专辑简介

Ben Pimpin Lokizzle is the yin to his own yang. A creature of balance by nature (heʼs a Libra), Ben is both business savvy and artistic. He can make you party or make you think. Make you feel empowered or make you embrace your own weakness. Heʼs a man who knows what itʼs like to own nothing and to have the world at his fingertips. Born and raised on Atlantaʼs west side, Ben, 28, grew up soaking up the sounds of the hot artists of the day -- everyone from Outkast to Dr. Dre -- and all types of music, from rap to rock and roll. He made his musical selections, he says, not based on popularity or genre but on the “timelessness” of the music itself. “A lot of the music back then was timeless,” he lends. “But so much of todayʼs music is seasonal. My goal is to make timeless music and thatʼs what I think Iʼm doing. I can drop a record now that I wrote two or three years ago and it would still be relevant today.” Ben says that for as long as he can remember, heʼs been a music fiend. “I can remember acting like rappers when I was a kid; dressing up, putting on the jewelry and stuff. I could always visualize myself becoming very big in rap music.” He won every talent show he entered and everyone who knew him knew that music was his passion. “Itʼs always been in me to do this,” he says. “I feel like this is what I was put here for.” But Benʼs dream often got him into trouble. “I probably shouldnʼt tell anybody this but when I was in school I would sit in class writing rhymes,” he laughs. “The teachers used to ask what I was doing. They had no idea I was writing rhymes and raps.” His teachers werenʼt the only ones who tried to keep a tight reign on his ʻextracurricularʼ activities. “I know I probably drove my mom crazy too,” he confesses. “I would play songs over and over. Sheʼs use to it now but back then....” Back then, Ben says, he didnʼt receive much encouragement from the people around him. “The only person who really believed in me was one of my cousins.” And once his cousin was locked up, Ben stepped into his shoes and took over his detail shop, running it successfully for four years. “Thatʼs how I supported myself,” he recalls, “but I let it go to pursue my music.” Doing that wasnʼt as easy as it sounds. Ben said he often got by on sheer hustle and his determination to not give up, give in or give out. “ The biggest hurdle to my success has been just surviving,” he says. “I know so many people who are gone or just in bad shape. My hustle has been the key to my survival. Itʼs just the way I was brought up.” Ben says that from the time he was in 10th grade, heʼs worked a job. “My dad left and I worked to help my mom out. Over time you get the hang of making things happen with no help; you learn how to keep your balance.” Maintaining that balance isnʼt a walk in the park. Neither is keeping the faith. Ben says it took time for him to actually believe in himself and admits that it wasnʼt until recently that he even realized that he was a good writer. “It was during a press junket in the Virgin Islands,” he recalls.

“Sway Calloway (from MTV) told me how much he appreciated my talent. Itʼs funny because I always knew that I liked to write but I did it because I loved it; not because I thought I was good at it.” And even though he always dreamed of being a successful rapper, Ben knew that his success wouldnʼt just fall out of the sky and land in his backyard. “Where Iʼm from, the chances of making it are slim to none,” he says. “It seems so far out of reach. Itʼs definitely something I always wanted to do but I never thought I would make it this far.” As he prepares his first release for Atlanta-based Big Burp Entertainment, Ben is happily shuffling through a wide array of songs, making sure that he offers something for everyone. “My music caters to so many different kinds of people. If youʼre a street person youʼre gonna like certain songs. If you go to work or go to church, you might have a different song hit you. I canʼt even say I have a favorite because theyʼre all special to me for different reasons.” On the song “Time” Ben reminds listeners that every minute is valuable. “In this song I pretty much explain how I grew up fast and how quickly time ticked away. I just want people to know that whatever youʼre doing and whatever dream you have, time is ticking and you gotta go for it and make sure youʼre spending your time doing something thatʼs gonna get you closer to your dream.” Ben waxes romantic in “I Wanna Love You” where he recounts an encounter with an attractive woman. “In the song, Iʼm talking to this young lady about how I want to have a one night stand,” he explains. “She keeps saying sheʼs not that kind of girl but by the time we get to the second verse, she gives in.” And on the energetic, straightforward “Mo Doe,” Ben simply tells it like it is. “Itʼs like pretty much saying donʼt call my phone unless you talking about some money.” Ben says heʼll continue to make music for anyone and everyone who can “visualize themselves” in the scenarios that he paints in his songs and learn from the lessons that he imparts. “I want to teach,” he says. “I feel like if you can teach your audience, thatʼs the key to locking them in. If youʼre teaching them and theyʼre learning something from listening to your music, thatʼs a form of control and power; thatʼs a way of building people up and thatʼs what I believe in.” He continues, “My goal is to be the best,” he says, “to get to Jay Z status. I donʼt just want the east coast, west coast, south. I want everything and I want to strike a balance across the board. Iʼm going for the gusto. I want it all.