 Listen man, welcome to a new season of where's wild old man is going down man. I got the one, the only, the butcher Buffalo listen man Buffalo's finance man, Benny the butcher man. I'm telling you right now, we talking to the big dog, got the new project out, Def Jam everybody can't go. It's coming soon. Yes, sir. How was the journey? See, because a lot of people said, Reselda, what they on? They on some back in the day. It's not going to work, y'all bigger than ever, right, right, right. How do it feel? Man, you know, my daughter asked me that today. It feels great knowing that I put in the work for it, knowing that I wasn't handed it, knowing that I put in the pain for it. Yeah. It's a different type of feeling, you know what I'm saying? And what is the work? What do the work consist of? Man, honestly, I gave my whole life to this. I put this before my family. I put this before my children at times. I knew it was my place. I put this before my ego. I put this before my pride. You know, I just fell in my pocket. A lot of things that people are not prepared to do, that's why a lot of people don't make it here because you know this shit, you got to put everything aside and chase what you want. Today is the first day that you ever had a major label release with Big Dog featuring Little Wayne, you know what I mean, Tunchi. So it's like, that's major. Your first release with him, you on Spotify, 2.2 million monthly listeners. And that's all independent work because the music ain't even getting in the system yet for real. It starts showing what the numbers is doing. How did you build that up? How did you build your following up? How did you build the movement up? Because Griselda is a whole got a movement, but each one of y'all got your own thing going on. Right, right, right. And that's important because a lot of people think West Side Guns said, yo, this is my little cousin, Benny, listen to him. No. And it happened. No. Man, my Spotify page, it was artists who I know who was doing shows, who I know who had a green like to go to their shows. And I was just going to their shows just to get that picture, even if I was performing or not. I remember when Uncle Murder came to Binghamton in 20, this had to be 2016, and I was already on fire in the city. I just took that three hour drive because I would murder just to take the picture just so I could post it so people could see that I'm working. All little type of shit like that is just keep your foot, keep your foot in the game, keep your foot in the door, no matter what, you know what I'm saying? So built that Spotify page up from nothing. And that's one of my most proudest accomplishments. My Spotify page, my YouTube page, you can say that I built up from nothing. When both of them was at 10,000, I feel successful already, you know what I'm saying? Now, YouTube at 330, Spotify at 2.2, like you said, and just grinding. But you talk about two platforms, what is the importance of them platforms? It's definitely important because everybody iTunes this, iTunes that, don't forget there's Tidal, there's Amazon Music, and there's YouTube, artists, build your YouTube channel up, build your YouTube channel up. Stop worrying about just Instagram, you know what I mean? Stop worrying about going to get that fit just to post on Instagram. Build your YouTube page up. And I did that just by putting out content, anything. I remember like going shopping with my wife and she taking so long. So I'm in the park a lot and I just do a video. I had her daughter shoot the video, my stepdaughter. I had her shoot the video on how I started BSF just talking about it. Just to see what my connection was like, just to see how many views it got. And what did it do? It did good. That shit like I had a half a million now, some shit I shot. And she shot this with a phone? Yeah, and a phone in a parking lot of Strokers, you know what I'm saying? You just was on the whip. Now, you know, Griselda, you know, these two old, they from Buffalo. That's different than New York, New York. How did y'all just kept fighting through all the naysayers, all the hate? You know what I mean? For one, somebody asked me that today. For one, we just knew he was good at it. If you good at something, no matter what kind of traction you getting, excuse me, I'm a trapper, I'm an ex-drug dealer, three times a fella, you know what I'm saying? Been a state president, been a federal president. I bring everything back to drug dealer. If you good dope sell itself. We all know that. I just knew I was good at it. West knew he was good at it. Conway knew he was good at it. So even if we weren't getting the kind of traction we were looking for, hoping, praying for, we knew he was good at it. And we knew one day if we stay at it, one day it'll