Jarren Benton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jarren Benton
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Benton performing in 2017
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jarren Giovanni Benton |
| Born | October 26, 1981 Decatur, Georgia, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Years active | 2004–present |
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| Children | 3 |
Jarren Giovanni Benton (born October 26, 1981) is an American rapper from Decatur, Georgia. He joined the independent record label Funk Volume in 2012. That same year, he released his third mixtape, Freebasing with Kevin Bacon. His first studio album, My Grandma's Basement (2013), was well-received and appeared on the Billboard 200 music chart. After Funk Volume closed in 2016, Benton signed with Jay-Z's Roc Nation label and released his fourth album, Yuck Fou (2018).
Contents
Early Life
From a young age, Jarren Benton dreamed of becoming a rapper. He has shared that he was inspired by many famous music artists. Some of his musical influences include OutKast, Goodie Mob, Dr. Dre, Ludacris, Eminem, and Wu-Tang Clan.
Music Career
Starting Out (2009–2012)
On August 5, 2009, Jarren Benton released his first official mixtape, Jarren Benton: The Mixtape. The music for this mixtape was entirely produced by The Beatgods. Later, on January 25, 2011, Benton released another mixtape called Huffing Glue With Hasselhoff. This project was a collaboration with producer SMKA. The song "Get a Load of Me" was the main single from this mixtape.
Benton started to get more attention after his song "Skitzo" came out. American rapper Hopsin saw the music video for "Skitzo" and shared it with Dame Ritter, who was the CEO of Funk Volume. A few months later, Ritter contacted Benton. In May 2012, Hopsin and Ritter officially signed Benton to their Funk Volume record label.
Before joining Funk Volume, Benton had been approached by big names in the music industry, like Erick Sermon and No ID. They offered him deals with major record labels such as Def Jam Recordings and Interscope Records. However, Benton chose to sign with Funk Volume because it was an independent label. His first project with Funk Volume was a mixtape titled Freebasing with Kevin Bacon, which was released on June 28, 2012. This mixtape featured other artists like Dizzy Wright, Rittz, and Freeway.
First Albums and Tours (2012–2015)
In late 2012, Jarren Benton went on an international tour with Hopsin, Dizzy Wright, SwizZz, and DJ Hoppa. This tour lasted two months and included 54 shows in 60 days across the United States, Europe, and Australia. Benton shared that his first album would be very personal. He wanted people to learn more about him through his music. He also aimed for a more polished sound that would help him become a well-known artist.
On June 11, 2013, Benton released his first studio album, My Grandma's Basement, through Funk Volume. The album included guest appearances from artists like Dizzy Wright, Hopsin, R.A. the Rugged Man, and Vinnie Paz. My Grandma's Basement reached number 152 on the Billboard 200 chart. It also reached number four on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart. Benton released music videos for several songs from the album, including "Go Off" and "Life In the Jungle".
On August 2, 2013, R.A. the Rugged Man released a new version of his song "Underground Hitz," featuring Hopsin and Benton. From August 1 to 19, 2013, Benton went on his first solo tour, called the Grandma's Basement Tour, across the United States. After that, Benton joined "The Life And Times Tour" with Strange Music rapper Rittz and Atlantic Records rapper Snow Tha Product. This tour ran from October 31 to December 8, 2013. Benton also appeared on Hopsin's album Knock Madness, on the song "Who's There" with Dizzy Wright.
Benton received the most fan votes to be chosen for the 2014 XXL freshman class. This honor recognized him as the "People's Champ." At 32 years old, he was the oldest rapper ever selected for this list. From April 9 to June 28, 2014, Benton toured with Tech N9ne, Freddie Gibbs, and Krizz Kaliko on the Independent Grind Tour 2014. On January 27, 2015, Benton released his first extended play (EP), called "Slow Motion." He named the EP after an old friend and fellow rapper. The EP reached number 168 on the Billboard 200 chart.
New Music and Labels (2016–Present)
On July 22, 2016, Benton released his second studio album, Slow Motion, Vol. 2. This album was a follow-up to his 2015 EP and was released under his own independent record label, Benton Enterprises. On June 23, 2017, Benton released his third studio album, "The Mink Coat Killa." This album was supported by two singles: "C.R.E.A.M. 17" featuring Nick Grant, and "Again" featuring Aleon Craft. Benton had initially planned for this project to be a tribute to the Wu-Tang Clan, a famous hip hop group. The album's title, "The Mink Coat Killa," was a reference to his own Wu-Tang name.
On January 5, 2018, Benton collaborated with the record label StillMovin to release a project called One Week Notice. This album was created when StillMovin owner Damian Ritter brought Benton together with Dizzy Wright, Audio Push, Demrick, Emilio Rojas, Reezy, DJ Hoppa, and Kato. They recorded the entire album in just one week. On June 29, 2018, Benton and Kato released the single "Don't Need You" featuring Hopsin. They also announced that they would release a collaborative album. On July 25, Benton and Kato released another single, "Money Bag" featuring Jay Park. They then announced that their collaborative album, Yuck Fou, would be released under Roc Nation.
In 2022, Jarren Benton released a song called "Nancy" with rapper Samson. This song is an example of political satire, which means it uses humor to make a point about political figures or ideas, in this case, about former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi.
Personal Life
Jarren Benton is married and has three children.
Discography
Studio albums
- Jarren Benton Meets Smka: Huffing Glue With Hasselhoff (2011)
- Freebasing With Kevin Bacon (2012)
- My Grandma's Basement (2013)
- Slow Motion (2015)
- Slow Motion, Vol. 2 (2016)
- The Mink Coat Killa (2017)
- Yuck Fou (2018)
