I can't even lie, I wanted to be a hood-star rapper my entire life. I had trap dreams of fancy cars, buying my mom a house, and blessing my neighborhood. I was given the name Be-Naiah and hated it. I quickly adopted the nickname Niddie, later known as Young Naughdy, a street rapper from West Oakland, California (Acorn Projects).

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Despite my role models being my oldest brother and other OGs who ran the streets, I lived a relatively balanced childhood raised in a single mother household with 8 brothers and sisters. I played football throughout my youth years and high school, but was into fighting at clubs and stealing cars behind closed doors with my high school gang FAM Boys. I graduated with a 3.5 GPA and was good enough of an athlete to earn a full ride scholarship to college.

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Unfortunately my freshman year I suffered a career ending injury. I stayed another year but dropped out after my sophomore year. That's when the journey to becoming a trap rapper started. I was 21 years old, a college dropout, back in West Oakland. The same year I started rapping I was arrested for gun possession and faced 5 years in jail.

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I beat the case after 6 months and got a job in education. Over 10 years I served as a high school program administrator designing college and career exploration programs, sports leagues and music and art lessons for troubled youth in Oakland. No matter how successful I became in my career, I was still loosing countless friends to gun violence and my hood still remained the same.

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On the inside, I still wanted to be a hood star, but that's what made me relevant to the youth. I understood where they came from, and I understood why they dreamed the way they did. We all want to be a blessing to our hood. I was college roommates with Ryan Coogler, the big time film director, and Brandon Smith, a hall of fame Canadian football league player, and even grew up on the same pop Warner team as Marshawn Lynch the NFL running back. All from Oakland. So I know dreams do come true. I traveled many places and performed with some Bay Area legends like E40, Big Omeezy, Shady Nate, J Stalin and many more.

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I lived in Atlanta 3 times trying to be a hood star rapper, was a part of an Atlanta gang, was the driver during shootings, was almost killed, and even became homeless. After my first child in 2013, I was introduced to Jesus by my soon to be wife. I realized God had given me the passion to bless my hood and help people in education, it was God the entire time.

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He was blessing Be-Naiah (meaning Son of God), the real me, not Young Naughdy, the "hood star". I stopped rapping and became engulfed in ministry, from coordinating community outreach events, to using my graphic design skills to help with marketing ministries throughout the country.

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Unfortunately I went through a tough divorce, then my mom passed of cancer, then my grandmother died the very next year. The pandemic ended my career in education and I was transformed into a man of faith, relying solely on God to make a living. For the past 3 years I have survived as a full time Graphic Designer growing my business (Blessed By Benny Graphic Design Services) into a global brand but I still burn with the desire to change communities using my leadership and voice.

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Music has always been my biggest passion and you can experience life's journey with me through my melodically sung lyrics, you can feel the agony and pain in my tone, but more importantly, celebrate and hear my testimony about how God really was working in me this entire time.

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I am blessed to have God's fire burning in me and I want to share it with the World! Please check out my music, merch, and community work and become a supporter.

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- Benny Blessed

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