Jesse Bernard, journalist at Trench and Noisey, on Benny The Butcher's Tana Talk 3
As far as underground rap goes, it’s in a healthy state, despite the charts being full to the brim with rappers who’ve broken through. New York’s underground is representative of this shift, with Griselda Records’ Benny The Butcher proving the region’s rap future is secure.
Last year turned out to be an incredible year for the label, with Benny The Butcher and his labelmates Conway and Westside Gunn each releasing multiple projects. But it was Benny’s Tana Talk 3, released in late November, that rung the loudest.
Benny’s signature grimy flow over haunting production from The Alchemist and Daringer, brought new meaning to gutter rap. Particularly on tracks such as ’97 Hov, which features one of my favourite beat switches in contemporary rap. Benny displays lyrical prowess throughout, but does so on a production that feels both timely and timeless, akin to records by MF Doom.
For now, a void has been filled in New York’s rap scene by Benny The Butcher and his Griselda cohorts. How their peers respond to the incredible run of albums over these past few years remains to be seen.
