{{short description|American rapper}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}} {{BLP sources|date=March 2017}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Wrekonize | image = | caption = | landscape = yes | background = solo_singer | birth_name = Benjamin Miller | alias = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1983|5|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/Wrekonize/status/330745954661695488 |title=Twitter / Wrekonize: My birthday is the 5th but |publisher=Twitter |access-date=4 June 2013}}</ref> | birth_place = London, England | origin = Miami, Florida, U.S. | genre = Hip hop | occupation = {{hlist|Rapper|singer|songwriter|record producer}} | years_active = 2001–present | label = {{hlist|Strange Music|Mayday Music}} | current_member_of = ¡Mayday! | website = }}

'''Benjamin Miller''' (born 5 May 1983), better known by his stage name '''Wrekonize''', is an American underground rapper and current member of Miami band ¡Mayday!. He is currently signed to the record label Mayday Music, after previously being signed to Tech N9ne's Strange Music.

==Early life== Benjamin Miller was born in London and raised in a household of both British and African descent. His mother was England-born and his father had immigrated to England from Cape Town, South Africa.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://305hiphop.com/miami-music-news/wrekonize-soiree-skeptics |title=Wrekonize – A Soiree For Skeptics |publisher=305hiphop.com |access-date=4 June 2013}}</ref> After moving to Miami, Florida, in 1988, Miller's parents had formed a local band together. They performed on occasion with MC Guru for his original ''Jazzmatazz'' album. At the age of 11, Wrekonize was introduced to Guru, who helped inspire him to make his own music.<ref name="allmusic1"/>

By the age of 13, Miller became involved in graffiti. Attempting to imitate the works of Miami graffiti artists Os Gêmeos, he spotted the term "Wrekonize" in Martha Cooper's Subway Art book.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kodakgirl.com/ |title=KodakGirl.com |publisher=KodakGirl.com |access-date=4 June 2013}}</ref> Admiring the graphic, Miller chose to adopt it as his stage name. Miller has stated that his stage name is intended to reflect the state of being "observant and always alert to the surroundings and the people in them".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://meddafore.blogspot.com/2010/06/let-em-know-wrekonize.html |title=Meddafore: Mr. Let 'em Know: Let 'Em Know: Wrekonize |publisher=Meddafore.blogspot.com |access-date=4 June 2013}}</ref>

== Musical career == In his early career, Wrekonize performed as a battle rapper. He competed in ''MTV Battle II: The Takeover in Times Square'' in 2003, beating ten other rappers to become the winner.<ref name="allmusic1">{{cite web|author=Artist Biography by David Jeffries |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/wrekonize-mn0000336727/biography |title=Wrekonize &#124; Biography |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=22 January 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/onair/mcbattle/2003/round_2_finalists/index.jhtml?name=wrekonize |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031202205048/http://www.mtv.com/onair/mcbattle/2003/round_2_finalists/index.jhtml?name=wrekonize |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 December 2003 |title=MTV Onair – Mcbattle – 2003 – Round 2 Finalists |publisher=MTV |date=9 March 2006 |access-date=4 June 2013}}</ref> Though Wrekonize was promised a record deal with Roc-A-Fella Records as a grand prize, it was reported several months later that Wrekonize had never been offered a contract.<ref name="allmusic1"/> Soon afterward, he signed to SouthBeat Records, where he released a mixtape titled ''The Waiting Room''.<ref name="allmusic1"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zimbio.com/Lil+Wayne/articles/kZW--ssURm-/RELEASE+Wrekonize+MAYDAY+Soiree+Skeptics |title=RELEASE: Wrekonize (from ¡MAYDAY!) A Soiree For Skeptics – Lil Wayne |publisher=Zimbio |date=3 September 2010 |access-date=4 June 2013}}</ref> ''The Waiting Room'' was planned to be the first mixtape to a three-part series he planned to release through Southbeat Records. With the subsequent fall of the label, the album had minimal publicity on its release, but it later resurfaced on the underground hip hop database DatPiff as an album of the week. After the online success of the first album, Wrekonize self-produced a second installment called ''Elevator Music''. During this period, Wrekonize also collaborated with ¡Mayday!, a Miami-based hip hop band and fellow SouthBeat Records signee.<ref name="allmusic1"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reverbnation.com/maydaymusic |title=MAYDAY Music, Lyrics, Songs, and Videos |publisher=Reverbnation.com |date=6 April 2013 |access-date=4 June 2013}}</ref>

Eventually, ¡Mayday! offered Wrekonize full-time membership in the band as a vocalist. In 2010, Wrekonize released ''Stuck on an Island'', his first album with ¡Mayday!, as well as a solo album called ''A Soiree For Skeptics''.<ref name="allmusic1"/> After ¡Mayday! signed with Strange Music in 2011, the band released the ''Take Me To Your Leader'' album, the ''Thrift Store Halos'' EP, and the ''Smash & Grab'' mixtape in 2012; Wrekonize also completed the ''Waiting Room'' mixtape trilogy that year by releasing the ''Rooftops Mixtape''.<ref name="allmusic1"/> Wrekonize remained signed to Strange Music until 2022; during this period, he released three solo albums and participated on five additional ¡Mayday! albums through the label as well as a collaboration album with rapper MURS titled ¡MURSDAY! Wrekonize has also produced various freestyles via numerous blogs and web sites.<ref name="hiphopdx1">{{cite web|last=Smith |first=Bruce |url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/album-reviews/id.2101/title.wrekonize-mayday-the-war-within |title=Wrekonize [Mayday&#93; – The War Within &#124; Read Hip Hop Reviews, Rap Reviews & Hip Hop Album Reviews |publisher=HipHop DX |date=25 June 2013 |access-date=22 January 2014}}</ref>

