Benga (musician)

Career

Adejumo, who is of Yoruba Nigerian heritage, first got into music production after being inspired by UK garage artist Wookie. He started making beats on a PlayStation and later moved to FruityLoops. As a teenager, he hung out at the Big Apple record shop in Croydon, where he met Skream. Together, the two helped define the early sound of dubstep in the 2000s.

His tracks caught the ear of DJ Hatcha, who worked at the shop, and by the time he was 15, Benga had his first record out: "Skank," released on Big Apple's own label in 2002. His next release was a team-up with Skream called "The Judgement." More records came out on Big Apple Records, Hotflush Recordings, and Planet Mu, and in 2006 he put out his debut album Newstep on his own. As dubstep started getting more mainstream attention, Benga kept dropping singles.

One of them, "Night," a collaboration with Coki of Digital Mystikz, hit number 98 on the UK Singles Chart in 2008. That same year, his second album Diary of an Afro Warrior came out, with Resident Advisor calling it one of the most anticipated dubstep albums yet. In 2007, Benga, Skream, and Artwork formed the supergroup Magnetic Man. They released an EP in 2009 and a self-titled studio album in 2010.

Benga also produced Katy B's debut single "Katy on a Mission," which peaked at number 5 on the UK Singles Chart in 2010. Starting in January 2011, he and Skream joined BBC Radio 1 as part of the 'In New DJs We Trust' program, hosting a weekly Friday night show. The pair also played together at Sydney's Field Day festival on New Year's Day 2012. In July 2012, Benga stirred up controversy when he reportedly said he wanted to distance himself from dubstep, claiming he no longer wanted to be part of the genre.

He later clarified that to stay creative and keep pushing boundaries, he couldn't label his music as dubstep anymore. In 2013, he released his third album Chapter II on Sony Music, featuring the single "Forefather" with Kano. He also made an official remix of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" for the tribute album Love To Love You Donna, and co-produced Dominique Young Unique's 2014 debut single "Throw It Down" alongside DJ Fresh.