Let’s face it; not all artists in the game right now can claim their originality. But for Benni Smoke, staying original and repping his hood is the reason why he has overcome all the struggles – blessing the ears of his listeners.
Born in New York to Puerto Rican and Dominican descent parents, listening to Benni’s music reminds one of just something different. Moving to Albuquerque at the age of 11 was the turning point of his life. This is the reason why he reps Albuquerque till this day through his music. His time in the hood made him focus on playing Football and making music.
His elder brother was a rapper and introduced Benni to Hip Hop. And oh boy, he was one real fan of the genre! The presence of Benni’s brother gave him a chance to listen to everything from major artists like 50 Cent to more underground stuff and even hardcore Battle Rap – the reason why he started rapping at the age of 7.
And he was unstoppable even in his 10th Grade when he dropped his first mixtape and sold it at the High School all by himself – materializing his motto of “Feed The Family” at a young age. The real push forward to his musical journey came when he turned 23. And you know what? The best thing of musical career is getting Nominated for FREESTYLE OF THE YEAR for Radio Phoenix.
His lyricism is uplifting for the people he grew up with, and his music is a tribute to the streets where he belongs. One of the best things in his life is his time in Arizona, where he opened for big names like Joyner Lucas and Boosie Badazz. His performances in several festivals in Arizona also turned heads to his music.
Coming to the challenges he’s faced, forgetting the loss of a real friend who has an elder brother for him was a real tough thing! But, he rose up, as he says in his song “Dirty Birdz” from his “4 the Family” EP:
“Real trappers, Real stars.”
As he said in his song “Like Me”
“I can find another you, but you can’t find another me.”
He is not the one running behind labels to sign him. Benni is in his own lane, as he knows his music is priceless, and can’t nobody cage him with a record deal. And this is the same reason why he respects every artist who’s become big with their struggle – from Big Pun all the way to Nav’s “Emergency Tsunami.”
So what are his lyrical themes once again? Being real, overcoming the troubles, and sticking with the Day 1 people are all the traits he wants his listeners to adopt. As in his own words: “Get used to this, you gon’ see me on a regular” he might even one day be in the booth with J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar!
Like how he’s still working with his best friend from Grade 5, who’s also his producer, and how he’s bringing new music videos to support his fresh EP “4 the Family”. He empowers his fans to bounce back from the trenches and find ones who can support you to become the best version of yourself!
