Benny The Butcher Believes Fans Glorify Rappers Too Much: "I'm Not Dr. King"

BY Erika Marie 6.1K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Paras Griffin / Stringer / Getty Images
Benny The Butcher
The rapper says he's "not a role model" and people should be comparing themselves to others.

Fresh off of the release of Tana Talk 4, Benny The Butcher has been enjoying the reactions from his supporters. Just ahead of the album's arrival, the Buffalo icon caught up with Ebro Darden where he spoke extensively about his career while also mentioning responses he often gets in his comments about his lyrical content. Benny shared that it isn't his intention to glorify the street life but to speak about his experiences.

"I read the comments, 'Why he always rap about that, why he always...' I'm sayin'—and I like to pride myself for not glorifying the game, buy glorifying how far I came from out of it," said Benny. "I got three felonies. I been to state prison, I been to federal prison. This is my life!"

Marcus Ingram / Stringer / Getty Images

"My daughter spent her first birthday when I was in the feds, my brother passed away like, I'm one of them guys. The most I could do, or the least I could do in my music is let them know both sides to this."

He added that he's still going to spotlight what goes on in the streets, but he's also going to tell you "what your girl doin' while you're in jail" or "your man that you put on, how he might do something."

“Man, society or the fans or supporters, they glorify rappers too much. I am not Dr. Martin Luther King. I am not Malcolm X. I’m nobody like that. I’m not like a revolutionist or one of those type of dudes. I’m a rapper. I’m a guy out the hood who made it. I’m not a role model. I’m an example. I be hearing dudes say, ‘Man, I got more money than rappers.’ Get more money than Jeff Bezos. You feel what I'm sayin'? It’s like, ‘I dress better than rappers.’ Dress better than the fashion model. Why everything is compared to rappers? People are obsessed with rappers.”

Check out more from Benny The Butcher and Ebro Darden below. 


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.