Benzino is an American rapper, record producer, media executive, and songwriter, best known for being the founding member of rap groups Made Men and The Almighty RSO. After his success with groups, he decided to focus on his solo career, and released his debut studio album in 2001, titled The Benzino Project. 2 years later, in 2003, he released his 2nd studio album titled Redemption. That same year, he started a feud with , after calling him “2003 Vanilla Ice” and “Rap Hitler”, and released 2 diss tracks named Pull Your Skirt Up, and Die Another Day.
In 2014, Benzino said he was an angry person in the past, and that he regretted his words, thus hoping to have a laugh with Eminem over past beef, but again insulted Eminem’s fans in 2018. Apart from releasing 2 more studio albums named Arch Nemesis (2005) and The Antidote (2007), Benzino appeared in a VH1 reality TV series Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta from 2012 to 2014, giving his fans a chance to get to know him better. He was also a principal of the hip hop magazine The Source along with David Mays, his longtime friend, and a creator of HipHop Weekly magazine, which was founded in 2006 with David as well.
Sun Sign
Cancer
Residence
- Marietta, Georgia, United States
- Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Nationality
Education
Benzino attended Columbia University in New York City, New York, United States, and graduated with a specialization in journalism.
Manager
Benzino is represented by GR Media Firm in Encino, California, United States.
Genre
Hip-hop
Instruments
Vocals
Labels
- Motown Records
- Murder Inc.
- 7th Floor
- ZNO
Girlfriend / Spouse
Benzino has dated –
- Jenna Shea – He had a brief encounter with the American adult model Jenna Shea in the past.
- Karlie Redd – Benzino was in a relationship with Karlie Redd, a well-known reality TV contestant at some point before 2014.
- Althea Heart (2014-2015) – Benzino and Althea Heart started dating and quickly got engaged in 2014. However, they separated in December 2015, and have been fighting publicly over the years. Benzino and Althea have a child named Zino Antonio (b. November 22, 2015) together. In late 2018, the son was taken from Benzino’s custody due to problems with the law he faced, and he mentioned not seeing his son for days or even weeks in February 2019.
- Benzino has children from other relationships, sons Tak Collins who was 16 as of early 2019, and Chavo, known as a rapper PaidCa$hChavo, who is older than Tak.
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Strong jawline
- Arched eyebrows
- Short, muscular physique
- Tattoos
Brand Endorsements
He has endorsed brands such as –
- Daekshin jeans
- Chemical Baby clothing
- Adidas
- Meukow Cognac
Religion
Christianity
Best Known For
- Being a founding member of rap groups Made Men and The Almighty RSO
- Appearing in a TV show named Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta from 2012 to 2014
- Being a principal of the hip hop magazine titled The Source, launched in 1988
- Having a feud with , and creating multiple diss tracks such as Pull Your Skirt Up, Die Another Day, and others
- Releasing 4 studio albums and numerous mixtapes as a solo artist by the beginning of 2019
First Album
His debut solo album titled The Benzino Project was released on October 30, 2001, by Motown Records. It featured guest performances from ,, Black Rob, , and , and contained 24 tracks in total.
First Film
Benzino made his theatrical film debut in Bloodline (2005), an urban drama where he played the character Kilo.
First TV Show
He made his TV show debut as himself on a music-dance television show Soul Train in 2003.
Benzino Favorite Things
- Interest – Motivational Quotes
- Activity – Gym, Cooking
- Movie – Wild Style (1983)
Source – , ,
Benzino Facts
- He is a chef, and actually quit rapping in order to open up his own restaurant named Benzino’s Crab Trap, located in Marietta, Georgia, United States. The restaurant worked for the big part of 2015 and 2016 and picked up a lot of praise from both locals and the people passionate about his entrepreneurship. Unfortunately, Benzino closed it in late 2016 but said that he hoped to re-open it once again in the future.
- He often featured his son, Zino Antonio, cooking his 1st meals with Benzino’s help. His son managed to create mini pizzas, smores, banana chocolate chip sushi, and other delicious and interesting meals.
- Benzino often shares motivational quotes and pictures on social media, as well as parenting advice he applies himself as a father.
- He was arrested in January 2017 for drug possession charges. His apartment was raided by the Georgia police, and they found 22 grams of THC oil gummies, 6 MDMA pills, and less than an ounce of weed. The punishment by law is as much as 15 years in prison for the crime if proven guilty.
- He released multiple mixtapes, most notable being Die Another Day: Flawless Victory (2003) which was an Eminem diss, but also When the Heavens Fall (2010), Caezar (2011), Blue Bag (2011), The Magnificent 757’s (2012), Crushed Ice (2013), and Welcome to Texaco City in 2015.
- His discography also includes collaboration on albums such as In Tha Company of Killaz with Wiseguys and Doomsday: Forever RSO with The Almighty RSO from 1996, as well as Classic Limited Edition with Made Men in 1999, along with No Skits Vol. 1 released the next year in collaboration with Hangmen 3.
- Benzino got shot in the back and shoulder by his nephew, Gai Scott, but the wounds weren’t fatal. The shooting happened on March 29, 2014, at Benzino’s mother’s funeral in Duxbury, Massachusetts, United States. During a hearing in Plymouth District Court, Gai claimed he was in fear for his and his family’s lives, and that Benzino threatened them.
- Follow him on , , , and .
Featured Image by Benzino / Instagram
Facts of Raymond Scott
- Gender Male
- full nameRaymond Scott
- nicknamesBenzino, Ray Dog, Hasbenzino, ZNO
- birthplaceBoston, Massachusetts, United States
- Date of Birth July 18, 1965
- Age 59 years 3 months
- Horoscope Cancer
- Lucky Number 10
- Lucky Stone Moonstone
- Lucky Color Silver
- Best Match for Marriage Taurus, Pisces, Scorpio
- ethnicity / ethnic backgroundCape Verdean ,German, Puerto Rican and African-American
- nationalityAmerican
- religionChristianity
- net worth$12 million
- professionRapper, Record Producer, Record executive, Songwriter, Chef, Restauranteur
- weight71 kg or 156.5 lbs
- height5 ft 7 in or 170 cm
- hair colorBlack
- eye colorDark Brown
- body type / buildMuscular
- collegeColumbia University
- motherMary Scott
- sistersMaureen , Anita Scott-Wilson
- favorite moviesWild Style (1983)