There’s a particular chill that rolls off Lake Erie and settles over Buffalo every winter—harsh, unfiltered, unforgettable. That same cold-steel intensity is what Benny the Butcher brings wherever he goes, and this week, he brings it all the way to Athens .
Fresh from Buffalo, New York, Benny arrives at Athens’ Arch Club Live stage as one of the defining forces behind the resurgence of gritty, ’90s-inspired hip hop.
Recording artist Benny the Butcher attends the 40/40 Club’s 18th year anniversary celebration on Saturday, August 28, 2021, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)
Born Jeremie Damon Pennick, he carved out his place in rap with razor-sharp verses, cinematic street storytelling, and a sound that pushes underground hip hop into its next era. As a founding member of the now-legendary Griselda Records—alongside his cousins Westside Gunn and Conway the Machine—he helped build a movement that revived the raw, uncompromising East Coast aesthetic and delivered it to a new generation.
His discography tells its own battle-tested story: the cult-classic Tana Talk 3, produced entirely by Alchemist and Daringer; the critically acclaimed Burden of Proof with Hit-Boy; and his most recent Def Jam release, Everybody Can’t Go. Each record hits with force—truths delivered over stark beats, verses sharpened by lived experience. It’s no surprise he’s earned collaborations with heavyweights like Freddie Gibbs, Snoop Dogg, and Jadakiss, holding his own among the elite.
Within the Griselda triumvirate, Benny is the bruising storyteller—the one who turns street rap into something architectural, something almost mythic. Critics and peers alike have praised his precision, his narrative muscle, and his unwavering commitment to the craft.
And now, Athens gets its turn.
This isn’t just another live show. Benny the Butcher doesn’t step onstage to perform—he steps onstage to bring you inside the world that shaped him.
Wednesday, November 19
Arch Club – Live Stage, Petrou Ralli 29 & Kritis 1, Tavros
Doors open: 20:30
Tickets: more.com
