BET Awards 2022: Who is Benny The Butcher? Get to Know the Rising Emcee from Buffalo
It may seem like people are just now mentioning Benny The Butcher in music conversations, but the Buffalo, NY native has been releasing music since the late 2000s. After initially rapping as a solo artist in 2014, Benny and his first cousins and rapper Westside Gunn and Conway the Machine founded Griselda Records. However, his critically acclaimed debut studio album Tana Talk 3, placed the seasoned rapper at the forefront of the hip-hop discussion.
Ahead of this year’s BET Awards 2022, we’re looking at some of today’s brightest artists and entertainers. So, as we gear up to celebrate culture’s biggest night hosted by actress Taraji P.Henson on Sunday, June 26 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, check out five things you should know about rising emcee Benny The Butcher, who's nominated for "Best New Artist".
He’s no rookie
Although it may seem as if Benny just popped onto the music scene, the 37-year-old has been putting out music since the late 2000s releasing several mixtapes and albums, including The Mayor's Back and Chains Bond.
Part of his name is an acronym
The Buffalo native may be known to his fans as Benny the Butcher, but the first half of his stage moniker is an acronym. Benny stands for “Best Ever ’N New York.” Early in his career, he was nicknamed “2 Chain Benny Mane.”
He comes from a prominent rap family
The Buffalo native comes from a long line of emcees. Benny, born Jeremie Damon Pennick, is a first cousin to rappers Westside Gunn and Conway The Machine. The emcee’s late older brother, Machine Gun Black, was also a rapper; he was killed in a shooting in 2006.
He’s part of the collective Black Soprano Family
Aside from being a part of the Griselda collective with cousins Westside Gunn and Conway, Benny is also a member of the Black Soprano Family, including Rick Hyde, Heem, and LoveBoat Luciano Jonesy, FlexxBaby, Young World, and DJ Shay. In 2017, the group signed a deal with Entertainment One Music.
He turned to music during a dark time in his life
In an older interview, the “Who Are You” rapper revealed that while doing some time in prison for reportedly violating his probation terms, he decided he didn’t want to live that kind of life and dedicated himself to his music career upon his release.
Watch the BET Awards 2022 Sunday, June 26 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET.
