Benny and his Griselda family have everybody’s attention right now. From their impending Shady Records debut, a video single with DJ Premier, to upcoming solo albums from each member, these Buffalo, New York MCs have built an undeniable buzz. Now, as much press and praise as the team has gotten so far, The Butcher’s The Plugs I Met (June 21) may be Griselda’s highest profile project yet. Alchemist and Daringer both contribute heaters yet again, but collaborations with Black Thought, Pusha-T, and Jadakiss make this album incredibly exciting.

Although there is a short intro, “Crowns For Kings” featuring Black Thought is the LP’s opening track. Buffalo veteran producer DJ Shay provides a soulful vocal loop for the BSF capo and the voice of The Roots to get busy. While many of the big names Benny has rapped with thus far have been reformed D-boys with clever lines about bricks, Thought’s next level lyrics force the Montana Avenue representative to up his game. Near the beginning of Butcher’s stanza, he kicks, “My second test was serving a sentence / My first was, making a brick jump like it was hurdling fences / Certainly, my last sh*t was a courtesy, ni**a / And further we had bust-downs before you heard of me, ni**a / Shoe boxes stacked with racks sitting vertically in ‘em / I’m fresh out of luck, I’m here ‘cause I deserve to be, ni**a.” Then a couple of bars later he states, “See I was good with the bad guy role / Water in my jewels, put ‘em on and baptize h*es / Walk in my shoes, we got Shaq-size soles / We flat-line those wack Rap ni**as wearing half-size clothes / What’s the dilly? / I’m only ‘bout six hours from Philly / That’s an hour on the plane, I’ll make it three in the Bentley / My b*tch keep saying I’m famous, but it ain’t hit me.”

Pusha-T & Benny Are Top Contenders On A Collabo That Moves Heavy Weight (Audio)

Thought’s entire verse is quotable but the way he sparks it off is amazing, “Yo, when we was hooked in the hood getting booked / Like Literature / Kept us shook like when the boogieman coming to get ya / We was crooks trying to cop more rides than Great Adventure / Any image we took, not a father was in the picture / There was times not a biter or swallower was in the kitchen / Real ni**as made an industry out their intuition / Facing the darkest outcome / Sprinting to outrun the reaper / Trying to not be the food in the mouth of the beast / For whom the bell tolls / Crowned kings in Adidas suits and shell-toes / We had to throw a lot of body blows and elbows / Wishing we could get from Snyder Ave’ to Melrose / Without the Dapper Dan body-bags and jail clothes / That warn ni**as not to lollygag when hell rose / We railroaded through the thick of things / For gold chains and chicken change / Knowing throwing flames is growing pains / When in the game / And the blow? / Ashes in the no snow, there’s no remains, push the wheel as fast as it could go / We overcame the obstacles / But when you official, the block miss you / Even if the old crew choose to not rock with you.” Philly’s microphone chief demonstrates rhyme schemes that most MCs can’t even fathom.

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