Benny The Butcher has been on a steady rise with his Griselda family over the past few years. His latest solo effort, Burden of Proof, just earned the highest-charting Billboard 200 album for the crew last month when it debuted at No. 29.
During a recent interview with Sway In The Morning, the Buffalo rhymer opened up about his origins, specifically his time in school where he says he was a straight-up “nerd.”
“I definitely read a lot in school, and even more in prison,” he told host Sway Calloway.”I always was good, even in my times of being bad as hell in school. I always used to get good grades in school, period. Especially English, writing, and literature. I’m a good essay writer, I know how to write. I was just good at it.
“My literature teacher told her he’s a joy to have in my class. ‘I love to pick him to read.’ I remember her telling my aunt ‘I wish I could have him read the whole book, but I be having to give other students the chance to read.’ I was like, ‘Oh shit, I’m not as bad as I thought, I’m really a nerd in this muthafucka!”
Elsewhere in the interview, Benny rattled off some of rap influences, which includes Rakim, Nas, JAY-Z and one that might surprise people.
“I remember getting it from Westside Gunn — a Father MC tape — I remember me getting that tape and liking his delivery,” he said. “It kinda reminded me of Big Daddy Kane. He was very influential to me. I don’t hear many people mention that name, but Father MC, man. I remember that tape.”
Father MC was signed to Andre Harrell’s Uptown Records label in the ’90s and delivered his debut album Father’s Day in 1990. He dropped six subsequent albums during the course of his career, culminating with 2010’s Fam Body.
Benny The Butcher Earns Griselda's Highest-Charting Billboard 200 Debut
Benny has stayed busy this year. In addition to dropping Burden Of Proof, he’s allegedly working on a collaborative project with Freddie Gibbs.
In a recent interview with Apple Music, host Ebro Darden suggested the two should do a Best Of Both Worlds style tape, to which Benny said, “I think the fans’ll love it. Freddie is a guy who I really got in tune with the past couple years. The fans put me on. I put my music out and it was like, ‘It sound good, he’ll sound real good with Freddie.’ And I’m like, Freddie Gibbs from back in the day?
“He resurged his career to take off even higher. And when I dived into the music, we worked with the same producers. I said, ‘Yeah, we would sound real good together.’ We trying to put [the collab project] together right now.”
Watch the full Sway interview above.
Takes a fine tuned mind to keep a group togethe – shout out to Benny
I’ve always said if rappers read books they’d have a lot more to rap about- different topics and subject matter.
There are many intellectual rappers, brother. Do some research and be enlightened.
No nerd listens to Gay-Z or Nas Tesco Bar. I’m a nerd and I listen to Milo, Quelle Chris, Hiero, MURS, billy woods, DOOM, Kool Keith, Saafir, Equipto, Homeboy Sandman, Ras Kass, etc. Benny needs to look up in a dictionary what ‘nerd’ means. Ignorant ass niqqa.
Chill the eff out. I’m just like Benny and I’d prefer mainstream rappers from the 90s to 00s and 2010’s over underground rappers that you’ve just mentioned.
Now we know you’ll stay a virgin forever.
Bruh stfu. Act like your the gatekeeper of nerds. People.. nerds included.. have different tastes in music. Dipshit.
You’re right. Have DIFFERENT tastes in music. Listening to Gay-Z and Nas is straight regular, radio-friendly mentality. Listening to Saafir, Milo, etc is different, because most people (including you and Benny the fake gangsta) don’t know shit about them. Get a dictionary, you Milli Vanilli fan.
Lol to John that’s hilarious bro u obviously both got sense i yhink when people like Benny say they are a nerd its a street type nerd not literally Ive read my whole life and I m very intellectual ur right reading has almost everything to do w ur writing ability and the ease at the rate u can do it but he a real dude meaning he aint lying bout shit yea obviously every music genre does its a part of the business side of what makes cents not try in ta put anyone on game or debate we all know what’s up but by his music amd intuition off of reading people I believe he really was street for real and he dif than others he appreciate and recognize y he is where he is now js
IT makes sense, it will obviously help with wordplay/ metaphors etc which Benny excels at. Guys like Styles P , Black Thought come to mind. You can tell there is intelligence behind what they do.
Of course he’s a poser they all are
Of course he was. I been saying this that all these Griselda dudes are straight nerds who never sold drugs. Just like rj Payne
No, Benny was definitely in that line of work. He might exaggerate like other rappers but he was really in the streets.