Buffalo, New York rapper and
Griselda
affiliate
Benny the Butcher
is older and wiser on third studio album
Tana Talk 4
, but he shows no signs of mellowing or diminishing in intensity. The record's 12 tracks find
Benny
rapping circles around himself with intricate flows about drug dealing and street hustling that often lead to hard-earned life lessons. The instrumentals stick to an East Coast aesthetic, reshaping classic New York boom-bap into interesting new forms on tracks like the sample-heavy, mostly drumless "Weekends in the Perry's." That song features a blazing appearance from
Boldy James
, and other special guests include
J. Cole
on the anthemic opening track "Johnny P's Caddy," frequent collaborator
Westside Gunn
on the atmospheric "Guerrero," and
Diddy
on the
Notorious B.I.G.
reinterpretation "10 More Commandments."
's storytelling lyrics are hardened and aggressive as ever, but he balances out his tales of street dominance and underworld dealings with moments of honest self-reflection. ~ TiVo Staff