EXTRA THOUGHTS

Here are some extra thoughts/tidbits about each beat on the EP!

1. Tingling Sensation

One of my favorite R&B records of the 2010s is Ro James' Permission. I love his falsetto over the beat, but what I love even more is the sample his producer used: Willie Hutch's - Brothers Gonna Work It Out. It's such a chill and simple guitar loop, perfectly complemented by the classic flute riff at the end. Inspired by it, I wanted to create my own rendition of the sample, and this is what we came up with. I love how hard the drums hit in thisā€”it feels ready for a chart-topping hit.

Co-Produced w/ AYPE

2. Hold Me Down

Lowkey, the sample doesnā€™t even say ā€œHold Me Downā€ (I have no idea what it actually says LOL), but as an artist, you can make it say what you want just by naming it a certain way. I love the West Coast/DJ Mustard-type tempo on this sultry yet sexy sample. The 808s are FAT, and the kick packs just enough punch to hit you in the gut. Itā€™s a very simple beat, but I can definitely hear a hit record on thisā€”someone like Chris Brown or Kehlani would kill it!

Co-Produced w/ GWESS

3. Heaven Calls

I named this beat Heaven Calls because it gives off a very angelic, floating-on-clouds feel. I love the guitars on this one (shoutout to GWESS for the amazing sample), but the bassline is even saucier, in my opinion. This beat definitely has more of a Sade/alternative/chill R&B vibe compared to most of my current R&B beats. This might end up being a sleeper on the EP!

Co-Produced w/ ProdByTY

4. Excitement

AnotherProdByTycollab on this EP! I just love the old-school '90s R&B vibe of the sample. Aside from the drums (of course), my favorite part of the beat is the bassline and the main sine leadā€”it completely sets the mood!

Co-Produced w/ trulyakira

5. Timing Right

Though the beats are vastly different, I aimed to at least capture the atmosphere of Chris Brownā€™s Take You Down (one of my favorite CB songs of all time!). I think what gave me that vibe is the guitars and the overall sparseness of this beat. I can definitely see this turning into a bedroom anthem. Shoutout to The Underdogs for producing such a classic record!

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

Writing this on April 2nd, 2025ā€”just a week before the EP drops on April 9th. Aside from prepping for the release, Iā€™m also gearing up for the officialĀ TEXT BACKĀ music video shoot this Friday! This will be the first official music video for the BENSTAR brand and my beats. I donā€™t know many producers who shoot music videos for instrumentals (Iā€™m sure Iā€™m not the first, though), so hopefully, this turns out well.

In addition to theĀ TEXT BACKĀ video, Iā€™m also planning to shoot some beat-performance videos forĀ R&BenĀ Vol. 1 and 2ā€”just to get more content out there. I came up with the music video concept myself, and long story short: the video will show me texting someone, leading the audience to believe Iā€™m messaging a girl. But when the climax hits, the twist is revealedā€”I was actually texting my UberEats driver about my food delivery! I think the plot twist will be memorable and will showcase my artistic visionā€”playful, creative, and not too seriousā€”just like my personality.

On another note, Iā€™ve been struggling to get my monthly Spotify listeners past 3,000. IĀ knowĀ I can do it, and IĀ willĀ do it with the release ofĀ R&BenĀ Vol. 3 and all the extra content Iā€™m putting out. Iā€™m fully trusting the process and falling in love with the grind. Itā€™s not easy, and itā€™s going to cost some money, but a year from now (maybe even sooner!), itā€™ll all be worth itā€”Iā€™m sure of it.

Letā€™s keep building the catalog and growing the fanbase one by one. See you on the next EP!

- Benny

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