Spragga Benz

Jamaican dancehall figure Spragga Benz generated a run of regional successes during the early 1990s that influenced the genre’s direction for years afterward. His resonant delivery and natural stage presence anchored both his own tracks and featured spots, yet he also helmed several complete albums, among them the celebratory Fully Loaded issued in 2000. Partnerships with MCs such as Foxy Brown, Wyclef Jean, and Nas established a template for the ongoing fusion of dancehall and hip-hop across the following decade and after.

Born Carlton Grant in Kingston on May 30, 1969, he acquired the youthful handle “Spaghetti” owing to his lean physique; that nickname later evolved into his performing identity, Spragga. He worked as a disc selector for the L.A. Benz sound system and made his initial foray into toasting in 1992 after Buju Banton challenged him to supply B-sides for dubplates being cut for the system. Spragga ad-libbed lyrics spontaneously, prompting such strong reactions from those present in the studio that he promptly recorded two A-sides, “Love Mi Gun” and the suggestive “Jack It Up.” The releases quickly turned him into an underground favorite, prompting numerous labels and producers to seek his vocals. He achieved his first major breakthroughs with “Could a Deal,” “Girls Hooray,” and a broader release of “Jack It Up.” At that point he ranked among dancehall’s most promising newcomers and strengthened his standing through several acclaimed festival performances in 1993, notably a dynamic appearance at Sting. Over the ensuing two years he issued a steady sequence of successful singles—“Hand Inna da Air,” “Rude Bwoy Living,” “No Cater,” “Who Next,” “No Fun Thing,” “Mark Death,” “Things a Gwaan,” “Jump Up and Swear”—many of which appeared on his debut album, Jack It Up, released in 1994. Capitalizing on his local prominence, Capitol Records signed him to a major-label contract later that year. His follow-up, Uncommonly Smooth, arrived in 1995 and revealed clear crossover ambitions; the duet “A-1 Lover” with Chevelle Franklyn targeted R&B listeners alongside reggae fans, while the cover of “Spanish Harlem” featured original performer Ben E. King. The effort did not secure the global reach achieved by Shabba Ranks, however, and Capitol soon withdrew its support.

He returned to Jamaica and operated for several years primarily as a singles artist while also linking with rappers including Wyclef Jean and KRS-One. Domestic successes continued with releases such as “Car Crash,” “Born Good Looking,” “Funny Guy Thing,” “Dolly House,” and “Machine Gun Kelly.” In 1997 he recorded the clash album Two Badd DJs alongside Beenie Man and topped the Jamaican charts with “She Nuh Ready Yet (Hype Up).” That track later surfaced on his long-delayed third album, Fully Loaded, which finally appeared in 2000 and included collaborations with dancehall queen Lady Saw on “Buckshot,” Miami rapper Pitbull on additional cuts, and production by house legend Todd Terry. Spragga made his screen debut that same year in Brooklyn Babylon and took a lead role in the 2001 gangster film Shottas. Also in 2001 he repaid Foxy Brown’s earlier favor by appearing on her hit single “Oh Yeah” and joined Elephant Man for the Jamaican chart-topper “Warriors Cause.” In 2002 he released his fourth album, Thug Nature, which drew heavily on contributions from his emerging collective, the Red Square Crew. The fifth album, Prototype, surfaced in 2008 and featured multiple appearances by both Sizzla and Jamaican vocal coach Calibe. That year also brought personal loss when his 17-year-old son, Carlton Grant, Jr., was fatally shot during a confrontation with Kingston police. Two years afterward Spragga resurfaced with Shotta Culture, an album populated by guests from rap and reggae circles, among them Nas, 2 Chainz, Shabba Ranks, and Marcia Griffiths. Nearly a decade passed before he issued another full-length project, 2019’s Chiliagon, which mixed laid-back downtempo numbers with hard-hitting dancehall tracks.