Black Soprano Family is an offshoot of Griselda, the Buffalo-based collective known for street-oriented hip-hop based in East Coast boom bap. Benny the Butcher assembled the group as a way to spotlight lesser-known affiliates from his home base, striking a distribution deal for his label of the same name in 2020. Among BSF's projects are The Respected Sopranos (2020) and Long Live DJ Shay (2022).

Benny the Butcher had been using the Black Soprano Family imprint for several years by 2020, the year the rapper landed a distribution deal with eOne and officially launched the like-named group with The Respected Sopranos. Presented by Benny and DJ Drama, the mixtape featured central members Rick Hyde, LoveBoat Luciano, Jonesy, and Heem B$F. Black Soprano Family's initials appeared on the soundtrack for the 2021 Benny vehicle Conflicted. In 2022, the group's true follow-up to The Respected Sopranos arrived in the form of Long Live DJ Shay. The set honored the memory of Shay, a revered veteran presence in Buffalo's hip-hop scene as a producer, manager, and mentor. He had recorded in the early '90s as a member of the Brother/Hood Nation, and worked on numerous Griselda-related recordings. Long Live DJ Shay boasted input from Griselda co-founders Westside Gunn and Conway the Machine, along with the likes of Joe Budden, Boldy James, and DJ Premier. Preemo produced "Times Is Rough," preceded by an amusing exchange between him and Shay. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi