:Benzino

Benzino has said one of the primary inspirations to enter the genre of rap stems from his fondness of the film Wild Style.{{Cite news | url = http://musicblissinterviews.wixsite.com/music-bliss/benzino | title = Music Bliss Hip Hop Interviews Done Right |access-date=January 10, 2018 | language = en}} Benzino was a founding member of rap groups the Almighty RSO and Made Men. He has appeared on the reality television show Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta since 2012.

Benzino is known for being involved since 2002 in a widely publicized feud with rapper Eminem; the feud began after his The Source magazine rated The Eminem Show as four mics out of five. Eminem blamed the magazine and its co-founder Benzino for what he considered an unfair rating. Benzino later released diss tracks towards Eminem, titled "Pull Your Skirt Up" (calling him "2003 Vanilla Ice"){{Cite web|url=https://www.distractify.com/p/benzino-eminem-beef|title = A Breakdown of Benzino and Eminem's Heated Feud|date = October 22, 2019}}{{cite web | last = Dukes | first = Rahman | url = http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1458854/benzino-eminem-got-beef.jhtml | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110222053247/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1458854/benzino-eminem-got-beef.jhtml | url-status = dead | archive-date = February 22, 2011 | title = Benzino Ignites Beef By Calling Eminem '2003 Vanilla Ice' – Music, Celebrity, Artist News | publisher = MTV.com | date = November 22, 2002 | access-date = July 23, 2012}} and "Die Another Day", while Eminem released "The Sauce" and "Nail in the Coffin".{{cite magazine | first = Jenny | last = Eliscu | url = https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/benzino-eminem-feud-heats-up-20030103 | title = Benzino, Eminem Feud Heats Up | Music News | magazine = Rolling Stone | date = January 3, 2003 | access-date = July 23, 2012}} As a continuation of this animosity between the two, Benzino released the diss mixtape Benzino Presents: Die Another Day: Flawless Victory, further disparaging Eminem.{{cite web | last = Cantor | first = Paul | url = http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1649935/rapper-huddy-6-killed-car-accident.jhtml | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110126014320/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1649935/rapper-huddy-6-killed-car-accident.jhtml | url-status = dead | archive-date = January 26, 2011 | title = Rapper Huddy 6 Killed In Car Accident – Music, Celebrity, Artist News

| publisher = MTV.com | date = October 13, 2010 | access-date = July 23, 2012}}Adaso, Henry. [http://rap.about.com/od/toppicks/tp/10BestHipHopBattles.htm The Greatest Hip-Hop Battles (...and Their Winners)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707075154/http://rap.about.com/od/toppicks/tp/10BestHipHopBattles.htm |date=July 7, 2011 }}. About.com. Retrieved June 27, 2010.{{cite news | title = Magazine impresario Benzino talks about his music, Hip-Hop's future & his feud with Eminem | url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DN&s_site=philly&p_multi=PI%7CDN&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=108B488B1266A2B9&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |work=Philadelphia Daily News | date=March 3, 2005 |access-date=January 21, 2009 }}

On September 4, 2020, Benzino released a new single titled "The Bigger Picture" with an accompanying music video on YouTube.{{cite web |title=Benzino-The Bigger Picture (Official Music Video) | website=YouTube | date=September 3, 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlczY14RRF0 |accessdate=7 November 2020}}

Benzino's father Edward DeJesus was Puerto Rican and his mother Mary Scott was Black American and Cape Verdean. His sisters are Anita Scott-Wilson and Maureen Scott.{{Cite web | url = http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/bostonglobe/obituary.aspx?n=mary-a-scott-timas&pid=170363098&fhid=4413 | title = MARY A. (TIMAS) SCOTT's Obituary on Boston Globe | website = Boston Globe|access-date=January 10, 2018}} In 2021, the rapper fell out with his daughter, Coi Leray, after she dissed Benzino in her song "No More Parties".

{{Cite web|title=Coi Leray & Benzino's Family History & Beef, Explained|url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/coi-leray-and-benzinos-family-history-and-beef-explained-news.131113.html|access-date=2021-07-26|website=HotNewHipHop|date=May 7, 2021|language=en}}

Benzino has dated Karlie Redd and Althea Heart.{{cite magazine | url = http://www.vibe.com/article/what-happened-love-and-hip-hop-atlanta-ep-6 | title = What Happened on 'Love and Hip-Hop Atlanta' Ep. 6?

