Spraggy

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Carlton Errington Grant (born 30 May 1969), better known as Spragga Benz, is a Jamaicandancehalldeejay.

Career[edit]

He began his career around 1991. He was once known to his friends as 'Spaghetti' (tall and slim), but this was later shortened to Spragga. The Benz in his name comes from the sound system for which he used to work for, L.A. Benz, and it is through this that he found his way into the music industry at a Dubplaterecording session with Buju Banton. The famed elder DJ was slated to do four tracks for L.A. Benz but only voiced two and suggested that Spragga do the other two. Since he was new to recording, he freestyled a couple of lines of what would then become, 'Love Mi Gun', a popular tune.

He soon became an in-demand performer for numerous producers, including Bobby Digital, and hits followed with 'Could a Deal' (produced by Winston Riley) and 'Girls Hooray' (Steely & Clevie). A series of well-received singles followed, many included on his debut album, Jack It Up (1994). This success led to a deal with Capitol Records, who issued his second album, Uncommonly Smooth, in 1995, featuring duets with Chevelle Franklyn ('A-1 Lover') and 'Spanish Harlem' (with Ben E. King). The album didn't sell well enough for Capitol, who dropped him, after which he spent a few years releasing further singles in Jamaica, also collaborating with the likes of Wyclef Jean and KRS-One. In 1999, he recorded a 'clash' album with Beenie Man, Two Badd DJs, and had a number one Jamaican hit single with 'She Nuh Ready Yet (Hype Up)', which was also included on his third album, Fully Loaded (2000). This album featured duets with Lady Saw (on 'Backshot') and Foxy Brown (on 'Too Stoosh'), and was co-produced by house music legend Todd Terry. In the same year, Benz made his film acting debut in Brooklyn Babylon, and the following year played a leading role in the gangster film Shottas.^[1] 2002 saw the release of his fourth album, Thug Nature.

In 2003, Benz recorded a number of duets, with the likes of Carly Simon, Kevin Lyttle and Shannon, with the aim of breaking into the US market.^[2] In July 2007, Benz co-hosted the Urban Music Awards in New York with Foxy Brown.^[3] Benz was nominated for three awards at the first Caribbean Urban Music Awards, held in Jamaica in April 2008.^[4] On 31 August 2010 Spragga Benz released his sixth solo album Shotta Culture.^[1][5]

His 2019 album Chiliagon topped the Billboard Reggae Albums chart.^[6]

Personal life[edit]

In the late 2020, Benz founded the Stay in School program which provided help for needy students in his hometown of Franklin Town.^[7]

Carlton 'Carlyle' Grant Jr., his 17-year-old son who had played a younger version of Benz's character in the film Shottas, was murdered by local police in Kingston, Jamaica, on 23 August 2008. Police say they stopped two men on a bicycle in the Kingston 8 area, and when they approached them, one of the men began firing at them. The police said they returned fire and the men fled. When they searched the area they found Grant Jr. suffering from gunshot wounds and in possession of a .45 semi-automatic pistol. Grant Jr. was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Following his son's death, Benz founded the Carlisle Foundation, with the aim of helping local youths.

Discography[edit]

Albums[edit]

• Jack It Up (1994), VP
• Uncommonly Smooth (1995), Capitol
• Two Bad DJs with Beenie Man (1999)
• Fully Loaded (2000), VP
• Thug Nature (2002), Empire Musicwerks
• Live Good (2007)
• Shotta Culture (2010)
• Chiliagon (2019), Easy Star

Singles[edit]

• 'Oh Yeah' feat. Foxy Brown;# 63 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks
• 'A1 Lover'
• 'Jack It Up'
• 'Run Things'
• 'Wi Nuh Like'
• 'Y' feat. Carly Simon^[8]
• 'Chicken Head Remix' feat. Wyclef Jean
• 'Turn Me On' feat. Kevin Lyttle; # 4 US, # 20 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks
• 'She Nuh Ready Yet' / 'Backshot' feat. Lady Saw
• 'Mad House Tek Him'
• 'No Way Remix'
• 'Red Dot Special (Rha-Ta-Ta-Ta)'^[9](featuring Swizz Beatz, Shabba Ranks and Kardinal Offishall)
• 'Shotta Culture'
• 'This Is The Way' feat. Nas
• 'Eat Buddy' feat.Poizn Ivy
• 'Hotter Dan Dem' 2012
• 'Nothin' But Love (Feat. Black Pearl)' WonderSound Records 2014
• 'Pop It Off' & 'Pop It Off REMIX' (feat. Smoke DZA & Sierra Leone) WonderSound Records 2014^[10]

Notable appearances[edit]

• 'Fire' Kelis feat. Spragga Benz
• 'The Best Man' Kardinal Offishall feat. Spragga Benz and Darryl Riley
• 'Gangsta Gal' Tanya Stephens feat. Spragga Benz
• 'Iron Bars' Stephen Marley feat. Julian Marley and Spragga Benz
• 'Working Ways' Stephen Marley feat. Spragga Benz [2011]
• 'Lullabye' Toni Norville feat. Spragga Benz
• 'Bounce With Me Remix' Lil Bow Wow feat. Spragga Benz
• 'We Can' Alison Hinds feat. Spragga Benz (WI Cricket Theme Song 2002)
• 'Spanish Harlem' (feat.Ben E King) (uncommonly smooth 1995 capitol)
• 'Another One Partner' Machel Montano feat. Spragga Benz, Red Rat and Buccaneer (album: Same High)
• 'Jealousy' video with Charles & Eddie, 1995
• 'Don't Walk Away' Skull feat. Spragga Benz

