Spragga Benz – The Come Up & Stay Up

Bless Up and good day, evening, good night to some of our readers and fans. We’re gonna have a small dialogue or discussion about an artist I consider an icon. His name is Spragga Benz. (Aka Spaghetti Famously Known As Spragga)This multi talented entertainer is one of the few that actually started in the trenches and catapulted himself and his career via hard work, talent and ceasing opportunities.Quick history on his talent and his artistry. He started as a selector (Disc Jockey) for a famous sound in the late 1980s and early 1990s called LA Benz. After making waves as a selector (which seems to be a trend Disc Jocs turning MC, which makes him an early trendsetter ) the young Spragga Benz coined his stage name from the famous sound.Voicing and cutting dubs at the famous Arrows studio in South Kingston where Spragga is originally from. He got crafted into doing his own dubs by Buju Banton for the s1ound system. The rest as we say is history. He then started to do the rounds voicing for iconic producers like “Steelie & Cleevie”, Bobby Digital, Winston Riley,Jammys, and various others.It’s “Jack It Up” that classic album led to a deal with Capitol Records, who issued his second album, Uncommonly Smooth, in 1995, featuring duets with Chevelle Franklyn (“A-1 Lover”) and “Spanish Harlem” (with Ben E. King). In 1999, he recorded a ‘clash’ album with Beenie Man, Two Badd DJs, and had a number one Jamaican hit single with “She Nuh Ready Yet (Hype Up)”, which was also included on his third album, Fully Loaded.This album featured duets with Lady Saw (on “Backshot”) and Foxy Brown (on “Too Stoosh”), and was co-produced by house music legend Todd Terry. In the same year, Benz made his film acting debut in Brooklyn Babylon, and the following year played a leading role in the gangster film Shottas. Rest assured he’s had a few more albums and hit singles with the likes of Kevin Lyttle. So musically we showed his greatness.Now is Shottas a cult classic. There is no disputing that. So is it safe to say that a career that has spawned two decades and made more cultural impact on the screen, off the screen, on the record, off the record. Point is whether it’s being Spragga he’s a winner. Actor winner. Activist winner. Selector winner. Now that’s an icon. A living icon that is.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5SRWn-tJqo