| Benzino | |||||
| Birth Name: | Raymond Leon Scott[1] | ||||
| Birth Date: | 18 July 1965 | ||||
| Birth Place: | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | ||||
| Years Active: | 1986–present | ||||
| Genre: | Hip hop | ||||
| Current Member Of: |
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Raymond Scott (born July 18, 1965), better known by his stage name Benzino or Ray Benzino, is an American urban media proprietor, television personality, rapper and record producer. Benzino produced records (as part of the production team Hangmen 3) and co-owned The Source magazine.[2]
Benzino has said one of the primary inspirations to enter the genre of rap stems from his fondness of the film Wild Style.[3] Benzino was a founding member of rap groups the Almighty RSO and Made Men. He has appeared on the reality television show 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")[4] [5] and "Die Another Day", while Eminem released "The Sauce" and "Nail in the Coffin".[6] As a continuation of this animosity between the two, Benzino released the diss mixtape Benzino Presents: Die Another Day: Flawless Victory, further disparaging Eminem.[7] [8] [9]
On September 4, 2020, Benzino released a new single titled "The Bigger Picture" with an accompanying music video on YouTube.[10]
Benzino has a mixed ethnicity. His 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.[11] In 2021, the rapper fell out with his daughter, Coi Leray, after she dissed Benzino in a song titled No More Parties (the remix).[12]
Benzino has dated Karlie Redd and Althea Heart.[13] 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.[14] [15]
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.[16]
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.[17] 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.[18] 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.[19] [20] On February 3, 2022, Benzino was arrested and charged with one count of second degree criminal damage to property, a felony.[21]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Da Hip Hop Witch | Himself | |
| 2005 | Bloodline | Kilo | |
| 2011 | Baghdad | Himself | |
| 2016 | Hollywood Hearts | Himself | TV movie |
| 2020 | Turnt | Meko | |
| Indictment: Who Is Jonathan Carter? | James | TV movie | |
| False Advertisement | - | ||
| 2023 | On Da Run | Matteo | |
| I Want Her | Mike |
| Year | Legacy | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Soul Train | Himself | Episode: "Marques Houston/Solange Knowles/Benzino" | |
| 2014 | Town Bizzness | Himself | Episode: "T-Pain in Seattle" | |
| 2012-14 | Himself | Main Cast: Season 1-3 | ||
| 2015-16 | Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars | Himself | Main Cast: Season 4 | |
| 2016 | Himself | Main Cast | ||
| 2017 | Tamar & Vince | Himself | Episode: "Love and War" |
| Year | Song | Artist | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | "Hey Mr. D.J." | Zhané | |
| 1995 | "Craziest" | Naughty by Nature | |
| 2003 | "Clap Back" | Ja Rule |