{{Short description|Nigerian record producer}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Benjamz | image = | image_size = | landscape = <!-- yes, if wide image, otherwise leave blank --> | alt = | caption = | birth_name = Chibuike Benjamin Nnonah | alias = Benjamz | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1994|9|22}} | birth_place = Enugu, Nigeria | origin = Enugu | death_date = | death_place = | genre = {{flatlist| *Afropop *Afrobeats *African hip hop *hip hop *gangsta rap *R&B }} | occupation = Record producer | instrument = Piano, drums, guitar | years_active = 2016–present | label = {{flatlist| *Maxibeats *Jungleciti Entertainment *Illbeats Music Group }} | associated_acts = {{Unbulleted list|Tekno|Phyno|Burna Boy|Illbliss|Yung6ix|Dremo}} | website = <!-- {{URL|illbeat.com}} --> }}
'''Chibuike Benjamin Nnonah''' {{Audio|LL-Q33578 (ibo)-Vivian Amalachukwu-Chibuike Benjamin Nnonah.wav|Listen|help=no}} (born September 22, 1994), born in Enugu State, better known as '''Benjamz''', is a Nigerian record producer<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/03/i-forget-to-eat-whenever-i-am-making-music-benjamz/|location=Lagos, Nigeria|title=I forget to eat whenever I am making music- Benjamz|date=3 March 2020|accessdate=26 October 2021|newspaper=Vanguard}}</ref> who has worked with artists including Phyno, Burna Boy, Dremo, Tekno, Illbliss and Yung6ix. He was born and raised in Enugu. Benjamz produced six tracks from Phyno's ''The Playmaker'' album. He is most notable for co-producing ''African Giant'' by Burna Boy with Kel-P, which was nominated for a Grammy Award.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://guardian.ng/saturday-magazine/i-believe-in-dynamism-says-benjamz/|location=Lagos, Nigeria|title=I believe in dynamism, says Benjamz|date=10 April 2021|accessdate=26 October 2021|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> He also produced "Gum Body" featuring Jorja Smith from the same album<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2021/04/16/grammy-nominated-producer-benjamz-launches-custom-beats-platform/|title=Grammy-nominated Producer, Benjamz Launches Custom Beats Platform|date=16 April 2021|accessdate=26 October 2021|newspaper=This Day}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.okayafrica.com/nigerian-music-benjamz-african-giant/|title=Interview: Benjamz, the Grammy-Nominated Producer You Need to Know|work=Okay Africa|date=22 July 2020|accessdate=26 October 2021|archive-date=20 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520095023/https://www.okayafrica.com/nigerian-music-benjamz-african-giant/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and "Stfu" from ''Codename Vol. 2'' by Dremo.
==Early life== Benjamz is a native of Agbani in Nkanu West Enugu State. He is a graduate of industrial physics from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Interview: Benjamz, the Grammy-Nominated Producer You Need to Know - Okayplayer |url=https://www.okayafrica.com/nigerian-music-benjamz-african-giant/ |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=www.okayafrica.com |language=en |archive-date=2022-05-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520095023/https://www.okayafrica.com/nigerian-music-benjamz-african-giant/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Career== His breakthrough as a record producer came in 2016, when he produced the track "Pino Pino" by Phyno off his ''The Playmaker'' album. In 2017, he was nominated in the "New" Discovery Producer category at the 2017 edition of The Beatz Awards. Benjamz has gone on to produce and be credited in popular songs and albums including ''The Playmaker'' by Phyno, ''African Giant'' by Burna Boy, ''Old Romance'' by Tekno, ''Codename Vol. 2'' by Dremo and ''Deal with It'' by Phyno. He was given a special recognition by the Grammy academy for his work on ''African Giant'' by Burna Boy<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://guardian.ng/saturday-magazine/i-believe-in-dynamism-says-benjamz/|location=Lagos, Nigeria|title=I believe in dynamism, says Benjamz|date=10 April 2021|accessdate=26 October 2021|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://tribuneonlineng.com/music-keeps-me-sane-and-humble-says-grammy-nominated-producer-benjamz/|title=Music Keeps Me Sane And Humble, Says Grammy-Nominated Producer Benjamz|date=5 April 2021|accessdate=26 October 2021|newspaper=Nigerian Tribune}}</ref>
===Production credits=== * African Giant - Burna Boy (Co-Produced with Kel-P) * Gum Body ft Jorja Smith - Burna Boy * Pino Pino - Phyno * Deal With It - Phyno' * I'm a Fan - Phyno * Mistakes - Phyno * Deri - Phyno * Iyilu Ife - Phyno * Bigger Meat - Dremo * Chairman - Dremo * Breezy - Dremo * Faya - Dremo * Stfu - Dremo * Nobody - Dremo * Armageddon - Tekno * 40ft Containers ft Olamide - Illbliss * Wake Up - Yung6ix
==Album credits== {| class ="wikitable" |- !Year !Artiste !Album |- |2016 |Phyno |’’The Playmaker’’ |- |2019 |Burna Boy |’’African Giant’’ |- |2020 |Tekno (musician) |’’Old Romance’’ |- |2020 |Dremo |Codename Vol. 2 |- |}
==Awards and nominations== {| class ="wikitable" |- !Year !Event !Prize !Recipient !Result |- |2017 |The Beatz Awards |rowspan="1"|New Discovery Producer |Benjamz for "Pino Pino" by Phyno |{{won}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nightlife.ng/see-nominees-beat-fm-awards-night-2017/|title=See Nominees For The Beat FM Awards Night 2017|work=Nightlife|date=10 December 2017|accessdate=26 October 2021}}</ref> |- |rowspan="1"|2020 |62nd Annual Grammy Awards |Special Recognition |Benjamz for African Giant by Burna Boy |{{nom}}<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://guardian.ng/saturday-magazine/i-believe-in-dynamism-says-benjamz/|location=Lagos, Nigeria|title=I believe in dynamism, says Benjamz|date=10 April 2021|accessdate=26 October 2021|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> |- |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
Category:1994 births Category:Living people Category:Nigerian hip-hop record producers Category:21st-century Nigerian musicians Category:People from Enugu State Category:Igbo musicians
{{Nigeria-musician-stub}}