Benny_Blanco
Tampa, Fl.

Goldmic: Tell us a bit about Benny Blanco. Where did you grow up? Where do you live now? How did the name "Benny Blanco" come about?

Benny_Blanco: About Benny Blanco? Benny Blanco is a guy just like you all, Nuffin' in particularly different...LOL...I have been very fortunate to be able to create a musical base to work from on the daily...but it wasn't done overnight...believe me, it's been a long road...I was raised by my grandfather and grandmother in New York, between Spanish Harlem and the Bronx...went to public school and on my spare time instead of playing baseball or basketball I chose to go to a free music after school program on 104rd St. in Manhattan which use to be located in an old retired fire station...there I learned the basic's...Piano, Guitar and playing the Drums...digital wasn't available yet...LOL...no internet, no MPC or software...to learn from, that came later. After I got done with my Asian Tour for "The Bronx Tale" Album back in 2000 a lawyer friend of mine told me that Florida was a great place to live and invest in real estate, so I went to live in Tampa, Fl. And purchased my first home...the name Benny Blanco was used by me way before the movie "Carlito's Way". The movie just helped...LOL...a friend of mine gave me the name, we thought it was marketable with the Latin community at the time so the name stuck...

Goldmic: What or who inspires you? What motivates and drives your music?

Benny_Blanco: A lot inspires me, especially my fans but I guess it was more of me proving to my parents that I could actually make a living from the music I wrote, because like I said previously I was raised by my Grand Parents and they were very strict and old fashioned, they strongly enforced finishing school and building a career from that...but sometimes things don't work out like that...as you can see...LOL...I went to Park West H.S. of Aviation in Manhattan so technically I was supposed to be an aviation pilot...so what inspired me, motivated me and gave me the will and drive to continue with my music? My Parents...but they are no longer with us they just watch me from above now.

Goldmic: How would you categorize your musical style? How many albums have you released so far and which one is your favorite?

Benny_Blanco: My music style? I eat, sleep and record true Hip Hop...bottom line... what it should've been for all of us until corporate greed injected Hip Hop into the mainstream... which commercialized it in a terrible way...my understanding of the music business and its practices is not one that I welcome as often. That's why I have chosen to stay as an Indie Artist, The music business is like a bakery, they make artists like bread, some rise and some just get dumped in the trash bin...you can't recycle bread...so they just go out and get the cheapest flour and produce more bread...LOL...I have released about 15 projects...some mainstream and most Indie, my favorite thus far is "The Benny Blanco Chronicles" which was an Indie project...but in my book, one of my best.

Goldmic: What was it like making "The Bronx Tale"?

Benny_Blanco: "The Bronx Tale" was a great mistake that happened to be released in perfect timing...I was working in Asia as a producer and on my spare time I was slowly working on The Bronx Tale...which I looked at more like a practice run...LOL...My Grandfather passed away from a long battle with Cancer and he had left me a large sum of money, so I invested some of the money on one of my singles and the rest was history...I structured a P&D deal (product and distribution) with Universal Asia...60/40 split and went on tour to promote the album. Certified Gold

Goldmic: What projects are you currently working on and what can your fans expect to see from Benny Blanco going forward? What are your goals as a hip hop artist?

Benny_Blanco: I'm now working on a new project with Fontana/Universal (Another P&D) but I had to reconstruct my label around certain parties involved in the deal...Lawyer stuff...LOL...the project is yet un-titled...but believe me...it's a big project, definitely mainstream...my goal is to achieve success as I've done previously in the past...Hip Hop is very "Brittle" right now sort of like Wall Street...LOL... and fans need to believe in it again...so I'm going take my time on this next release...as a Hip Hop artist I would just like to show my fans that if a poor dude like me from the hood can make it...so can anyone...my story is real, it's classic...they don't make them like me anymore...LOL...not being "Cocky" just honest.

Goldmic: It appears you have done well in the Asian market. What made you decide to go overseas? Is the Asian market still a priority for your future projects? How does Asian market compare with the US market in your career plans going forward?

