Benny the Butcher fans got a look at a surprising project earlier this week, but their excitement quickly turned to disappointment and confusion.
The Griselda rapper’s new EP Buffalo Butch, Vol. 2 follows its release on Friday (August 23). 1 has been removed from the streaming service without explanation.
The three-track project features “Buffalo Freestyle,” Benny’s long-time collaboration with Drake, as well as appearances from Fabolous and 38 Spesh.
Looking for answers, fans flocked to Benny’s recent Instagram post promoting the EP and raising questions about the album’s sudden removal.
“[W]Are you here yet? Spotify sucks,” one person asked, while another commented: “Why isn’t it available anymore?
Some have speculated that Drake could be the culprit – he shared new music of his own via his Burner Instagram account late Friday.
“Yo @champagnepapi release that song with Benny! Why record it if you don’t want to release it [clown emoji],” one comment read.
Benny has yet to speak to “Buffalo Butch.” 1’s mysterious disappearance.
“Buffalo Freestyle” has been a long time coming before its brief release on streaming services.
The song was first teased in 2020 and leaked online the following year.
It was reportedly considered for use on Drake’s “Certified Lover Boy” album, but ultimately didn’t work out.
“Drake is Drake. He’s the biggest artist in the world, so there’s no telling where this song is going to land,” Benny said on the Connected podcast in 2021. “We got the song and I played it for all my friends. It was a vibe and he had to put it where he saw fit.
“I thought it would definitely fit well and it would definitely mix things up, but I also understand why he wouldn’t wear it [Certified Lover Boy]”.
Last year, the Black Sopranos boss expressed his displeasure with the long-shelved song in an interview with Joe Budden.
“I’m angry, I’m not going to lie. I’m angry, man,” he admitted. “This is Drake’s fucking record! It’s hands down my biggest record… and it’s in my pocket.
He added: “This is the biggest artist in the world, so I know he might have a busy release schedule, or he might have someone say, ‘We can’t drop it now because we’re doing this.'” I understand. at this point. He was the name, but he represented a lot of people that he worked with and his actions impacted a lot of people, so I understand that.
