Benga-Crunked Up feature by John M. Ellison IV

Beni Uthman or better known Benga is a 23 year old dubstep producer from East London and one of the first waves of dubstep producers in 2000s. Benga started making tracks on his playstation game system and then graduated to Fruity Loops after his parents bought him a computer. He was inspired to join the grime/garage scene after hearing the productions of producer “Wookie.”

He frequented a record store called Big Apple Records in Croydon, South London and was introduced to fellow producer Skream and together they recorded and collaborated on various projects that caught the ear of grime/2-step fans and DJs such as Francoise K and Mary Anne Hobbs.

With dubstep, it sounds like, to me at least a soundtrack to some weird dream. For example, with 2007’s “Crunked Up” off of “Diary of an African Warrior” sounds like some odd carnival/circus with clowns in makeup that look a cross between Violent J of rap-metal group Insane Clown Posse/The Joker from the Dark Knight performing parlor tricks while some dude that looks like the Marvel comic book character Dr. Strange plays the calliope…wow, I have to stop letting my “really” personal thoughts seep into these reviews.

Anyway, “Crunked Up” is an example of why I consider dubstep as crunk’s younger british cousin. After repeated listening, I’m still enamored by this compositions use of sub-bass, intricate drum programming, calliope-y sounds and synth pad and the rapid fire drum rolls really are hypnotic.

I would recommend this for anyone that’s looking for something that sounds like what you could explain as “post-crunk.”