Benny_Blanco: Very good question...Yes its true...I have done very well overseas...because my fans out there still believe in real Hip Hop...a story that folks can relate to...I decided to go overseas because over there, the companies don't play these "Greedy Games" with you...there's too many folks in the American Record Company structures looking to get "Caked up quick" and by the time the budget for your project gets to you...you got Nuffin' left...Producers, A&R's, Management and Music Video dudes get the bulk of the budget...Leaving you with all the work and no money...and I don't think that's fair to any artist!!! but they (Companies) manage to provide you with some fame, a decent leased car and a rented home or apartment...That's why I choose to stay indie, use my own money and my own staff...it's a lot more work and less risk but you also know where and how the money is being spent...and at the end of my day I know I own the house I live in and the car I drive isn't being leased by a record company. Yes, Definitely Asia is a priority for my musical career...without a doubt!!

Goldmic: On Goldmic.com, your song "Blow ft Tupac Shakur" has been one of the favorites within our community. What are your thoughts on that song in general? And can you explain how you felt when you were putting that song together? Who mixed and mastered it?

Benny_Blanco: First off Goldmic.com is a great place for any artist. You guys care about the new and upcoming artists...your focus at Goldmic.com is a fair and honest way to value its artists, music and its entities...I love that about you guys...it's an outlet for the little people. The Tupac song was negotiated for me by my manager Carlos Stephens (Beats by the pound) and we obtained it from one of the guys of "Digital Underground" who originally owned the rights to the 16 bars used from 2Pac...I never recorded with or met Mr. Shakur but it was still a great honor to have had a track done with him on it, since I was always a fan of his to begin with...its history to me...I've always loved that song...its one of my favorites for sure...putting the song together was magical...while in the studio...we still get chills just listening to his vocals...I mean this isn't a feature from T-Pain (No hate)...LOL...this is Tupac Shakur...Real Hip Hop at its best!!! It was mixed and mastered by my in-house engineer- Kenneth Hagemann at Casa De Blanco Studios.

Goldmic: What is your favorite "Benny Blanco" song?

Benny_Blanco: First off its got to be realistic to me...I can't rap or spit about something or someone I don't know Nuffin' about...life in general...the songs are about my actual life...its true...I would have to say 97% percent of it is all real...so with that being said, my favorite song would have to be a song titled: "Justice for All"

Goldmic: What other artists or producers have you collaborated with? Who was your favorite or least favorite to work with? Any fun or interesting stories you can share?

Benny_Blanco: I've recorded with several artists...but I rather not give them that kind of attention right now...LOL... Production wise...C-Los Beats is a genius from his House of Noize brand, I just recently met and worked with Scott Storch in Miami...great guy despite all the negative rumors. And a lot of new upcoming producers which is my favorite bunch to work with because fame hasn't tainted them in any way as of now...LOL...my worst experience is a production team that call themselves The Justice League...not all of them in particular but one of the members Erik (Rook) Ortiz is a lying, no good business individual...he use to be considered a good friend of mine by me at one point, but somehow he got lost in that thing we call fame...and it's a shame because he's not even making the money that he should be getting for all of his hard work...our falling out was due to a track that was originally sold to me by Rook called, "Tears Of A Clown" and a year later the same track ended up on a Mary J. Blige album?? So he made it look like I used it without permission...which was dirty to me...in my book...I believed Rook, deep down he never liked my "Freedom" in the music industry...LOL...because I'm a true Indie...and he was so desperate for the fame and funding that he and the rest of The Justice League mistakenly signed a "bogus" production publishing deal under a song writer that has a situation with Warner Chappell...so The Justice League make's no serious money, it's a fact regardless what they promote(Grammy Award Producers)...Although the writer they are signed to is getting super rich. Mean while "WE" the public keep seeing their name on major releases like Rick Ross "Maybach Music", Mary J. Blige and Young Jeezy just to name a few...To me...like I said I'm realistic...I could do without the fame...as long as I'm getting "paid properly" for what I do...I'm good and my label doesn't suffer. But I guess the Writer that they are signed to just rented them a very nice home in the Atlanta Area...so that might be BALLER Status for them...LOL....I hope that they can someday...get enough nerve to re-negotiate their overall situation...cause that's what we call "Slavery" in the music business and even though we had a fall out over a simple track...I still consider them to be co-workers in the industry and The Justice League should be entitled to reap the full benefits of their own sweat and tears...