Filmography[edit]

• Shottas (Source Award Winner 2002) (Wayne)
• Brooklyn Babylon (1999) (Himself)

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abMorgan, Simone (2013) 'What's Spragga up to?', Jamaica Observer, 13 September 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2013
2. ^Jackson, Kevin (2003) 'Spragga Benz gears up for crossover rush', Jamaica Observer, 9 May 2003
3. ^Walters, Basil (2007) 'Spragga Benz, Foxy Brown to co-host Urban Music Awards', Jamaica Observer, 29 June 2007
4. ^Cooke, Mel (2008) 'Nominees announced for first Caribbean Urban Music AwardsArchived 17 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine', Jamaica Gleaner, 12 March 2008
5. ^
6. ^Jackson, Kevin (2019) 'Spragga cruises to Billboard top', Jamaica Observer, 9 October 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2019
7. ^'Spragga Benz reaches outArchived 3 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine', Jamaica Gleaner, 30 April 2009
8. ^Peter Wade Keusch
9. ^'Red Dot Special (Rha-Ta-Ta-Ta) – Single by Spragga Benz'. iTunes Store. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
10. ^'Pop It Off REMIX (feat. Smoke DZA & Sierra Leone) - Single by Spragga Benz'. iTunes Store. Retrieved 1 October 2014.

External links[edit]

• Spragga Benz at IMDb

Benjamin 'Spraggy' Spragg might be wearing the PokerStars Team Pro Online patch, but don't make the mistake of thinking he's feeling right at home in a tournament with a buy-in of $25,000. Part of Team Online because of his popular Twitch stream, Spragg plays an average buy-in of $30 online. So to all of a sudden take a seat in a $25,000 High Roller was quite the change of pace for the amicable Brit.

'I play anything up to $215, maybe the odd $530, but that's as big as it gets. So to play a $25k live was huge for me!'

Spragg got his seat in the PokerStars Players Championship after having given away multiple Platinum Passes on the stream. Giving away passes is fun, but getting to play yourself is even better. 'PokerStars said 'Hey, all these community people are going to be involved, let's get you involved here as well.' So that was great!' Spragg said.

It was Spragg's first-time at the PCA, and since $25,000 events aren't exactly his bread and butter, you can bet he was excited. 'I played some $1Ks way back in the day, but I'm on Team Pro Online because I'm a twitch streamer. People see the stakes I play; I play anything up to $215, maybe the odd $530, but that's as big as it gets. So to play a $25k live was huge for me.'

While Spragg was new to playing in an event with a buy-in this big, he wasn't all too nervous.

'I was excited but not nervous. It did not feel like a $25K just because of the atmosphere.'

'I felt ok. I was excited but not nervous. It did not feel like a $25K just because of the atmosphere. There are very old-school players who came out for this, and there are people who don't know the rules of no-limit hold'em who came out for it. And then there are the top pros from around the world. It's a fun atmosphere. I think it's the best thing to happen to poker for a very long time.'

The excitement was in the air as it was clear quite early on that the event was going to be big. The excitement was in the air because the field was so good; full of players who don't usually play these. 'Obviously, with the Platinum Passes [in the field] [...] you're gonna end up having an edge over some part of the field.'

Day 1 didn't go as planned for him. 'Day 1 started really rough; I just could not win a pot. I went down to 15,000 in chips and was all in for twenty big blinds with nines to sevens and managed to find a double.'

Spragg survived Day 1 with 43,000 in chips, under the starting stack. 'I would've been better out in the water slides late regging Day 2!'

The second day of the event was much better for the Team Pro Online: 'Day 2 started really well, I went from 43,000 to 110,000. I had Tonka [fellow streamer Parker Talbot] on our table, so that was a nice break!'

Spragg ended Day 2 with 115,000 in chips. With 207 players returning for Day 3 and 181 in the money, 26 players would still go empty-handed. Spragg was just praying he wouldn't be one of them. All went well early on in Day 3, but on the bubble, things got a bit more tense. 'When it got to hand-for-hand, I thought 'Ok I'm alright' as there were a load of short stacks. But then nobody busted; hand-for-hand kept going and going and going.

'It was really nerve-wracking as I had just paid my big blind and would be forced all in on the next big blind.'

'I was barely in my seat during the bubble. I was up pacing, checking out other tables, trying to find out where the shortstacks were - who was gonna be all in. It was really nerve-wracking as I had just paid my big blind and would be forced all in on the next big blind.'

Besides the fact that, for Spragg, it was $25,450 or nothing since he was in it for free, there was the fear of shame if he would end up bubbling. 'The last thing I wanted was to be that direct bubble boy. Because of the Twitch chat; imagine me walking out of here as the bubble boy, I would never be hearing the end of it. But we got there. It was a massive relief!

Spraggy And Bill Burr

Not only did 'Spraggy' cash, but he also ended up leveling up a pay jump as people busted left and right when the tournament got in the money. Spragg took home $35,000 for his three days of play.

Spraggy

Parlaying his cash into shots at even bigger fortune is not Spragg's intention. 'Not this week I don't think. I'm flying out Friday, as was always the plan. I might put a little in bigger stuff online; I might take some bigger shots on the stream. We'll see how it pans out.'

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Spraggy Pokerstars

Though Spraggy is no longer participating, you can follow the rest of the PSPC event on the PokerNewslive updates page.

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