Benny The Butcher has offered sage words of advice to NBA superstar Ja Morant ahead of his return from suspension.
During a new segment with Maggie and Perloff in the Mornings on CBS Sports Radio, the Grammy-nominated rapper, who has talked about how he was “in and out of prison” earlier in his life, showed love to the 23-year-old Grizzlies All-Star while passing along some much-needed advice.
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“I feel bad for him. Honestly, because coming from those type of environments, those types of environments have a very strong hold on us. So when we tend to make it out — making it into this business, I don’t have any friends in this business. All my friends is back in the streets. I made new friends,” began Benny.
“Sometimes they have a hold on us and certain expectations and peer pressure. They expect us to act one way, even though we made it. Everybody didn’t make it. That’s why my new album is called Everybody Can’t Go, because that’s one of my things: I want to let my boys know I’m not trying to be a tough guy with ya’ll no more. How ya’ll feel about me, I don’t care.
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“If you feel like I switched, I changed, I’m not the same no more — you’re right. So as [Ja] gets older he’s gonna realize that I don’t have to feel that survivor’s remorse. He want to keep guys around him that maybe he know that shouldn’t be around him. He don’t want to voice his opinion. It’s hard.”
He continued, “I’m 39 years old and some of these things, I just learned them — how to separate my toxic friends from my career because they will bring me down. You gotta be vocal about that.”
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Watch the full clip here.
Earlier this year, Morant was issued a 25-game suspension for a gun incident, following a series of other controversies involving his entourage.
“I know I’ve disappointed a lot of people who have supported me,” Morant said in a statement, after being suspended for a second time following a viral clip of him brandishing a gun on Instagram Live while in a car with friends. “This is a journey and I recognize there is more work to do. My words may not mean much right now, but I take full accountability for my actions. I’m committed to continuing to work on myself.”
Morant was previously suspended for eight games by the Grizzlies in March after being caught on Instagram Live waving a gun inside a gentleman’s club in Colorado following a loss to the Denver Nuggets.
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He then attended a rehab facility for a brief stint and met with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who expressed his disappointment in Morant for yet another mishap.
“Honestly, I was shocked when I saw this weekend — that video,” Silver said on Tuesday night. “Now, we’re in the process of investigating it.”
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The Grizzlies guard is expected to make his season debut Tuesday (December 19) against the New Orleans Pelicans.
