Hip Hop Congress

BenFlowz

At 19, BenFlowz displays a youthful energy while wielding a concentrated ambition. Though he currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and attends one of the most prestigious art institutions in the country his story begins in the Midwest. Since his early years in Toledo, OH he has been training himself in preparation for this project. As a creator he has been active since before he can remember, and as a musician his odyssey began at the age of 8 when he began receiving formal piano instructions. This early musical training gave him new insight into the sonic field that would later aid his development as an both an MC and producer.

The young BenFlowz began recording demos in his bedroom at the age of 12, and by 13 he was distributing them at local malls, in schools, and in the streets- not to mention establishing a presence on the burgeoning Internet music scene. Frustrated with his inability to meet quality artists looking to build he became a one-man-army, teaching himself how to produce and relentlessly sharpening his craft. While collaborating with the more seasoned artist DraMatiQue on his solo disc Will I Rize (2001) he became a member of a growing musical squadron known as Trauma Unit. Through countless sessions, BenFlowz, by then 15, produced three pivotal bodies of work; The most pertinent of these being his first full-length solo project in 2002 Symptoms of Systematic Control. This albums release, paired with his growing experience as a musical performer, led to a stronger, more determined artist, which became evident as his work pace increased. Since 2003 he has plowed through three additional bodies of work as a duo/group with DraMatiQue, done studio work with a number of local artists, and relentlessly refined his skills as evident in his upcoming solo release Tomorrow: The Hip-Hop Renaissance.

As Tomorrow draws closer towards today, and the current chapter of Hip-Hop comes to a close BenFlowz looks ahead to the future. No longer amused by the meaningless wars waged between defenders of the old-school and new-school, underground and commercial he has coined the term True-School Hip-Hop in description of his music. His unique approach to rhyme delivery, varying subject matters, and conscious messages create a style unlike any other on the mic. Quietly, he challenges current world affairs through his enigmatic racial composition, his diverse background, and sometimes directly through his against the grain mentality, and outspoken lyrical content.

City, State: Bay Area, California

Website: benflowz.com/ / myspace.com/benflowz