The Plugs I Met

The Plugs I Met
An edited still from the 1983 film Scarface, depicting a conversation between the characters Tony Montana and Alejandro Sosa, played by Al Pacino and Paul Shenar respectively, as they are walking towards the camera. Their eyes have been covered by white censor bars.
EP by
Benny the Butcher
ReleasedJune 21, 2019 (2019-06-21)
Genre
Length24:28
Label
Producer
Benny the Butcher chronology
Tana Talk 3
(2018) 		The Plugs I Met
(2019) 		Statute of Limitations
(2019)
Singles from The Plugs I Met
  1. "18 Wheeler"
    Released: June 13, 2021

The Plugs I Met is the fourth EP by American rapper Benny the Butcher. It was released on June 21, 2019 through Black Soprano Family. Produced by The Alchemist, Beat Butcha, Daringer, and DJ Shay, the EP features guest appearances from Black Thought, 38 Spesh, Jadakiss, RJ Payne, Conway the Machine, Pusha T and India.[1][2] The EP peaked at number 22 on the Independent Albums chart.

A sequel EP, The Plugs I Met 2, was released in 2021.

Background

The EP was announced along with the release of its lead single, "18 Wheeler", featuring Pusha T, on June 13, 2021.[3]

The cover art is an edited still taken from the 1983 film Scarface, with censor bars covering the actors' eyes.[1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
HipHopDX4.5/5[4]
The Needle Drop6/10[5]
RapReviews8.5/10[1]
Underground Hip Hop Blog9/10[6]

The Plugs I Met was met with highly positive reviews from music critics. Grant Jones of RapReviews praised the EP, calling it "a jolt in the arm to anybody that gave up on mafioso rap."[1] Riley Wallace of HipHopDX wrote: "a concise (at seven-songs), yet meticulously crafted work of art that not only manages to further illustrate what a problem he is with the bars but—for longtime fans—delivers a guest list you’d expect for an artist affiliated with Shady."[4] Andrew Sacher of BrooklynVegan included the EP in his "30 Best Rap and R&B Albums of 2019" list, stating that "Benny's formula never really changes—vicious, dead-eyed raps delivered over eerie, lurching beats (provided on Plugs by Alchemist, in-house Griselda producer Daringer, and DJ Shay)—but his quality level is remarkably consistent and Plugs may be the most convincing case for Benny's vitality yet."[7]

Year-end lists

Select year-end rankings of The Plugs I Met
Publication List Rank Ref.
Ambrosia For Heads Top 15 Hip-Hop Albums of 2019 —
[8]
BrooklynVegan 30 Best Rap and R&B Albums of 2019
15
[7]
Complex The Best Albums of 2019
16
[9]
HipHopDX The Best Rap & Hip Hop Albums of 2019
14
[10]
Throw Up Magazine Top 25: Best Hip Hop Albums of 2019
3
[11]
XXL 50 of the Best Hip-Hop Projects of 2019 —
[12]

Track listing

The Plugs I Met track listing
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Intro Skit" 0:26
2."Crowns for Kings" (featuring Black Thought)DJ Shay4:28
3."Sunday School" (featuring 38 Spesh and Jadakiss)Daringer5:54
4."Dirty Harry" (featuring RJ Payne and Conway the Machine)
  • Beat Butcha
  • Daringer
3:47
5."Took the Money to the Plug's House"The Alchemist3:20
6."18 Wheeler" (featuring Pusha T)DJ Shay2:41
7."5 to 50" (featuring India)The Alchemist3:52
Total length:24:28

Charts

Chart performance for The Plugs I Met
Chart (2019) Peak
position
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[13] 7
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[14] 22
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[15] 100

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Jones, Grant (June 25, 2019). "Benny the Butcher :: The Plugs I Met". www.rapreviews.com. Archived from the original on August 12, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  2. ^ Caraan, Sophie (June 21, 2019). "Benny The Butcher Taps Pusha T, Black Thought & More for 'The Plugs I Met'". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  3. ^ Montes, Patrick (June 13, 2019). "Benny the Butcher Announces 'The Plugs I Met' EP, Drops "18 Wheeler" with Pusha T". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on April 1, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Wallace, Riley (June 21, 2019). "Review: Benny The Butcher's "Plugs I Met" Is The "Tana Talk 3" Follow-Up Fans Deserve". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on June 22, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  5. ^ "Benny the Butcher - The Plugs I Met". The Needle Drop. July 27, 2019. Archived from the original on November 25, 2024. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  6. ^ Legends Will Never Die (June 21, 2019). "Benny the Butcher – "The Plugs I Met" (EP Review)". Underground Hip Hop Blog. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Sacher, Andrew (December 18, 2019). "30 Best Rap and R&B Albums of 2019". BrooklynVegan. Archived from the original on December 26, 2019. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  8. ^ "Ambrosia For Heads' Top 15 Hip-Hop Albums Of 2019 List". Ambrosia For Heads. December 18, 2019. Archived from the original on December 26, 2019. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  9. ^ Skelton, Eric; Mckinney, Jessica; Setaro, Shawn; Frazier, Tharpe; Ortiz, Edwin; Diaz, Angel; Khal; Wisenthal, Lucas; High, Kemet; Rindner, Grant; Callas, Brad; Schube, Will (December 3, 2019). "50 of the Best Hip-Hop Projects of 2019". Complex. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  10. ^ "The Best Rap & Hip Hop Albums Of 2019". HipHopDX. December 19, 2019. Archived from the original on December 21, 2019. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  11. ^ "Top 25: Best Hip Hop Albums of 2019". Throw Up Magazine. December 27, 2019. Archived from the original on July 22, 2024. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  12. ^ XXL Staff (December 31, 2019). "50 of the Best Hip-Hop Projects of 2019". XXL. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  13. ^ "Benny the Butcher Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  14. ^ "Benny the Butcher Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  15. ^ "Benny the Butcher Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved November 25, 2024.