Benny The Butcher Wants To Become The Face Of Def Jam Recordings
Benny The Butcher isn’t backing down on becoming “the face” of Def Jam. The Buffalo, NY, artist spoke to VIBE about his record deal with the legendary company ahead of his new album. He opened up about his intentions to secure resources from a brand like Def Jam and what it could do for his exposure.
“Before the Griselda days, just being a local artist, of course, I wanted to get signed. Of course I wanted to take my talent to the majors, and do something big. But after the Griselda run, it got to the point where I didn’t need a label,” he explained. “But I feel like to get my point across, and abide more life in the game, for this to reach every corner in the world, I feel I had to come to Def Jam.”
As he continued, the GRAMMY award-nominated artist addressed naysayers critical of his decision to sign with a major label. He doubled down on his previous assertions that he “makes his own decisions” and that the record label respects that he’s “his own boss.” He reiterated that signing to the label was a business decision.
“Well, I’m going to say this, man. The press run has been immaculate, for one,” he said, laughing before getting serious. “I’m going to pull fans in on something. The first time hearing me in the RapCaviar playlist was ‘Johnny P’s Caddy’ with J. Cole, and then on this album with Lil Wayne, with ‘Big Dog.’ But I know people might think like, ‘Damn, are them the only songs y’all had on there?’ Yes, yes.
“People don’t know that, so you [often] need that major system [for playlisting]. You need that major system if you’re not an artist with a big, loud voice. They opened up the door so I could access their resources. I’m coming with a game plan, I’m coming with a hustle, I’m coming with a team. It’s just I’m accessing the resources. That’s what the deal is. It’s not what y’all think it is.”
When asked about the deal’s particulars, Benny elaborated on the “freedom” the label gave him. He also asserted that none of the “outside noise” made him second guess his label debut, Everybody Can’t Go.
“[Def Jam] never told me, ‘Yo, you should work with this artist,’ or, ‘Yo, you should try to rap over one of these beats.’ Not saying they would’ve been wrong to, because that’s their job,” he said. “But they left that alone, with a guy like me, who built this foundation independently, and who got here without that. They left that alone. They just opened up the door like, ‘Yo, if you need to use this, use this.'”
Everybody Can’t Go is set to release on Friday (Jan. 26). The album will be Benny’s first release on Def Jam, marking his 4th studio album overall. Everybody Can’t Go includes guest appearances and contributions from Lil Wayne, Stove God Cooks, The Alchemist, Hit-Boy, and more.
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