== Discography == === Studio albums === {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+ List of albums, with selected chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:23em;" | Album details ! scope="col" colspan="3" | Peak chart positions{{Citation needed|date=March 2017}} |- ! scope="col" style="width:3.3em;font-size:90%;" | US ! scope="col" style="width:3.3em;font-size:90%;" | US R&B ! scope="col" style="width:3.3em;font-size:90%;" | US Rap |- ! scope="row" | ''A Soiree For Skeptics''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/a-soiree-for-skeptics/id390116234 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130818145809/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/a-soiree-for-skeptics/id390116234 |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 August 2013 |title=iTunes Music – A Soiree For Skeptics by Wrekonize |publisher=iTunes Store |date=30 August 2010 |access-date=22 June 2013}}</ref> | * Released: 30 August 2010 * Label: Baggins Family Produce * Format: CD, digital download | – || — || — |- ! scope="row" | ''The War Within''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-war-within-deluxe-edition/651639594 |title=iTunes Music – The War Within (Deluxe Edition) by Wrekonize |publisher=iTunes Store |access-date=22 June 2013}}</ref> | * Released: 25 June 2013 * Label: Strange Music * Format: CD, digital download | 88 || 27 || 5 |- ! scope="row" | ''Into the Further''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/into-the-further/1225492941 |title=iTunes Music – Into the Further by Wrekonize |publisher=iTunes Store |date=1 May 2017 |access-date=1 May 2017}}</ref> | * Released: 5 May 2017 * Label: Strange Music * Format: CD, digital download | – || — || — |- ! scope="row" | ''Pressure Point''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/pressure-point/1536520422 |title=iTunes Music – Pressure Point by Wrekonize |publisher=iTunes Store |date=6 November 2020 |access-date=6 November 2020}}</ref> | * Released: 6 November 2020 * Label: Strange Music * Format: CD, digital download | – || — || — |} "—" denotes a title that did not chart, or was not released in that territory.

=== Collaboration albums === {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+ List of albums, with selected chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:23em;" | Album details ! scope="col" colspan="4" | Peak chart positions{{Citation needed|date=March 2017}} |- ! scope="col" style="width:2.2em;font-size:90%;" | US ! scope="col" style="width:2.2em;font-size:90%;" | US R&B ! scope="col" style="width:2.2em;font-size:90%;" | US Rap |- ! scope="row" | ''Stuck on an Island''<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(with ¡Mayday!)</span> | * Released: 12 October 2010 * Label: Mayday Music * Format: CD, Digital download | – || — || — |- ! scope="row" | ''Take Me to Your Leader''<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(with ¡Mayday!)</span> | * Released: 26 March 2012 * Label: Strange Music * Format: CD, Digital download | 86 || 18 || 15 |- ! scope="row" | ''Believers''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.strangemusicinc.com/2013/02/strange-music-promises-monumental-2013/ |title=Strange Music, Inc |publisher=Blog.strangemusicinc.com |access-date=22 June 2013}}</ref><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(with ¡Mayday!)</span> | * Released: 16 July 2013 * Label: Strange Music * Format: CD, Digital download | 75 || 19 || 11 |- ! scope="row" | ''¡MursDay!''<ref>{{cite web|author=Emmanuel C.M. |url=http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2014/04/murs-maydays-joint-album-coming-june/ |title=MURS And ¡Mayday!'s Joint Album Is Coming Out in June – XXL |publisher=Xxlmag.com |date=16 April 2014 |access-date=2 September 2015}}</ref><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(with ¡Mayday! & Murs)</span> | * Released: 10 June 2014 * Label: Strange Music * Format: CD, Digital download | 45 || – || 4 |- ! scope="row" | ''Future Vintage''<ref>{{cite web|author=Emmanuel C.M. |title=Future Vintage by ¡MAYDAY! |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/future-vintage/1020311471|via=Apple Music }}</ref><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(with ¡Mayday!)</span> | * Released: 18 September 2015 * Label: Strange Music * Format: CD, Digital download | 112 || 9 || 8 |- ! scope="row" | ''Search Party'' <br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(with ¡Mayday!)</span> | * Released: September 8, 2017 * Label: Strange Music * Format: CD, Digital download | — || — || — |- ! scope="row" | ''South of 5th'' <br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(with ¡Mayday!)</span> | * Released: September 7, 2018 * Label: Strange Music * Format: CD, Digital download | — || — || — |- ! scope="row" | ''Minute to Midnight'' <br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(with ¡Mayday!)</span> | * Released: March 19, 2021 *Label: Strange Music * Format: CD, Digital download | — || — || — |- ! scope="row" | ''Justus'' <br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(with ¡Mayday!)</span> | * Released: March 18, 2025 *Label: Mayday Music * Format: CD, Digital download | — || — || — |- | colspan="14" style="font-size:90%" | "—" denotes a title that did not chart, or was not released in that territory. |}

== References == {{Reflist|30em}}

{{¡Mayday!}} {{Authority control}}

Category:1983 births Category:American male rappers Category:Hip-hop activists Category:Living people Category:Rappers from Miami Category:21st-century American rappers Category:21st-century American male musicians