Stanley Bernard Benton (born July 24, 1978), better known as Stat Quo, is an American
rapper
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
and
record producer
A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...
.
[Shaheem Reid (January 12, 2004).]
Mixtape Mondays: Stat Quo
" '' MTV''. Accessed February 5, 2008. Benton worked his way to college and attended
University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
, where he majored in economics and international business in 2000.
He was contemplating law school, until veteran Southern rapper
Scarface encouraged him to rap professionally. In February 2003, Stat Quo released his first installment of the ''Underground Atlanta Mixtapes'' and caught the attention of
Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Interscope Records.
Current acts include Dr. Dre himself, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, ...
associate
Mel-Man
Melvin Charles Bradford, professionally known as Mel-Man, is an American West Coast hip hop record producer and songwriter from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Signed with Aftermath Entertainment, he is best known for his work with Dr. Dre, producing ...
. When Stat Quo was in L.A. performing at Encore, Mel-Man invited him to
Record One
Record One is a recording studio complex in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Originally founded in 1979, the studio has been the site of numerous commercially successful and award-winning recordings. Since 2015, Record O ...
Studios where he met
Dr. Dre. That night at Record One, Stat Quo recorded the song "The Future" with Dr. Dre and released it on the second volume of his ''Underground Atlanta'' mixtape in 2004. The tape made its way by a different route to
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINÆŽM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...
and led to Stat Quo's record deal with
Shady Records
Shady Records is an American record label founded by rapper Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg, after the highly successful release of Eminem's '' The Slim Shady LP'' (1999).
Shady has seen negative times when being part of the unsuccessful ...
and
Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Interscope Records.
Current acts include Dr. Dre himself, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, ...
. Stat Quo is currently managing
Lil Xan and Young Aspect.
After
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...
, Stat Quo was the second and only other artist to date signed to both Shady Records and Aftermath Entertainment; he became Dr. Dre and Eminem's newest protégé.
[Admin for Aftermath Blog (October 26, 2008)]
" ''Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Interscope Records.
Current acts include Dr. Dre himself, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, ...
''. Accessed February 2011. Stat Quo was supposed to release his debut album, ''
Statlanta
''Statlanta'' is the debut studio album by Atlanta rapper Stat Quo. First recorded and set to be released in 2003, under Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records with mentors Eminem and Dr. Dre as executive producers, it wa ...
'', with Shady/Aftermath but, despite being made three different times, the album was never released by the labels.
[Admin for Modern Beats (May 6, 2010)]
" Accessed February 2011. ''Statlanta'' was finally released in 2010 by
Sha Money XL's label Dream Big Ventures. Stat Quo has continued his career in the entertainment industry by earning production and writing credits as well as release more studio albums and launching a record label called Blood Money Entertainment, with West Coast-based rapper
The Game
The Game or The Games may refer to:
Sports and games
* The Game (dice game) (German: ''Das Spiel''), a dice game designed by Reinhold Wittig
* The Game (mind game), a mind game, the objective of which is to avoid thinking about The Game itself
* ...
.
Early life
Stanley Benton was born in
Thomasville Heights
Thomasville Heights is a neighborhood in southeast Atlanta, Georgia.
References
Neighborhoods in Atlanta
{{Atlanta-stub ...
, a neighborhood of
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...
, at Grady Memorial Hospital. In his early life, he lived with his mother and grandmother. Benton started freestyle rapping at around the age of 12 with his cousin D. Later, his mother bought him a radio, and he would record himself rapping. In 1997, Benton started taking rap seriously, but continued with his education.
[Jay Casteel (August 5, 2003).]
Stat Quo: ATL Thoroughbreed
." ''BallerStatus.com''. Accessed February 5, 2008.
Career
2003–2007: Aftermath Entertainment
Stat Quo was discovered towards the end of 2003. Dr. Dre and Eminem individually learned of the
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...
-based rapper via his ''Underground Atlanta'' mixtapes. After Eminem heard his music, he gained interest and passed it on to Dr. Dre, and a joint deal was reached, resulting in Stat Quo becoming signed to both
Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Interscope Records.
Current acts include Dr. Dre himself, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, ...
and
Shady Records
Shady Records is an American record label founded by rapper Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg, after the highly successful release of Eminem's '' The Slim Shady LP'' (1999).
Shady has seen negative times when being part of the unsuccessful ...
.
[Matt Barone (December 2, 2004).]
Stat Quo: The Shady South (Interview)
" ''BallerStatus.com''. Accessed February 5, 2008.
His debut album ''
Statlanta
''Statlanta'' is the debut studio album by Atlanta rapper Stat Quo. First recorded and set to be released in 2003, under Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records with mentors Eminem and Dr. Dre as executive producers, it wa ...
