"Being back in there just open my eyes up" — Benny The Butcher reflects on his time in jail and how he got to help a stranger

In an Instagram video posted on July 7, 2024, American rapper Benny The Butcher informed his fans that he was detained in Gwinnett County, Georgia, owing to a probation violation.

Describing his arrest, the rapper stated that it was the first time in 11 years that he "ever made it on a unit". He also mentioned that he got to meet some people in jail that he wouldn't have met otherwise and he got an opportunity to help someone with their lawyer.

Commenting on the incident, Benny said that even though he hadn't met the man before, he felt obliged to help. The rapper stated:

“I helped that n***a just out of nowhere cuz that’s the least I could do. Being back in there just open my eyes up and and just show me what’s still going on. That s**t just made me feel good in my soul that I was able to do it, because I’ve been in that position before."

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“I just be trying to help strangers" — Benny The Butcher talks about helping an inmate during his time in jail

While the specifics of the charges aren't known, Benny The Butcher has been sentenced to state and federal prison time through the years. He was ordered a federal prison stay in the mid-2000s for a probation violation wherein he was locked up with Jay-Z's friend, Emery Jones, who was charged with drug distribution.

Talking about the opportunity to help a stranger while being in prison recently, Benny said in the Instagram video:

“I just be trying to help strangers. And I say this to say, a lot of you n****s is beyond help from other people. You got to help yourselves at this point. Can’t nobody save you but your m*thaf**kin’ self, but that person in the mirror; your own worst enemy.”

Benny The Butcher has been vocal about his struggle with drug dealing, which has gotten him into trouble multiple times. In an interview with HipHop DX dated March 2021, the rapper opened up about being brought up in a drug-dealing neighborhood. He added that indulging in such activities was the only option till he developed a liking for music.

The rapper added that before signing with Griselda alongside Conway the Machine and Westside Gunn, he decided to leave the drug dealing business and become a full-time artist. Stating how he stopped getting involved in illegal activities a year before he got signed, Benny stated:

“I wasn’t doing it. I wasn’t f*****g around. I was just going back and forth to the studio rapping and damn near 70 percent of my homeboys are locked up right now.”

Moreover, Benny The Butcher also claimed in a January 2024 interview with The Breakfast Club that he was on the "FBI watchlist back home." In the podcast, He shared that he felt like he was being harassed by the police. He said that the FBI raided his studio some time ago.

While the FBI in Buffalo was approached for a comment on the same, there wasn't any clarification from their end.

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In other news, Benny The Butcher dropped his fourth studio album titled Everybody Can't Go in January 2024, which received praise from his global audience. Talking to DJ Mag in April 2024, Benny mentioned that he has received advice from A-listers like Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, and J.Cole, however, the best advice he's gotten was from Raekwon.

He shared that Raekwon told him not to be afraid to say no, because as an artist "everybody ain't for everybody".