B Jenkins

Rhyme-master B. Jenkins beat out 12 other artists to win his third Self-Inflicted 8 competition for a coveted spot to open for Paul Wall when he performs at Streeters Ground Zero this Tuesday, Dec. 16.
“It’s a great opportunity as an independent artist to be exposed to a new audience and I’m also very grateful to Streeters who gave me my first chances to perform a few years ago,” he says.
When most other 15-year-olds were playing video games or hanging out with their friends, Brandon Jenkins was writing song verses and turning them into raps. At 16, he was spending every weekend and vacations at the recording studio of Saginaw-based rapper/producer Astray, whom he impressed with an original rap when he met him at a local mall.
“It was a lot of time away, and my parents made it clear I had to keep up with school if I wanted to pursue this dream,” Jenkins said. “They got a lot of negativity at first from people who thought rap was a bad environment for me to be in so young, but I became more determined than ever to keep at it.”

LAUNCHING PAD
In May 2006, while still a sophomore at Benzie Central High School, he released his first single “Do It Like Me,” which was followed two months later by his first album, “Right Where I Want To Be,” which sold over 2,000 copies statewide and launched him into local stardom. At just 17, Jenkins began playing at nightclubs downstate, where he quickly got a close-up view of the pitfalls of that lifestyle.
“There were people all around me losing their lives and dreams to drugs and alcohol and I made the realization then that I wasn’t going to let that happen to me,” he said.
Jenkins began performing at Streeters in Traverse City with his mom in the audience due to him being underage, which gave him the chance to perform with the likes of The Ying-Yang Twins, Bizarre, MC Breed and Paul Wall.
In February 2007, Jenkins’ producer Astray was picked up by Web entertainment – the same label that launched Eminem’s career. “Eminem is my all time favorite and having access to the Shady Records studio in Detroit was like a dream come true for me.”
It was also his senior year in high school and Jenkins knew he had to get that part of his life done so he could focus on his music career full-time. He graduated early with a “B” average, admitting he missed out on a lot of his high school years.
“I never bonded with my senior class, and I know I missed a lot of school functions. It was a weird feeling sometimes to be working 14-hour days at the studio and be thinking that everyone else was sitting in class. But I learned to deal with it and made the realization that this is what it was going to take to do what I wanted.”

MOVING ON
Having a producer working in a major label environment fueled the fire for him to begin working on his second album “Talk of the City,” due out in Spring ’09.
Jenkins also decided to contact an old friend from Onekama who had produced music videos, Keith Zielinski of 5830 Productions. They combined their talents to create a video that would help launch their careers into mainstream media. Zielinski organized the video and Jenkins put everything in to creating a hit single.
Jenkins then turned to Astray, who produced and is featured on the song “Make A Flick,” along with reggae star King Jazzy. “Make A Flick” is a catchy ringtone-friendly song about camera phones and the hip-hop scene. It debuted on Sirius Satellite Radio’s Shade 45 and the video will be premiering on MTV-U, BET and Youtube.com within the coming weeks. The single is also available for purchase on digital download sites such as iTunes, Rhapsody, Napster and E-music.
At 19, Jenkins is beginning to see the benefits of his years of hard work and can now support himself from his music. “I come from very humble beginnings,” he said, “and I don’t take anything for granted. I worked hard for everything I have accomplished today, and I try to tackle each project like it’s my first time at bat. I am amazed at how far I am today and excited about how much there is ahead of me. Music is my life, I would rather be at the studio than anywhere else, and I know all this hard work will pay off.”

B. Jenkins performs with Marz, Critical Bill, Maniacal and Paul Wall at 9 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 16 at Streeters Ground Zero. You can check out his music, up-coming shows or send him an email at: myspace.com/thebjenkins. - Northern Express

''TALK OF HIS CITY'' LOCAL RAPPER TO HOST CD RELEASE PARTY
Current mood: awake
Benzonia- Benzie County is known for many things such as the scenery, beautiful lakes and the wonderful people. But never for rap music. That could change in the near future with the efforts of one of its own.

Brandon Jenkins, A 2008 Benzie Central graduate , has been working very hard to see his longtime dream of being a professional rap artist become a reality. Known as B Jenkins, he will get one step closer to his dream this Friday, as he releases his second album entitled ‘’Talk Of My City’’ at a party at Ground Zero in Traverse City @ 9PM.

The 80 minute concert will feature the local rapper performing the new 11 songs which are featured on the CD, Which was produced by Astray and M-See who are also featured on the album.

‘’They were great to work with. They worked hard and listened to my input. They let me be very involved in the process.’’ Said Jenkins recently.