Goldmic: What do you think of the current state of hip-hop and what role do you see yourself playing within it?

Benny_Blanco: The current state is horrible...a lot of the older acts (Mobb Deep, M.O.P., Method Man, Wu-Tang Clan, Nas and many great one's) got burnt business wise by the record labels and they learned the hard way how to collect in full for their talent. But just as they learned what was going on with their money...the industry shifted to a new region (The South) where artists in The South weren't so use to knowing the in's and out's of the music industry...so it was fresh picking...true, it killed true Hip Hop for the most part...because now a days you can look and sound as silly as u like...no talent is needed...LOL...I'll give you an example: Nas, got kind of lucky by being signed to Def Jam or else he would've been in the same boat as Mobb Deep (G-Unit)...but he was signed by Jay-Z?? Nas Beat Jay-Z when he did the song "Ether"...but then again who really won? Correct : Jay-Z did...because it's about money...Nas been in the game way longer than Jay-Z...so how did this happen? It's who you know? And how much money one has to control over your own destiny. After Master P and Cash Money blew up Indie...the music industry wasn't having that...Cause they started losing market share, so the industry took it to the South... like I said...Fresh Picking...LOL...(Note* New York and Los Angeles still run the music industry. The Record companies have temporary label locations in Atlanta, Florida and Texas) so they can keep a close eye on their investments....LOL... (I might get hit up for telling ya'll the truth)...LOL...

Goldmic: What is your proudest achievement as a hip hop artist so far?

Benny_Blanco: I still have so much to achieve...and like I said I'm very fortunate...so my greatest achievement would be to bring more awareness to young producers and artists so they don't get caught up in all of the glam and the glitz, without collecting "Full" on their talents...take it from me...85% of today's music artists in Hip Hop are basically broke, but they are on T.V.??(Super Gassed) and a lot of famous producers I personally know work for cash...anywhere between $2,500 to $10,000 a track which might be a lot to you... the average producer...but the labels make 4 times more off that track because of the Publishing rights they make off from them. So I know what you are saying to yourself...I don't mind making $2,500 to 10,000 a track but you see that's where your mistake begins...see an A&R or Manager is the only one that plugs you into these deals in the first place so...you got to pay them too...so now what are you left with? You get it....LOL....

Goldmic: Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give someone who is just starting out as a hip-hop artist?

Benny_Blanco: I think I've already explained that...LOL... just work for yours and be smart about your business and money, and last but not least get all the money u deserve for your talent!!!....LOL.... ( you have to self promote yourself, build a brand and a track record) Don't expect to purchase protools, logic, fruity loops, motif or even an MPC and expect to charge these outrageous amounts of money for your tracks without having a track record (Proof that your music sells records) a name and credibility for your sound.

Goldmic: What hip hop artist do you respect the most and why?

Benny_Blanco: This is going sound crazy but there's two answers for this 1 question...LOL...here it goes...I respect Jay-Z as a business person that understood the mechanics of the music industry and he bum rushed the stage with his own personal street "Mafia" tactic's...on the other hand...he had a lot to do with the downfall of the Hip Hop empire, Jay-Z basically made it NOT COOL to rap about real life experiences as he once did, (Which he built his career on) because he made the stakes higher (Concerning Fashion, Cars and Woman) for any up and coming rappers, it's like building the great pyramid of Egypt and cutting everybody's legs so they won't be able to climb it...LOL...so if a real talented rapper has real skills to share with the world...people most likely will not follow with him or her as they once did because he or she isn't driving the Bentley in the video, chilling with the super top models and popping bottles (Ace of spades) in the hottest club in a major well known city...(what I'm saying is starting to make sense isn't it)....LOL...I told you I was real with it....

Goldmic: A word on Goldmic.com?

Benny_Blanco: I just like to Thank everyone at Goldmic.com and its staff for the opportunity in having this interview...it's a privilege. Anytime guys...

Goldmic: Any final thoughts or messages to our members?

Benny_Blanco: Keep your heads up and focus on the prize...never let anyone tell you that it isn't possible...because I'm living proof that anyone of us can do it...till the next time we meet...1.