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Inspired by Christian rock pioneers Petra and dcTalk, rap artist Benjiman found a passion for reaching people through music. Benjiman began his career performing around his small hometown of Lacomb, Oregon. Then, one day he received a call to rap for a little-known band named Callbox, who later changed their name to Kutless. Benjiman rapped on the group's first album on a song called "Pride Away." Rapping on that song led to further collaborations with Kutless and Falling Up, and then eventually to Benjiman's own contract with BEC Recordings in 2004. Benjiman's first solo release, Activate, climbed the Radio & Records charts with the hit singles "Trace of Love" and "Activate." The album paved the way for several nationwide tours and a myriad of festival performances. Benjiman continues his career with the label Save the City Records and his sophomore release "S.K.R.I.P.T (Spreading Kingdom Realities in Perilous Times)". Benjiman packs some power with a who's who collaboration: Brandon Bee, Shawn McDonald, Paul Wright, Jeff Frankenstein (Newsboys), Josh Shroy (Falling Up), Sam Mathews (Bryan Duncan, Kevin Thornton) and many more. Benjiman also brought in American Idol's legendary mastering engineer Steve Hall to give more "bounce to the ounce!" Get those subwoofers ready! Benjiman amps up his classic blend of story-oriented rap/rock with a new infusion of vocal chops provided by his great team of friends.

Although there's no denying that Benjiman easily falls into the "rap" category, there's something else to his music that makes it go beyond that simple classification. Unlike "straight up" rap acts in Christian music today, Benjiman serves up a highly creative compound of melody, rap, guitars, and funk. Benjiman takes an R&B foundation, adds "rapcore" elements, and infuses it with everyday-life stories that transports the music outside a purely rap audience. In his freshman album, Benjiman delivered a blend of Linkin Park with a Rick Rubin/Run D.M.C. rap/rock style. In his new sophomore release "S.K.R.I.P.T" (Spreading Kingdom in Perilous Times), Benjiman pleases his old fans yet reaches out to new ones in tracks like the single "Back Home" (produced by Paul Wright). Benjiman's "ability-to-deliver" is through his lyrics that relate to life in the real world. In the song "Back Home," Benjiman's lyrical trademark is shown as he tells a story of losing a job, and how we can be consoled by seeing how our own hardships do not compare to Christ's suffering. In songs like "Stones" (with special guest Shawn McDonald), Benjiman combines folk and funk to a vision he saw describing how God works in our lives. Instead of sticking to mechanical beats, Benjiman's new album takes advantage of the r&b/gospel drumming talent of Sam Mathews (Bryan Duncan) on songs like "Stones" and "System" to add a fresh funky feel. Producer Brandon Bee also brings his guitar virtuosity to the project, turning the blowtorch up on songs like "Our Spot" and "Smokescreen." To top it all off, Benjiman also brought in American Idol's legendary mastering engineer Steve Hall (AI, Madonna, Earth Wind & Fire) to give more "bounce to the ounce!" If there's a lyric that could sum up Benjiman, it comes from the song "Our Spot" in which he declares, "I'm not street, not hood. I roll up countryside straight-up out the woods." Not being part of the current rap orthodoxy provides Benjiman new fans and blazes a trail through the musical forest. As one reviewer decided, "There's a little bit of something to appeal to any taste, so this is a worthwhile buy for both rock and rap fans. Benjiman is an unheralded name in the industry..."


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