Plugs I Met, Vol. 2

The year after releasing his critically acclaimed sophomore effort, Burden of Proof, New York rapper Benny the Butcher teamed with beatmaker Harry Fraud for his sequel EP The Plugs I Met 2. Arriving two years after the first installment, Plugs 2 is a typically intense, lyric-heavy offering from the skilled emcee. Combined with Fraud's nostalgic, sample-filled backing, the short set feels like a time machine to the golden age, only updated for the 2020s with crisp and impeccable production. A roster of familiar faces (2 Chainz, Fat Joe, French Montana, Jim Jones, and more) joins Benny on Plugs 2, matching his hard-hitting verses with equal impact. Upon release, the EP debuted on the Billboard 200's Top 40. ~ Neil Z. Yeung