The Black Soprano Family is a Benny The Butcher led collective based in Buffalo, New York. With a stacked crew consisting of Rick Hyde, RJ Payne, Heem, Loveboat Luciano, Jonsey, and Duffle Bag Hottie, these guys are some of the hottest artists coming out of the east coast right now. With assistance from the mixtape king DJ Drama, the group has just put out their debut record “Black Soprano Family“. Will Benny and his squad be able to show they are here to stay within only eight short tracks?
Lyrically, the entire Black Soprano Family, shows that they are not to be messed with. The intro “Quarantine” starts the project with an explosion as Benny The Butcher raps about his future aspirations while also looking at his improbable come up story. “Grams in the Water” and “In Love with the Streets” cover topics like drug dealing and life in the “hood”. “Da Mob” was a standout as Benny, Rick Hyde, and Heem set in stone how tough their crew is. Rick Hyde displays his talent on “Ricky & Fonz” as he raps his heart out about his family and preserving the life he has now. The cuts “Paulie & Vito” and “Valerie” further continue the themes of street life we have heard about up to this point. The finale, “It’s Over, ” ends things out on a light-hearted note as Benny, Hyde, and Heem rap about their current success and ambitions. Overall, the entire record shows why Benny The Butcher and his associates are currently at the center of gangster rap.
Sonically, “Black Soprano Family” offers an array of sounds that give the mob the perfect soundtrack to capture their lives worth of madness over. From the get-go, “Quarantine” welcomes listeners with a hard-hitting guitar sampled instrumental, which feels menacing, epic, and spine chilling. “Da Mob” and “Paulie & Vito” contain the dark boom-bap beats which you would expect from a project like this while “Grams in the Water” has a lighter-hearted yet well-fitting sonic pallet. “Ricky & Fonz” stood out to me as its blend of synths and the piano in its instrumental creates a unique and impactful song. “It’s Over” was another highlight as its Don Canon produced instrumental loops a sped-up soul sample similar to something we would see on a Kanye West record in the early 2000s. Overall, Dj Drama, DJ Shay, Chup, Don Cannon, and others make this album have some of the most intuitive moments of these guys’ careers.
In conclusion, “Black Soprano Family” is a formidable compilation that any fans of Griselda or gangster rap should check out. While Benny The Butcher was phenomenal, RJ Payne, Rick Hyde, and Heem all stuck out to me just as much. Nothing felt rushed or misplaced here as my only real complaint was that I wish it were longer than just eight songs. With that being said, I’m excited to see where the BSF members take their careers in the future, and additionally, we are now closer than ever to Benny’s next studio release!
Rating: 6.8/10