come, you feel what I'm saying? So just staying at it. And I mean driving the nail in the coffin, you know what I'm saying? But you were Emmy Award when a Grammy nominated artist. How do that feel? Because again, prices change when Grammy nominated coming to. Talk about it. The prices change. Yesterday's price ain't today's price. So it changed. How do that feel to know you won an Emmy and then you're a Grammy nominated? Man, I want y'all to think in your head and name me which rapper you know with an Emmy. Exactly. It means everything to me. You know what I'm saying? It kind of almost, I know I earned it, but I won it over Eli Manning and Derek Jeter kind of feel like I grinched it. I took it. It's just the culture. You know, our culture is worth everything. Our culture drives everything. So it feels good and it feels like the proof is in the pudding. You know what I'm saying? Emmy, Emmy winning, a Grammy nominated. It just feel like I'm doing the right thing. I'm moving in the right direction. Now, when you went in to make this album, what was on your mind? Because the title is extremely powerful. Everybody can't go. What was on your mind? What experience you went through from Benny the Butcher trying to come up out of Buffalo to now Benny the Butcher, you know, highly streamed artists, popular artists, Grammy nominated. What was the journey about that for made you just to be in your mind? I said that everybody can't go. Man, on this journey, I gave a lot to everybody. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? And you know how it be. Like you were given when you're blessed to have things, you'll get somebody $5,000 or $10,000. And they be like, that little, you know, like that little, like you ain't never getting me nothing. But that journey is I gave everything to it. And I and I and I and I with everybody and I try to pull everybody up. So everybody can't go is about the people who I tried to pull up who didn't adhere to the opportunity. Because that's what I did. Imagine, imagine me calling West Side Gun Phone trying to borrow money. Imagine me calling West Side Gun Phone trying to do shit that was outside of music, even though that's my blood cousin. Him and my mama is first cousins. Him and my brother is first cousins. That I wouldn't be here. That would have been cut me off like, oh, that's a needy. I can't deal with him. So I had to get had to give everything for this. And that journey is about, you know, I'm from a hood. I'm from Montana Avenue. There's a hood where camaraderie comes from. And a lot of people feel like I owe them something, not even from the hood. I say that to say I'm from the hood because I'm from a place where we all stick together. So a lot of people feel like my success is theirs and it is in a certain way. But you know, you share your wins with people, but you don't share your losses with people. You feel what I'm saying? So everybody can't go is about me, me not even really sharing the wins no more to be honest with you, to be frank with you. And I'm saying is that I'm being selfish at this point, you know what I'm saying? Because I gave a lot of myself up because I felt guilty. You know, that survivor's remorse when we come from the projects and we have these things and we're a lot of these opportunities I feel guilty for. So I try to put people in certain positions that I knew they weren't ready for. You understand? So it's about all of that. You know what I'm saying? I'm on what I'm on. And if you can't and if you can't get with that, if you're not happy just for me being where I'm at and not about what you can get out of it is. All right, now it seemed like when you when you survive the side effects of success is once nobody can use you no more, you fake you Hollywood. And it's not about the the 15 or the 22 cash at request that you say yes to. Right, right, right. Now when you say no, you're not real. And did you go through that struggle and hell, yeah, hell, yeah. I don't you know what I done did, you know what I'm saying? I don't got to run it down, you know what I'm saying? I'm I'm I'm I'm that guy, you know, it's certain people who done favors for me before I was in the shoes that I'm in now. But I done everything that I could to to to to to make it even or feel like I'm with you to feel like I'm trying to help you. But you know, I'm saying, you know, it's different. This is different type of hustle, you know, yeah, this ain't standing on a corner selling dimes. This ain't running up and people raven a gun. This is different type of hustle where your mind need to be right. Your attitude need to be right. Energy, your ego need to be in check. This is different type of hustle. And a lot of people from where we from can adapt to that. And it's not our fault. It's