'' was originally slated to be released in 2003, under
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mu ...
, but was repeatedly pushed back until finally being released independently in 2010, although heavily reworked and not the original Statlanta recorded under Shady/Aftermath, although
Dr. Dre was involved during the production as a supervisor. Stat Quo is also featured on
Young Buck
David Darnell Brown (born March 15, 1981), best known by his stage name Young Buck, is an American rapper. He heads his own record label, Cashville, and was a member of the former hip hop group G-Unit.
Early life
Brown was born in Nashville, Te ...
's ''
Straight Outta Cashville
''Straight Outta Cashville'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Young Buck, released on August 24, 2004 by G-Unit Records and Interscope Records.
Background
''Straight Outta Cashville'' title alludes to the N.W.A album, ''Straight O ...
'', Eminem's compilation album ''
Eminem Presents the Re-Up'' (on tracks "By My Side", Tryin' Ta Win", "Get Low", and on the bonus track "Billion Bucks"), and on the track "Spend Some Time" on Eminem's ''
Encore
An encore is an additional performance given by performers after the planned show has ended, usually in response to extended applause from the audience.Lalange Cochrane, in ''Oxford Companion to Music'', Alison Latham, ed., Oxford University Pr ...
''. Stat has also appeared on tracks with artists such as
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, entrepreneur, and DJ.
Early life
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin was born on September 23, 1972, the son of Tina (Mosley) and Michael ...
,
The Alchemist,
The Game
The Game or The Games may refer to:
Sports and games
* The Game (dice game) (German: ''Das Spiel''), a dice game designed by Reinhold Wittig
* The Game (mind game), a mind game, the objective of which is to avoid thinking about The Game itself
* ...
,
Disturbing tha Peace
Disturbing tha Peace Records (DTP) is an American record label founded by Ludacris, Jeff Dixon, and Chaka Zulu.
History
Beginnings
Disturbing tha Peace was founded in 1998 by Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges, manager Chaka Zulu, and Zulu's brother ...
, and
Chamillionaire
Hakeem Temidayo Seriki (born November 28, 1979), better known by his stage name Chamillionaire (), is an American rapper. He was the founder and an original member of The Color Changin' Click from 2001 until the group split in 2005. He began hi ...
. Stat Quo has said that his "number one goal is to bring a respect, and bring a voice to this whole southern movement around the world."
In 2005, Stat Quo shot a video for his single "Like Dat". The song was made to be a
buzz
Buzz may refer to:
People
*Buzz (nickname), a list of people
*J. Buzz Von Ornsteiner (born 1967; aka ''Dr. Buzz''), American forensic psychologist and journalist
Fictional characters
*Buzz, a character in the 1987 American comedy movie '' Reve ...
single, in order to help the artist become more exposed. The video was shot in Atlanta's Zone 3 near the Thomasville Heights projects where Stat Quo was raised and explained his reason for choosing the location in an interview, stating "It's the beginning of my career, so I wanted to start where I began life,
€¦Plus,
he city of Atlantais supposed to be tearing the projects down, so I wanted to showcase the area I grew up in and capture it before it was gone forever", it featured a cameo appearance by fellow
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...
rapper
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive.
Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...
.
He was featured on the summer 2005
Anger Management Tour, which also included Eminem,
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...
,
G-Unit
G-Unit (short for Guerilla Unit) was an American hip hop group formed by longtime friends and East Coast rappers 50 Cent, Tony Yayo, and Lloyd Banks. After amassing a string of self-released mixtapes in the early 2000s, the group released ...
,
Obie Trice,
D12, and others. On July 13, 2005, a tour bus carrying
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINÆŽM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...
's entourage for the summer's Anger Management tour swerved off the road and turned over. Stat Quo was taken to Independence Regional Health Center in
Independence, Missouri
Independence is the fifth-largest city in Missouri and the county seat of Jackson County. Independence is a satellite city of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the largest suburb on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metropolitan area. In 2020 ...
, where he was treated and released.
2008–2010: ''Statlanta''
In October 2008, he left
Shady Records
Shady Records is an American record label founded by rapper Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg, after the highly successful release of Eminem's '' The Slim Shady LP'' (1999).
Shady has seen negative times when being part of the unsuccessful ...
and
Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Interscope Records.
Current acts include Dr. Dre himself, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, ...
, unhappy with the release status of ''Statlanta''. On April 21, 2009, Stat Quo independently released ''Smokin Mirrors'', a street album, through
EMI. Stat Quo hoped to release the album in 2009, and promoted the album by releasing multiple mixtapes for free download in 2009, including ''Quo City'', ''Checks & Balance'', and ''The Invisible Man''. It ended up being released on July 13, 2010.
