54):
is represented on his album. That's what I was looking for.
That's a fact. Man. Everybody can go, man, everybody can't
go man. And I hope people back home feel the
same way. Man. Everything is not for everybody. Don't feel guilty.
Don't feel guilty. For living and your truth, for being
you who you are, for shining brighter than others. Don't
feel guilty for that because you know God put us

(59:15):
here to shine brighter than others. You know what I'm saying,
And that doesn't demn nobody else lights out, But man,
don't feel guilty for that shit. They try to make
us feel guilty. So this is me telling everybody like,
I'm living my truth. I'm gonna be who I am.
And yes, that might mean nigga, we're done because I'm
not doing the same shit that y'all doing. That could
go for a female, that shit can go for a

(59:36):
business partner, and then and in my case, it goes
for everything. Just go for females, business partners, friends, family, Nigga.
I don't drink the same shit. I don't eat the
same shit because everybody can't go. I don't shop at
the same place. Everybody can't go. It's a mind thing, man,
And once people understand that, they get it more.

Speaker 4 (59:57):
Your success brought more clarity to everything.

Speaker 2 (01:00:00):
I think so I think so too. It's like I
said that I didn't say it on this album, but
I said like I ran my money up and understood
life you know what I'm saying. I understood life first
because responsibility. Man, with money comes fucking responsibility. I'm responsible
for myself and other people. With money comes understanding knowledge

(01:00:22):
because it puts you in different rooms. I'm not on
a block hustling with a whole bunch of dropouts, niggas
who got three felon needs? Who who's banging on a
penitentiary door trying to get back in let me in.
I'm not around those guys more I was. I was
at the Reform. I was at the Reform. Shit that
meet just through and I'm kicking it with og Wan.
He was like, Yo, you gamble and I'm like, nah,

(01:00:43):
I don't gamble, I'll scrambled. He's like, Nigga, you in
the wrong place then, and I understood. He said, He's like, Nigga,
leave that shit at home. Still, you know what I'm saying.
So you're around people. I probably would have been around
some other niggas and they probably thought that was cool.
I said that when directed me on that. You know
what I'm saying, they would have thought that was cool.
So when money comes responsibility and uh, and you see

(01:01:06):
who you are, Like I said on the burn, to proof.
Money don't change you. It just it just puts a
magnifying glass on your personality. You feel what I'm saying.
So me having the things that I have and still
being a person I am gives me definitely gives clarity,
Like my mama raised me the fuck right.

Speaker 1 (01:01:22):
Even back again, I think you said, you say nothing
like that first m.

Speaker 2 (01:01:25):
Nothing like that first M. I wouldn't know, stop right out,
y'all been doing this ship forever, man, I mean it's
like that that, Like I said that paper man, it's
a magnifying glass and you get to see how you act.
You get to see how everybody else. You know what
I'm saying. You get to see how everybody else act.

(01:01:47):
And you know what I mean, it's it's a beautiful
thing when you, when you, when you know how to
manage it, when you know how to control it, when
you when you're comfortable in your own skin, it's a
beautiful fucking thing. You know what I mean. It's a
beautiful thing. Man, It's a beautiful album. Everyone can't go,
but everyone can stream. Everyone can stream. That's that's gonna
be the deluxe. Maybe get there clear by that right, Yeah,

(01:02:09):
maybe we're gonna get the l Green song clear by then,
because I want people to hear that and and this
and this. Let me say this, man, this, this piece,
this piece is is. It means a lot to me.
It shows growth and a Griselda collective. It shows growth
on my partner, Nigga's still on there. I don't want
people to hear these words and feel like, oh, he
switched it up and everything because I said, I'm not
using boom bat beats. It's it's hell of boom batshits.

(01:02:32):
His boom bat beats. Absolutely, you know what I'm saying.
It's just that that wasn't my main focus. But this piece,
I'm proud of it, and I know the fans is
gonna be proud of it. The supporters gonna be proud
of it, and I know the I know people who's
gonna like yo this. He's steady moving forward. He steady progressing,
and that means a lot to me. I know the
critics is gonna critique, and I know the haters gonna hate,

(01:02:53):
and I know the trappers gonna pop the ship and
then trap to it. And I know the holes is
not going to be scared of me no more. You know,
what I'm saying. So, I feel like this piece answered
a lot of questions and and I believe this is
I believe this is gonna sit somewhere special and the
Benny Butcher and a Bennie the Butcher Catalog. It's gonna
sit somewhere special. Man.

Speaker 4 (01:03:10):
Absolutely, congratulations, Betty. We appreciate you.

Speaker 2 (01:03:13):
Man, appreciate y'all boys. Man, I enjoyed this talk. Man
and y'all down here for the one fest.

Speaker 1 (01:03:18):
No, I'm in and out, in and out came you ship.

Speaker 2 (01:03:25):
I didn't know that ship. Butcher Club later.

Speaker 3 (01:03:28):
Niggaslena, everybody can't go to everybody.

Speaker 2 (01:03:35):
Yeah, rap rate our podcasts.

Speaker 1 (01:03:38):
Rap Radar is Interval presents original production from hyper House,
produced by Laura Wasser, Hosts and producers Elliott Wilson and
Brian b dot Miller. Her Minival Presents Executive producers Alan
Coy and Jake Kleinberg, Executive producer Paul Rosenberg.

Speaker 2 (01:03:52):
Editing is sound designed by Dylan Alexander Freeman.

Speaker 1 (01:03:55):
Recording engineer Mike Urban, visual director Josh, Operations lead Sarah Yu,
business development Lead Cheffie Allen Swig, and marketing lead Samara Still.
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