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Perhaps better known for his shady reputation than for his accomplishments, Benzino worked in the rap industry for a decade before going solo in 2001 with much hoopla. During the final months of 2001, he became a regular fixture in The Source magazine, even appearing on the cover despite being relatively unaccomplished relative to the usual cover features. Moreover, his album featured a spectacular array of big-name guests, everyone from P. Diddy to producer Teddy Riley. But his album flopped, selling less than 75,000 copies. Worse, his label, Motown, dropped him less than four months after releasing his album. But Benzino bounced back, but not without a tarnished reputation. Shortly after the circus-ring hoopla surrounding his debut died down, it came out that Benzino secretly co-owned The Source. This news explained why the magazine endorsed him so much and perhaps why so many rappers were quick to grant him favors (presumably in exchange for favorable coverage in the influential ... Read full biography
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