The catalog of new songs include ‘’Flesh and Blood,’’ ‘’Dark Road,’’, ‘’Make A Flick’’ and ‘’Who They Wanna Be.’’ The first two songs are introspective of the nineteen year old’s path through life thus far. They tell of the hardships that he went through as a child and adolescent.

The latter two are more of ‘’fun club’’ songs that will get the heads bobbing and feature artists like Astray, King Jazzy and Bizarre of D12

‘’it was crazy working with Bizarre. I was that kid sitting at Ford Field at a D12 concert. Now, I am in the studio listening to him lay down a track for me.’’ said Jenkins who lists Eminem as one of his greatest influences along with fellow Michigander Kid Rock.

Jenkins style of rap is meaningful and full of complicated rhymes that is hard to find in the hip hop world today.

The nineteen year old , who fell in love with rap at age 12, met Astray, a well known independent rapper from Saginaw, randomly when he was 15. The two exchanged numbers and soon Jenkins was traveling back and forth every weekend to be in the studio.

In July of 2006, he released his first album ‘’Right Where I Wanna Be,’’ which was produced by Astray and sold 2,000 copies statewide. It wasn’t much longer before he was performing with The Ying Yang Twins, Paul Wall and Bizarre in Traverse City.

About seven months later, Astray signed with Web Entertainment , the same label that first signed Eminem. This allowed Jenkins to work with someone who was with a major label.

For the next two years he worked hard writing,recording and selling his brand. Traveling 47,000 miles in the last 18 months, Jenkins was able to increase his popularity prior to releasing his album.

Working with Astray,King Jazzy and Music Video Producer Keith Zielinski, B Jenkins created the video for his single ‘’Make A Flick’’. The Video soon hit the airwaves on BET, MTV-U and Youtube.com

‘’I Feel blessed to be in the situation I am in. I don’t take anything for granted. I just want to motivate people and make them realize that it doesn’t matter where you’re from, you can do anything,’’

Although he is full of talent, the size of his heart might be his biggest assest. His work ethic and abstinence from drugs and alcohol make this class act a great role model.

The Benzie County native hopes to impact others with more than his beats. Someday he hopes to get into politics to help the less fortunate. This led him to decide to enter Northwestern Michigan College in the fall, amongst his busy schedule, to eventually study Political Science.

The intelligent, ambitious smooth talker even studied last year;s presidential race and has mimicked the campaigns use of marketing tactics .Social networking through Facebook,Myspace and Twitter has boosted his fan base a great deal.

But before he takes the leap into the political spectrum he is commited to his music. Even before officially releasing his new album he has been working on his next project titled ’’Bright Lights In The Night Life’’

More on Jenkins and information regarding his new album can be seen at www.myspace.com/thebjenkins - Benzie Country Record Patriot

Northern People: Rapping up north

BY VANESSA MCCRAY




HONOR -- Northern Michigan isn't exactly a rapper's realm.
We drive cars here, not "whips." We drink beer, not Cristal.
And, yet.
"I knew I had the mind and the voice to captivate people. I'm not so
concerned with blowing up big in the rap industry," said Brandon
Jenkins, a local rapper who goes by "B Jenkins" on stage.
He's an earnest young man who rattles off Kanye West lyrics to make
a point. Jenkins' first, self-financed album was released when he was
still a student at Benzie Central High School. Now 19, he is readying
for the June drop of his next album titled "Talk of the City."
"He has a long ways to go, but he's well on his way. For what is in
this area, he is definitely one of the premier artists," said Patrick
Sullivan, general manager of The Terminal, a Traverse City nightclub.
Jenkins has performed at the venue, formerly Streeters Entertainment
Center, a number of times after excelling in hip-hop contests hosted by
the club. That gave him the chance to open for national acts including
Paul Wall and the Ying Yang Twins. Jenkins' mother accompanied him when
he wasn't old enough to go to the club alone.
Growing up in an area devoid of a strong hip-hop scene made Jenkins work harder.
"There's so many people who look down on doing something out of the
norm," he said. "People would say..., 'You're a wannabe. You're never
gonna make it.'"
At age 9, Jenkins heard Eminem's song "My Name Is" on a local radio
station. He was transfixed by its intensity and thought it was cool the
rap star was also from Michigan. By age 13, Jenkins was trying to write
his own rhymes. That's when he saw Eminem in concert at Detroit's Ford
Field and decided: "This is what I want to do."
His only thought on how to make that happen was to connect with
downstate rappers. Jenkins kept tabs on Michigan entertainers online
and met a few at a local concert. A connection with Saginaw producer
and performer Astray paid off. With his help, Jenkins made his first
album "Right Where I Wanna Be." Jenkins also was featured in Astray's
"Make a Flick" music video.
"I put my hands in the dirt and I said, 'I'm going to do whatever it takes,'" he said.
Jenkins grew his vocabulary by watching the news and reading. He
raps about his personal life, experiences and family struggles. He also
throws in some songs for the ladies. When writing for a female
listener, "You want to make a record that makes every girl think you
are talking about them," he said.
A solid rap with witty wordplay and complex rhyming is an artistic
achievement akin to writing a screenplay or painting. But it's also his
drive and professionalism that has gotten him this far, Jenkins said.
He plans to attend Northwestern Michigan College and is interested in
political science and communications.
"I feel like if I can rap, and I didn't know how and take it to this level, what else could I do?" he said.
Jenkins stops and quickly adds a disclaimer: He's not trying to be
cocky or brash. But it takes a bit of swagger to succeed in the rap
game. Sullivan, the nightclub manager, said concert crowds respond
enthusiastically to the young rapper.
"(He has) a real potential to make it big in this market," Sullivan said.
- Traverse City Record Eagle