| magazine = Vibe | date = July 24, 2012 | access-date = August 7, 2012}} Benzino and Heart had a son together in November 2015, but they broke off their engagement shortly thereafter. They appeared together on Season 6 of the television show Marriage Boot Camp chronicling their broken relationship.{{cite web |url=http://dallasblack.com/entertainment/former-love-hip-hop-atlanta-star-althea-heart-arrested-after-fight-benzino |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160801152200/http://dallasblack.com/entertainment/former-love-hip-hop-atlanta-star-althea-heart-arrested-after-fight-benzino |archive-date=August 1, 2016 |work= Dallasblack.com|title=Pains Us to share this about Benzino & Althea Heart}}{{Cite web|url=https://thegrio.com/2019/01/17/former-love-hip-hop-atlanta-star-benzino-pleads-guilty-in-drug-case/|title=REPORTS: Former 'Love & Hip Hop Atlanta' star Benzino pleads guilty in drug case|date=January 17, 2019}}

On March 29, 2014, Benzino was shot after attending his mother's funeral in Duxbury, Massachusetts. He was shot in the shoulder and back by his 36-year-old nephew Gai Scott, who was later arrested for shooting him.{{cite news | title = US rapper Benzino shot at mother's funeral | work = BBC News | date = March 31, 2014

|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/26817685 | access-date = March 31, 2014}}

On April 16, 2019, Benzino was stopped in Brookhaven, Georgia and cited for driving an uninsured vehicle. He was not the policy holder responsible for insuring the vehicle.Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/8ULBVvSDih4 Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20210724223725/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ULBVvSDih4 Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ULBVvSDih4| title = Caught driving uninsured car, Benzino claims "I don't even drive this car" | website=YouTube| date = July 23, 2021 }}{{cbignore}} On June 22, 2019, Benzino was arrested for a bench warrant in DeKalb County, Georgia, and was taken to police headquarters for booking and was later jailed. As he was being transported there, he launched a racist tirade against a police officer arresting him, who was of Vietnamese descent. The tirade involved multiple racial slurs and maternal insults.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tmz.com/2019/06/27/benzino-arrest-video-meltdown-yelling-cops-racial-harassment/|title=Ex-'L&HH' Star Benzino's Arrest Video Shows Full Meltdown.|website=TMZ|date=June 28, 2019 |language=en|access-date=July 7, 2019}} On July 31, 2020, Benzino was arrested and charged with criminal damage to property. He was accused of damaging the Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck of a man who was in the company of Benzino's ex-fiancée Althea Heart.{{Cite news|url=https://www.ajc.com/news/reports-rapper-benzino-accused-of-spotting-man-with-ex-girlfriend-damaging-his-truck/PS6EJA7UHVETTFJNJI5H5JJDR4/|title = NEW DETAILS: Ex-'Love & Hip Hop' star Benzino arrested in Chateau Elan|newspaper = The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|last1 = Burns|first1 = Asia Simone}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.tmz.com/2020/08/04/ex-love-and-hip-hop-benzino-arrested-althea-eaton-jealous-rage-property-damage/|title = Ex-'L&HH' Star Benzino Busted for Alleged Property Damage After Jealous Rage| date=August 4, 2020 }} On February 3, 2022, Benzino was arrested and charged with one count of second degree criminal damage to property, a felony.{{Cite web|url=https://www.realitytitbit.com/celebrity-news/benzino-and-lahhs-althea-heart-have-altercation-years-after-split|title=Benzino and LAHH's Althea Heart have 'altercation' years after split|date=April 12, 2022}}

• The Benzino Project (2001)
• Redemption (2003)
• Arch Nemesis (2005)
• The Antidote (2007)

• In Tha Company of Killaz with Wiseguys (1996)
• Doomsday: Forever RSO with the Almighty RSO (1996)
• Classic Limited Edition with Made Men (1999)
• No Skits Vol. 1 with Hangmen 3 (2000)

• The Benzino Remix Project (2002)

• Die Another Day: Flawless Victory (2003)
• When the Heavens Fall with 1st 48 (2010)
• Caezar (2011)
• Blue Bag with 1st 48 (2011)
• The Magnificent 757's with Stevie J (2012)
• Crushed Ice (2013)
• Welcome to Texaco City with OJ da Juiceman (2015)

• "Rock the Party" (2002, US No. 82){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/benzino/chart-history/hsi/|title=Benzino Chart History: Hot 100|magazine=Billboard|access-date=April 8, 2022}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.hiphopweekly.com/ Hip Hop Weekly magazine official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307213720/https://hiphopweekly.com/ |date=March 7, 2022}}

{{Benzino}}

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Category:African-American male rappers

Category:21st-century American male rappers

Category:20th-century American male rappers

Category:Living people

Category:Rappers from Boston

Category:American shooting survivors

Category:Participants in American reality television series

Category:1965 births

Category:East Coast hip-hop musicians

Category:21st-century American rappers

Category:21st-century American male musicians

Category:20th-century African-American people

Category:Hip-hop mass media people