Benny The Butcher is widely regarded as one of hip-hop's best lyricists, having earned his pristine reputation through projects like Tana Talk 3, Burden Of Proof, and The Plugs I Met.
Now, as the Black Soprano Family capo puts in work on Tana Talk 4, which appears to feature a guest appearance from his longtime collaborator Westside Gunn, the Butcher has come through with an intriguing update -- one that appears to have a few members of his loyal fanbase concerned.
Marcus Ingram/Getty Images
"Could’ve been the king of this underground boom bap shit but I ion want it…" writes Benny, taking to Twitter to bow out of the royal race. "Respectfully TT4." While that in itself could be interpreted as a simple flex, some assumed that Benny intended to switch up his sound entirely, shifting away from the grimy production and gritty street bars that drove him to esteem.
Of course, it's unlikely that Benny will ever turn his back on his roots, and fears of a watered-down sound will most certainly go unfounded. Even if he were to try his hand at different production, The Butcher's bars aren't suddenly going to dilute in potency overnight. In fact, he's one of the few new artists who have managed to see mainstream success with a more lyrically driven style.
At this point, Benny has earned the game's rapt attention, and it will be interesting to see how he approaches the anticipated Tana Talk 4. What do you think -- at this stage, do you think Benny has earned the right to experiment with different sounds?
https://twitter.com/_/status/1440269289957642249
