Benny – Different

Telling his story with a winning combination of flash, melody, and pathos, Vallejo’s Benny brings a new kind of Bay Area bounce. Closing out the year on a high note, Benny shares Different, his third and most accomplished project of 2018. Radiating with personality, the HYPEBEAST-premiered Different is an engaging and thoughtful listen–the anthems of materialistic excess enhanced by the detailed and heartfelt stories of his struggle to provide for his mom and siblings. Drawing influences from all over the hip-hop spectrum, citing Detroit rappers BandGang as a major influence, among others, Different is impressively eclectic, boasting hard-hitting mob slappers like “Breathe,” vulnerable and rhythmic auto-tuners like “Myself,” convincing R&B slow jams like “Out Of Time,” and flashy auto-tuners like “Talk To Me.” The follow-up to June’s Dangerous tape and August’s Soul Snatcher with DJ Gutta Butta, Different arrives via EMPIRE.

Born and raised in Vallejo, CA, home to hip-hop innovators E-40 and Mac Dre, Benny endured a troubled childhood, facing evictions and unreliable utilities in his homes. After getting into too much trouble as a high school student, Benny’s mother kicked him out of his house, causing Benny to spend months living in his car. Determined to prove to his family that he could make something of himself, Benny started making music, dropping in on high school talent shows and gathering his friends to make energetic music videos, like the Biggie-sampling “All A Dream,” which quickly racked up millions of views. Now, Benny is a staple of the Northern California rap scene, collaborating with regional heavy-hitters like OMB Peezy and Prezi and earning the support of local hip-hop tastemaker The Thizzler. Last week, Dirty-Glove Bastard premiered “You Don’t Know,” a poignant black-and-white video for a Different highlight, and earlier this month, HYPEBEAST shared the swaggering and sexy “Bang It.” With the release of Different, Benny looks to continue his upward trajectory, breaking out of his region and becoming a household name.