Benny The Butcher has always asserted his dominance in Hip Hop, but he’s equally vocal about recognizing the talent he is surrounded by — J. Cole, for that reason, is a name he always brings up.

In a new clip from a Rap Radar Podcast interview shared on Thursday (November 2), the Griselda MC talked about how the Dreamville boss has taken on a leadership role while most others in his position are “not worried about pushing the culture forward.”

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“A lot of things that he do that he don’t have to do,” Benny told host Elliott Wilson. “I know we can say that about a lot of people but 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 top fucking guy in this shit right now, y’know what I’m sayin,’ and for him to understand there’s a responsibility just say a lot about him, ’cause a lot of these dude’s don’t, man.”

Last month, the Buffalo rapper declared that Cole’s top feature verse was on his 2022 joint, “Johnny P’s Caddy.”

During an interview with HipHopDX at the 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards, the 38-year-old dished on why he feels the guest bars mentioned above rank higher than the rest, including the Fayetteville native’s acclaimed spot on Lil Yachty’s “The Secret Recipe.”

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“Honestly, ‘Johnny P’s Caddy’ — I have to rank it at the top,” he said. “Ya’ll know why. He’s on there with another spitter. I don’t know bro. I gotta go check that [Lil Yachty] song out. I was listening to it the other day. I’ma listen to it better, but I think ‘Johnny P’s Caddy’ Cole verse still got the best title.”

Several people wondered if Cole was referring Benny on the song when he rapped: “Of course I’m tryin’ to revive a sport that’s dyin’/But the guns and the drug bars that y’all relyin’/Got these nerds thinkin’ that you n-ggas hard as I am//But that just mean I ain’t as comfortable as y’all with lyin.’

Benny The Butcher Kickstarts World Tour With Surprise J. Cole Appearance
Benny The Butcher Kickstarts World Tour With Surprise J. Cole Appearance

Furthermore, he ended the track by calling himself “the best rapper alive,” which raised a few eyebrows considering he was featured on another rapper’s song.

During an interview on The Breakfast Club last year, Charlamagne Tha God asked the “Super Plug” spitter if he was tempted to change his verse after hearing Cole rap.

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“Man, fuck no,” he responded. “I’m not one of those dudes who changin’ my verse. I’m not doing none of that. I done sent songs to n-ggas and some of n-gga’s favorite n-ggas done changed they verse. I guess that’s what they do. Man, that’s how we feel.”