He began his career around 1991. Among his friends, he was originally known as "Spaghetti" due to his tall and slim build, but the name was later shortened to Spragga. The "Benz" in his name comes from the sound system he worked with, L.A. Benz, which played a crucial role in his entry into the music industry.
During a dubplate recording session with Buju Banton, Buju was supposed to record four tracks for L.A. Benz, but after voicing two, he suggested that Spragga take over the remaining two. Being new to recording, Spragga freestyled a few lines, which would later become the hit "Love Mi Gun"—a fan favorite that marked his breakthrough.
Following this, Spragga Benz became a highly sought-after artist by numerous top producers, including Bobby Digital. He gained widespread recognition with hits like "Could a Deal" (produced by Winston Riley) and "Girls Hooray" (produced by Steely & Clevie). A series of well-received singles followed, many of which were included in his debut album, Jack It Up (1994). This success led to a record deal with Capitol Records, which released his second album, Uncommonly Smooth (1995). This album featured notable collaborations, including "A-1 Lover" with Chevelle Franklyn and "Spanish Harlem" with Ben E. King. However, the album did not perform well commercially, leading Capitol to drop him from their roster. Undeterred, Spragga continued releasing singles in Jamaica and collaborated with international artists such as Wyclef Jean and KRS-One. In 1999, he released a clash album with Beenie Man, Two Badd DJs, and scored a #1 Jamaican hit with "She Nuh Ready Yet (Hype Up)", which was later included on his third album, Fully Loaded (2000). This album featured Lady Saw on "Backshot" and Foxy Brown on "Too Stoosh", with production contributions from house music legend Todd Terry. The year 2000 also marked his acting debut in the film Brooklyn Babylon, followed by a leading role in the gangster film Shottas (2001). In 2002, he released his fourth album, Thug Nature. The following year, in 2003, he recorded several duets with major artists like Carly Simon, Kevin Lyttle, and Shannon, aiming to expand his reach into the U.S. market. In July 2007, Spragga Benz co-hosted the Urban Music Awards in New York alongside Foxy Brown. In April 2008, he received three nominations at the Caribbean Urban Music Awards, held in Jamaica.
On August 31, 2010, he released his sixth solo album, Shotta Culture. In 2019, his album Chiliagon topped the Billboard Reggae Albums chart, solidifying his legendary status in reggae and dancehall music.
1991年にキャリアをスタート。もともと友人たちからその長身でスリムな体型から"スパゲッティ"と呼ばれていたCarlton Grantは、後に"スプラガ"に短縮。名前の"ベンツ"は彼が所属していたサウンドシステムのL.A.ベンツに由来しています。
ある日、
ブジュ・バントンとのダブプレート録音セッションで、ブジュは4曲を録音する予定だったが2曲しか収録せず、残りの2曲をスプラガに任せることを提案。録音経験のなかったスプラガは即興で数行のフリースタイルを披露したが、それが後に人気曲となる「Love Mi Gun」へ発展し、これが彼のブレイクのきっかけとなる。 その後、ボビー・デジタルをはじめとする多数のプロデューサーから引く手あまたとなり、ウィンストン・ライリー制作「Could a Deal」や、スティーリー&クリーヴィー制作「Girls Hooray」といったヒットを次々と飛ばす。それらのシングルが好評を博し、多くが94年のデビューアルバム「Jack It Up」に収録され、この成功によりキャピトル・レコードとの契約を獲得するもその後の売上は振るわず、キャピトルとの契約は打ち切られる。
ジャマイカに戻ったスプラガは独立してシングルをリリースし続けるとともに、ワイクリフ・ジョンやKRS-ワンといったアーティストとのコラボも果たす。
99年には
ビーニ・マンとのクラッシュ・アルバム「Two Badd DJs」をリリースし、さらに「She Nuh Ready Yet (Hype Up)」でジャマイカ国内チャート1位を獲得。「She Nuh～」は翌2000年発表の3rdアルバム「Fully Loaded」にも収録され、同アルバムには
レディ・ソウとの「Backshot」やフォクシー・ブラウンとの「Too Stoosh」等のコラボ曲も収録されておりHOUSEミュージックのレジェンド、トッド・テリーが共同プロデュースを手掛けた。
また、同じ2000年に映画デビューも果たし、「Brooklyn Babylon」に出演。翌2001年にはギャング映画「Shottas」で主演を務める。
その後もアルバムを出し続け、2019年に発表した「Chiliagon」はBillboardの
REGGAEアルバム・チャートで1位を獲得し、その地位を不動のものとしたスプラガは、1969年キングストン生まれで
本日が誕生日。
ピックした一枚は、前述の「Jack It Up」にも収録された「Dem Flap」(アルバムは「Dem Flop」クレジット)の
デジタルBリリース
7"！
”Dem”の名を冠しているとおり、スプラガ流
Dew Bowチューンでス！
Spraga Benz – Dem Flap '94 Digital BA-side.
Dem FlapB-side. Version
Credit;
Producer – B. Dixon (Bobby Digital)
Price:
600yen レコードのご注文及び詳細は
こちら