just it is what it is. Now, when you wanted to make it his album, right? Mm hmm. Who, you know, who's on the production? Any features you want to talk about or you want to save them and surprise the people? Uh, I definitely want to tell them about Alchemist and Derringer on a production. Those guys been my. They've been there for day one day one, you know what I'm saying? And those guys who grew me, who give back when I'm in the studio, it's not like they give me a beat and I go in there and do whatever I want. Al, tell me what he hears over the beat. Same thing with a hit boy. And these guys, the first time I work with Al, I go to a studio. Same thing you go to hit where you go to Chalice. These guys got plaques on the wall. It's like I'm a little old me. I'm trying to, you know what I'm saying? I'm trying to live up to their expectations. But one feature I'm proud about Snoop, man. Y'all know Snoop on the album, man. Snoop helped me get at Def Jam and he's on the album. Snoop is my mama's favorite rapper, you understand? So when things like that happen, I understand where I'm at in time and what's going on. Because sometimes you're so busy working, churning at it. You don't stop to smell the flowers. You don't realize what's going on where you at. And having a feature from Snoop and the things that he's saying on my record, I realize where I'm at and what's going on. What was the importance of leveling up and stepping to Def Jam? Because you were successful and independent. You made a bunch of money. You went around here. Everything's right. Family right. Change right. You got the whole aesthetics of a successful artist and you were independent. So why say I'm going major? Honestly, to be more successful. Okay, break that down. To be more successful is that, you know, these major labels have different reach. We're underground. Griselda, not only underground, but boom-bap underground. So that puts us in another dusty corner. Yeah. When I say dusty, I mean the dusty beats, the grimy shit that we're proud of, that we're built this off of. So I wanted to, I wanted to buy this life. You know, you get with these people, you know, they bag bigger. They got a machine, a global machine, global machine. And the hustlers that we are, I'm sitting back learning everything. Oh, that's what you're supposed to do. Oh, this is who you're supposed to call. Oh, this is who you're supposed to call. Oh, this is a department? I didn't know you had a VR department. I didn't know you had. Exactly. Like I stood in the kitchen and watched my OGs play with that fork. Exactly. I'm watching Dev Jan play with the fork. That's it. Oh, I watched Wes play with the fork on both ends. You know what I'm saying? Shout out Wes and Conway. But I'm watching these players play with the fork and seeing the moves that I need to make and maybe seeing the moves that I don't need to make, you know what I'm saying? I'm just paying attention to this and I'm learning and grinding. But I did it because the buy this life to, you know, Wes and Conway did it. That's my blueprint. West Side Gun and Conway, those are my blueprints. They did it when they, when they ushered us in with Shady with the, what was she gonna do? So I feel like, you know, I'm going to do my part. Go get this major bag. Go get this major play. And it's a bigger play for Griselda and it's a bigger play for Buffalo. Benny the Butcher and my family, you know what I'm saying? Yeah. Now, now on this to the point now, Wes, though, when you look at the game, you checking the game out and anything, it's like, y'all not underground no more. At all. We not. Y'all not. We can keep saying that shit all we want. We not. We not. Y'all not underground no more. I was on a Travis Scott album. What? See, y'all the real, y'all out here. Like y'all got real, like, it's people that's coming. Y'all don't, y'all ain't paying for no feed. Just people that's coming. No, can you get on my stuff and I jump on your stuff? Like it ain't like they really respecting the art that y'all putting down. Y'all killing them with the merch. I'm talking about y'all doing all vinyl, y'all doing all type of stuff that people wouldn't even thought exists. Exactly. I'm talking about making serious bags off the merch and building real businesses. Real shit. Ain't y'all laying a blueprint for the youngest that's coming after us. You know, how do you feel about that? I feel like I understand the opportunity that's in front of me. You understand? I got my daughter watching me, my daughter 18. And I'm saying my stepdaughter, 25. Mother stepdaughter, 13. I got these young girls watching me, seeing what I'm doing. Judging me off this, you know, WeMails is very judgmental and they are very observant watching my move. So it's important. I'm so blessed