★★★☆☆
Benny The Butcher has never been one to pull punches, and his latest music video for “When Tony Met Sosa,” released on April 21, is no exception. Benny delivers one-liners and punchlines with his characteristic swagger and street knowledge over a soulful saxophone instrumental courtesy of music producer Harry Fraud. At one point, Benny raps, “My heroes in federal sweatsuits and New Balances.” Benny is equal parts victor and confessor as he reflects on past illicit behavior and his later rise to fame. He raps, “I put a Prezzy on my wrist when the streets forced my hand.” He flaunts his newfound stardom while acknowledging the struggle to get to the top.
In the video, Benny turns to a familiar source of inspiration: Tony Montana, the Miami drug kingpin played by Al Pacino in Scarface. Short clips and stills from the film appear throughout the music video, telling a story of struggle, grit, and hard-won success that mirrors Benny’s own. In fact, his album title The Plugs I Met 2 and the song title “When Tony Met Sosa” refer to the iconic scene from the film where Montana meets the Bolivian drug lord Alejandro Sosa.
Like Pacino in Scarface, Benny channels a similar confidence. With white Nike Air Force 1’s, a Burberry shirt, and numerous gold chains, Benny’s wardrobe of luxury brands reflects his ascent from the bottom to the top. Furthermore, some of his fellow Griselda members can be spotted at points in the video. Along with Conway the Machine and Westside Gunn, Benny is a founding member of the Griselda hip-hop collective. The group’s inspiration, Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco, is fitting considering their dealing drugs just to get by before becoming kingpins of a different sort—the rap game. Hailing out of Buffalo, N.Y., Griselda is an exciting enclave of hip-hop talent just waiting to burst into the mainstream. This creative community is on display at points throughout the video. The rapper looks into the camera in a crowded room as his lyrics appeal to other emerging artists. Hopefully Benny and co. can make their dreams a reality.
Photo Courtesy of Griselda Records
