Benny The Butcher Confirms Jay-Z Advised Him To Turn Down XXL Freshman Cover

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Benny The Butcher chops it up with KXNG Crooked.

Benny The Butcher and the whole Griselda crew has been putting in work for a hot minute. Over the years, they've come up from local rappers from Buffalo to respected MC's in the rap game. Westside Gunn and Conway made waves when they first signed to Eminem's Shady Records but they aren't the only ones from the crew with strong ties. Benny The Butcher recently announced that he signed a management deal with Jay-Z's Roc Nation. He recently sat down with KXNG Crooked on HipHopDX's Crook's Corner where he revealed some interesting advice Jay gave him.

The XXL Freshmen list never dictated who the next up in the rap game was, although it did highlight promising acts. These days, the XXL Freshman List is typically meant for younger artists in the game. Benny The Butcher recently revealed that Jay-Z actually told him to turn down the Freshman Cover and he had a pretty solid reason behind it.

"He let me know that when it's your time, it ain't gon' be no votin' or you ain't gon' have to share it," he said. "And he told me about a situation where he was in where somebody turned something down and showed him that it's okay to be you and take the work that you want to take. Take the work that you're comfortable taking for your brand. And he told me it ultimately worked out for him."

Peep the clip below. 


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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