and thankful that I became a, I became a, I became somebody in my family that they can look up to. That's important to me because I didn't have nobody like that in my immediate family, you know what I'm saying? That I could see or pick up the phone and call every day. So it's important to me that I became this figure that we're successful like this, that I can give back to my, took my whole family to Disney World last year, man. That's major. That's major, you know what I'm saying? You know, especially where we from, it's a blessing that I'm able to do them things and it means everything to me and it feel good and, and damn near every day I'll stop and take 20 seconds to be like, what the f*** happened? Yeah. Like, like, what are you doing driving this car? You know what I'm saying? Like, what are you doing living in this house by the grace of God and by a hard work? I'm going to say this. Griselda has already won the Superbowl for Buffalo. Yes. But is Buffalo Bill's going to win the Superbowl? Man, I don't know, man. I don't know. And, and, and, I don't know. Y'all know I'm a die hard Bill's fan. You know, we playing Philly. I don't f*** with Philly. I know the Eagles. Yeah, Eagles. I will go to anybody's stadium. I'm not going to Philadelphia. What? I'm not getting into no scuffle with y'all because I'm a die hard fan and I know y'all are the only people to remind me of Bill's fans. I'm not going there. I'm going to end up getting f***ed up, getting to a fight or f*** somebody up. So I'm just not going. I'm going to watch it on TV. But Dion, is we going to win? Josh, is we going to win? Steph, are we going to win? That's the question they're asking me. I'm asking y'all, is we going to win? Now listen, at the end of the day, before we leave, right? Mm-hmm. That's just, do you got a gift, right? Mm-hmm. To that cat that's coming up, that's trying to figure out this music and don't know. Because you said, when you got Wagazi in them, it wasn't no roadmap to this. It wasn't no instructions. You was just like, I mean, when West Side brought you in again, you was like... Right, right, right, right. So what advice would you give to a young cat, you being an OG now, sprinkling some game with them and just giving them some direction? Stick to the people you could learn from. You know what I'm saying? The people you could learn from might not always be the coolest people that hang around. So the what? Stick to the people you could learn from. Stick to the positive people. When I did this, I flew from Buffalo to Atlanta. I left all my dope Dylan Robbins still in homies home. I called them, talked to them, let them know. Yeah, I'm in the studio. But you gotta be around positive energy. Sometimes positive energy is that ain't always fun for us because we knuckleheads. We wanna be doing shit that we ain't supposed to be doing. Be around that positive energy, man. It's a jewel in that positive energy. You know the people who around you who doing things, you could tell, who got the nice car, who got the nice house, you could tell. Stick to them, they could teach you something. Stick to them, you know who got the stable family who been taking care of his kids and his wife for years? Stick to him, he got something he could teach you. And you know your other homie who packing that pistol who ain't on nothing. You can stick to him if he wants you. If you want to, you're gonna end up being a getaway driver. And I'm saying you're gonna be a real shit. You know what you need to do. We're grown men. Y'all watching this, y'all grown. Y'all know what y'all need to do. Stick to that positive energy. Discipline is your best friend. Know it's not, know it's not good. Know it's not fun doing this shit all the time. But who the fuck need fun, we rich? Being rich is fun, you know what I'm saying? You know what you gotta do. Stick to that positive energy, man. It'll help you in the long run. And I'm gonna tell y'all like this. Y'all tapped into a real one. Buffalo's on, Griselda. Be on the lookout. You got the big dog out right now because he's a big dog. You know, he's a big dog because of the work, not because of the change, not because of the money, but because of the work and the dedication and the discipline and the resilience to be able to say, you know what? I'm staying 10 toes down, even though I ain't seeing that right now. I need y'all to be on the lookout for everybody can go. He's stating facts based off of his personal journey. You know, got some big time production, some big time guests. He's not gonna, he wouldn't even tell me. But it's going down, man. Much love to you, brother. Keep doing your thing. Yes, sir. This is another episode of Where's Wild Low with the one, the only, the butcher. It's going down and it's just like that.