Buffalo-native and Griselda member Benny The Butcher has released his newest project, The Plugs I Met 2, with producer Harry Fraud.
As one of the core members of Griselda, Benny The Butcher has seen his share of success in the music industry over the past few years. The previous installment, The Plugs I Met, featured well-known artists like Jadakiss, Pusha T and Black Thought.
Benny’s sound has evolved drastically since the release of the first The Plugs I Met. With gritty beats and braggadocios coke rap, Benny was seen to be among the likeness of artists like Pusha T or Freddie Gibbs, in terms of his lyrical content.
After The Plugs I Met and his mixtape with DJ Drama, Benny returned with a mature, passionate project in Burden of Proof in October 2020. When it came time for The Plugs I Met 2, Benny seemed to have taken themes from each major project thus far.
This project, as expected, contains themes carried over from the first Plugs project. The themes he took from Burden of Proof, however, are what made The Plugs I Met 2 more than just a hard-hitting, grimy project.
Sitting at around 28 minutes with just 9 tracks, Benny gives the listeners a lot to unpack in such a short span of time. Tracks like “Plug Talk (feat. 2 Chainz)” and “Live by It” are reminiscent of the first The Plugs I Met. His tell-all narrative ability while rapping about his experience in the drug game is a major theme throughout his discography and he doesn’t fail to impress yet again.
Other tracks, however, offer extremely introspective narratives. “No Instructions” details Benny’s time in and out of Prison and his motivation to turn his life around, despite multiple flaws and failures. His self-analyzation and situational awareness on the track show Benny’s ability to draw listeners into his life and past experiences.
“Survivor’s Remorse (feat. Rick Hyde)” takes Benny’s introspective narrative to a new level. While Benny has had much success as of recent, his past experiences sometimes leave him feeling guilty. In the chorus, he states, “This is supposed to be success / Then why the f*** I feel stressed out and guilty? / … I answer every call from jail ‘cause that could’ve been me.”
Although the thoughtful tracks on this project undoubtedly shine, what would this project be without a confident Benny The Butcher rapping over drums and a melodic instrumental?
The intro track, “When Tony Met Sosa,” is a heroic-sounding track that sets up the rest of the project perfectly. Benny The Butcher, although 36-years-old, has the hunger and drive of a newer artist, with the charisma and comfortability of a hip-hop veteran.
Other tracks like “Plug Talk (feat. 2 Chainz)” and “Talkin’ Back (feat. Fat Joe)” give off the same strong swagger. It’s hard to find down moments in this project when it comes to Benny’s contribution. The features, however, can get rather shaky at times.
The verses from 2 Chainz, Chinx and Rick Hyde elevated their respective tracks immensely. Other featured artists, like French Montana and Fat Joe, failed to provide something unique to the tracks that they appeared on.
The inconsistency of the features may take away from Benny’s impressive performance throughout the project. While the features on The Plugs I Met seemed to be perfect for each track, some of the features on this project seem to be less fitting.
Apart from a few of the featured artists, The Plugs I Met 2 is a diverse, contemplative project that takes themes from each of his major projects. The upbeat, lively tracks blend in perfectly with the more self-reflective cuts on the project, making this project sound thoughtful yet entertaining.
Rating: 4/5