In 2009, with distribution from
The Orchard
The Orchard may refer to:
* The Orchard (company), American music and entertainment company
* The Orchard (band), Canadian country music duo
* ''The Orchard'' (Lizz Wright album), 2008
* ''The Orchard'' (Ra Ra Riot album), 2010
* The Orchard (t ...
, producer
Sha Money XL founded a new record label, Dream Big Ventures. Quickly upon its creation, Stat Quo was signed to the label. ''Statlanta'' was released on the label.
In March 2010, Stat Quo appeared in a
HP commercial alongside
Dr. Dre promoting HP Beats Audio Laptops, featuring a song taken from Dr. Dre's anticipated upcoming third studio album ''Detox'', in which Stat Quo has worked and provided songwriting.
2011–present: Songwriting, new label and ''ATLA''
In 2011, Stat Quo was cited at
Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment website as a signed songwriter to
Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Interscope Records.
Current acts include Dr. Dre himself, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, ...
. On July 23, 2012
Wiz Khalifa
Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006 and signed to Warner Records, Warner Bros ...
released a song titled "Far from Coach" as a promotional single from his second studio album ''
O.N.I.F.C.'', the track features former Aftermath Entertainment artists Stat Quo and
Game
A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (su ...
, although the song didn't make the cut in the album. The reunion formed a business partnership from both Stat Quo and Game. In late 2012, both rappers founded Rolex Records, which was later renamed to The Firm. Both artists will use the label to release new music and sign other artists. He also executive produced and appeared on a hidden skit in ''
Jesus Piece'', The Game's fifth studio album and last under
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mu ...
.
On September 9, 2013, Stat Quo released the first single "Michael" (a tribute to
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
,
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005. Nicknamed "Iron Mike" and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "The Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson is con ...
, &
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
) from his upcoming second studio album titled ''ATLA'', an acronym for "All This Life Allows", confirmed to appear as a bonus track. It was produced by
Tone Mason, who is the album's lead producer.
On October 8, 2013, rapper
Game
A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (su ...
released a mixtape titled ''
OKE: Operation Kill Everything'' to promote his upcoming studio album, the mixtape was released under The Firm, making it the first release of the label. The mixtape is executive produced by and features Stat Quo on the track "Compton".
On December 16, 2013, the second single from ''ATLA'' was released. The track is titled "Trillion" featuring
Dre from production duo
Cool & Dre and produced by Tone Mason, who also produced "Michael", the album's lead single. On December 17, 2013, Stat Quo released the long-awaited ''FUPM Is the Future'' with
Bobby Creekwater
Antoine Raimon Rogers, better known by his stage name Bobby Creekwater, is an American rapper from Atlanta who is a former member of Shady Records. under the acronym ''FUPM'' meaning "Fuck U Pay Me". The album was initially announced in December 2011 but it was shelved while both artists pursued other ventures. Bobby Creekwater finally announced the official release date on December 4, 2013. The first two singles for the album "Alright Alright" & "Blast Off" were released late 2011 and the final single was dropped on December 10, 2013, called "Old School New School".
On December 20, 2013, Stat Quo released the third single off ''ATLA'' entitled "OutKast". The single was produced by DeUno, and it is a tribute song to Atlanta rap group
OutKast. ''ATLA'' is set to be released in 2014. On January 6, 2014, Stat Quo released the fourth single off ''ATLA'' entitled "That's Life, Part 1". The single was produced by
Bink. With the release of this single, Stat Quo announced the official release date of ''ATLA'' as February 15, 2014, which was his son's birthday.
On January 1, 2022, Stat Quo Signed Dominican Jay to the Firm. A reality lyricist from Queens New York by way of Austin Texas.
Discography
* 2006: ''
Eminem Presents: The Re-Up''
(with Shady Records
Shady Records is an American record label founded by rapper Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg, after the highly successful release of Eminem's '' The Slim Shady LP'' (1999).
Shady has seen negative times when being part of the unsuccessful ...
)
* 2009: ''Smokin Mirrors''
* 2009: ''Great Depression''
* 2010: ''
Statlanta
''Statlanta'' is the debut studio album by Atlanta rapper Stat Quo. First recorded and set to be released in 2003, under Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records with mentors Eminem and Dr. Dre as executive producers, it wa ...
''
* 2013: ''FUPM Is the Future''
(with Bobby Creekwater
Antoine Raimon Rogers, better known by his stage name Bobby Creekwater, is an American rapper from Atlanta who is a former member of Shady Records. as FUPM)
* 2014: ''
ATLA: All This Life Allows, Vol. 1''
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quo, Stat
University of Florida alumni
African-American male rappers
Living people
Rappers from Atlanta
1978 births
Southern hip hop musicians
21st-century American rappers
21st-century American male musicians
21st-century African-American musicians
20th-century African-American people