Tana Talk 4

Benny the Butcher takes his coke rap niche to new heights

By: Griffin Jacobs

“Tana Talk 4” introduces itself with the best song of the year in “Johnny P’s Caddy.” Benny The Butcher leads the album off strong with absolutely disgusting flows over a beautifully simple, head-bobbing beat. However, J. Cole steals the show with one of the best verses of his career, including the line which I think best encapsulates the album “Einstein on the brink of the theory of relativity, really no MC equal.”

“Johnny P’s Caddy” marked Benny’s first foray onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and on “Tana Talk 4,” he proves he belongs there. Besides the drug dealing bars that Benny is known for, being an underground artist forcing himself into the mainstream on talent alone is the defining theme of the album. 

The sound of this record isn’t anything new if you’ve been following Benny’s career thus far, but it takes it to new heights. The Alchemist produced the majority of the record, bringing his iconic, glamorous boom-bap sound. The record also features many frequent collaborators of Benny in Boldy James, Stove God Cooks, Conway the Machine, and Westside Gunn, who all bring their best.

While I loved this record, I could see why many others wouldn’t. If you haven’t heard any of the names in the previous paragraph, this record might not be for you. Benny the Butcher has perfected his niche on “Tana Talk 4,” but it is a niche that has largely stayed underground for a reason. Nevertheless, I couldn’t recommend it more.