BENZIE COUNTY RECORD PATRIOT WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 5TH,2008

''DEDICATION,PERSEVERANCE & CONFIDENCE''
Recent Benzie Central graduate makes a name for himself in hip hop

One might have the impression that the small community of Benzie county may have limited the dreams and ambitions of Brandon Jenkins. It is quite the opposite in reality as his hometown was the very area that motivated him to get where he is today. ''I always felt added pressure to exceed expectations and overcome any and all obstacles that ever stood in my way. People have always told me because i was from a small town that it couldn't be done, but i am the perfect example that with dedication,perseverance and confidence you can achieve anything you want in life'' said Jenkins. His journey began when he was only twelve years old. With his mother and father working full-time and him being a only child he seeked some type of guidance. Rap music became that outlet which shaped his mind frame over the next few years. When asked about music influencing his life he replied '' I remember relating so much to the music i was listening to and studying. You couldn't get me away from the radio for anything, I recall my mother numerous times telling me to go to bed on school nights or she would take my Cd's from me''. When Brandon turned fifteen ''out of reach'' and ''impossible'' goals suddenly became obtainable tasks. He randomly ran into a well known independent rapper named Astray based out of Saginaw,Michigan. Brandon knew this was his one chance to impress someone in the industry and with no hesitation spit a verse to let Astray know he was serious. They exchanged numbers and no little then a week later Astray called and informed Brandon he was interested in producing his album. Brandon began traveling back and forth from Benzonia to Saginaw every weekend to be in the studio. In May of 2006 he released his first single ''Do It Like Me'' which launched him into local stardom. Two months following the release of ''Do It Like Me'' Brandon released his album ''Right Where I Wanna Be'' under the rap name ''B JENKINS''. His first album went on to sell 2,000 copies state wide. Shorty after the release he began performing with the likes of ''The Ying Yang Twins'', ''Bizarre'', ''MC Breed'' and ''Paul Wall'' @ Traverse City's own Streeters Groundzero Nightclub. Things were about to change in a drastic way for the young rapper. In February of 2007 Astray was picked up by Web Entertainment (the very label that started Eminem's career) which created a land of opportunity for B Jenkins. Having a producer who was now working in a major label environment fueled the fire for him to start working on his second album.But being a independent artist means having to do everything yourself from publishing,scheduling shows, and financially supporting the brand you are trying to create. B Jenkins contacted a old friend who produced films and had previously done music videos. Keith Zielinski of 5830 Productions and B Jenkins took both of there visions and decided to create a video that would launch there careers into the mainstream media. Keith would organize the video and B Jenkins would put everything into creating a hit single. B Jenkins turned to Astray who produced and is featured on the hit song ''Make A Flick'' along with reggae sensation King Jazzy. ''Make A Flick'' is a catchy ring tone friendly song about camera phones on the hip hop scene. The song itself will soon be debuting on Sirius Satellite Radio's Shade 45 in the coming weeks, The video will be premiering on BET,MTV-U and the popular video site Youtube.com. ''Make A Flick'' is also available for purchase on such digital download sites itunes,e-music,napster and rhapsody. B Jenkins had this to say in closing '' At the end of the day i really just have to thank god and everyone who had a helping hand in my career to this point.Sometimes people might take my confidence for arrogance but I'm really just proud of myself. I came from humble beginnings and worked for everything that i have accomplished today.Every project i work on i pretend like it's my first time at bat, always looking to improve''. B JENKINS second album ''The Ambition'' will be released Fall 2008/Winter 2009...

www.myspace.com/thebjenkins - Benzie Country Record Patriot