Benny The Butcher sounds like Jay-Z if he went to Prison.
His voice, cadence, lyricism and content make him one of the bright spots of 2020. Griselda as a group is having a great year. It’s not too surprising though because in a year where we’re all stuck in the house, it’s only natural that some former ex jail niggas would thrive. It’s wild to think that hearing someone rap about all the different ways they sold cocaine would be soothing but, it honestly is. If Pusha T is King of the Cocaine raps, Benny gotta be a Czar; equal in greatness but colder in their approach. When Pusha raps about Cocaine, a part of the the appeal is that he can take those same devious moves and apply them to legitimate business, women or song making. When Benny raps about Cocaine, the appeal lies in the fact that he’s taken wins and major losses. Benny is what happens when you lose 92 Bricks and have to bounce back.
So let’s get into Burden Of Proof.
It took me a while, but I finally got into it.
This album doesn’t glorify selling drugs, but I know it’d be fun to sell drugs listening to it. In every bar you hear Benny tell his story and you can feel all the wins and losses he had to go through to become who he is. His tenacity is what draws you into each verse, but his patience is what truly shines through. He never rushes to get to his point, and he wears his experience like a badge of honor. This is a man who believed in the process, even when it landed him in jail. This is a good album to listen to halfway through a jog or at the beginning of a tattoo appointment. Basically whenever you have moments where you’re asking yourself “why am I doing this, this is so painful, I regret everything” Benny will keep you motivated. This album feels like a 2 hour haircut with all your jewelry on in some brand new Jordan’s. Or if you don’t live like me, this album feels like watching your Fantasy Line-Up win when your starters are on a bye-week.
If I had to think of any faults, I’d have to say the lack of an actual Jay Z feature is a little disappointing. It’s like seeing Miles Morales in Adidas; like I’m still enjoying it, but I’m missing the one key piece that’ll cement this as a classic. Again that’s me being nit-picky for the sake of being nit-picky.
Overall “Burden Of Proof” is great, Benny the Butcher is arguably the best MC of 2020. Gangsta rap is back, lets go out and rob people like they did in the 90s. I give Burden of Proof 9.5 ounces of cocaine out of 10.