Benny ELs

Growing up as a middle class Hip Hop kid in the affluent white suburbs where everyone is keen to the latest trends instilled an anti-commercial perspective in my mind that pertains to music and the world at large. I've struggled through hardships, and often find myself feeling like an outsider. Adventures in the world of entertainment like interning for Def Jux and majoring in Music Industry at Northeastern University have made clear the harsh reality of what it is to be an aspiring artist in today's market. This combination of life experiences has molded me not only as an MC, but as a human being.

I discovered Hip Hop at age six. My older next door neighbor gave me two cassettes, 19 Naughty III, by Naughty By Nature, and It Takes a Thief, by Coolio. After that I was hooked. I remember being curled up in my mom’s bed, watching Snoop and Dre videos on MTV in my PJs. A few years later at summer camp my counselors introduced me to Wutang, the group that would later change the way I listen to and perceive Hip Hop music. Towards the end of middle school I had an epiphany. It was then that my musical tastes changed, substituting DMX, P Diddy, and Mase in favor of Non Phixion, the Roots, A Tribe Called Quest, etc. High school was when I began writing lyrics on a professional level, and it's been an uphill climb since then. These past few years I've begun to get my feet wet on the live performance circuit. I've battled in NYC at the prestigious Sin Sin Leopard Lounge, and in Boston at the annual Leedz Edutainment battle. I emerged victorious at Tuesday Magazine's 2008 Outwit Freestyle Competition, hosted by Harvard University. I've also enjoyed rocking open mics and showcases in NYC's Greenwich Village at venues like Sin Sin Freestyle Mondays, EOW, and Sullivan Hall.

I hope and dream that one day Hip Hop’s underground will get its due props, a resurgence of the golden age if you will. In this utopian time there will be no division between underground and mainstream, because the two will be united, having ousted wackness from Hip Hop for good. We here at Tru Statement Entertainment are doing what we can to spur on the process by offering you the most genuine, creative, and from the heart music that we possibly can. However, the responsibility does not rest solely on us. As listeners and consumers it is your job to make sure that deserving artists get their credit. Take a look around the site, and if you think we deserve it, spread the word about Tru Statement. Enjoy. PEACE