Buffalo, New York rapper Benny the Butcher began his career in the mid-2000s and over the next decade recorded more than a dozen mixtapes as B.E.N.N.Y., including collaborations with artists such as Lil Wayne and 38 Special. He didn't emerge from the underground until 2017, when he and his crew—associated with labels Griselda and Black Soprano Family—signed to Eminem's Shady Records. Since then, he has released three studio albums, signed to Def Jam, and recorded with artists such as Big Sean, Rick Ross, J. Cole and Freddie Gibbs. Dubbed the rap game's answer to Jason Voorhees by Pitchfork for his focus and stoicism, Benny's approach to hip-hop is heavily inspired by old-school East Coast rap, with the rapper naming Wu Tang Clan and Mobb Deep as key influences.