Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Benjamin Kath. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Benjamin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?

When I first got into the lofi/chillhop scene, I got a lot of repetitive feedback like “too upbeat” or “not enough noise” because I came from a foundation of west coast hip hop and being an MC for 6+ years. It was frustrating and I struggled with it for months over months trying to get a sound that was me but also fit on these beat tapes and compilation releases I was submitting to. I even had a period where I tried to make super chill tracks to fit in more and guess what? It didn’t work; it bored me and I learned a very simple lesson to just be yourself. It paid off in the long run.

And low and behold, about a year and a half later after making the switch, I’ve released with many renowned labels in the industry, and have gotten playlisted all around the world with my biggest releases.

Benjamin, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I started listening to hip hop in high school with my friends at the time; we had Eminem and Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg on repeat all day, and had lyrics memorized and everything. I bopped to the beats and easily recalled when they dropped or when there was going to be a build up or stop in the beat. I started to realize I wanted to try and make rap beats when Atmosphere got big in Minnesota and I fell in love with how unique their sound was. It had that coastal flavor of the tracks I had grown to love, but with a modern and emotional twist and I was hooked.

Soon after I had GarageBand pulled up on my new Apple laptop, and produced an EP with my friend about skateboarding and getting girls. We thought we were going to be famous..little did we know how much work that would be. That summer we graduated and split ways, and when I went to St. Cloud for a tech degree, I kept the hobby alive by experimenting with my own tracks and writing solo verses over them. I performed as a joke in a couple college classes, but couldn’t help but notice how much the class and teachers always loved the enthusiasm I had while presenting. One thing led to another and I was playing shows downtown and entering talent shows at the college.

I had a blast with this newfound persona, being able to come out of my pretty reserved shell – and be a new person on stage, who was charismatic and unpredictable. I play keys as well, so I would rap over beats I’d created, and play keys during breakdowns and jump off of speakers – I felt like a real rock star to say the least.

As time went on, I graduated St. Cloud State with a marketing degree, not really knowing how I’d connect it to music, and ended up moving to the cities with some friends to scope out jobs that I might be able to find there. I met my wife the first year I was there and we’ve been married for 6 years last March.

I released some more rap projects here, before finally moving to what I do as my secondary form of income: producing instrumental chillhop music.

I started making chiller music not just because my life was changing, but because I wanted to see how I could challenge myself musically without the band-aid of lyrics always making things interesting, I’ve grown so much more over the last two years doing instrumental music than the entire 6 years I was in college performing live. I spend 100% of the time on the musical elements, rather than a great chunk of investment on lyrics. Not only that, but landing on the biggest study beat playlists on Spotify and Apple Music has really helped create a great stream of success for my name in the genre. I now give new peers feedback and help my colleagues become even more successful in the business, helping others with the expertise I’ve gathered along the way.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

What I’ve learned to love lately is the impact I can see I have on my peers and my listeners. I’ve had repeated messages about how my music has either inspired an artist to be better, or a listener to relax and enjoy life. I’ve always wanted my music to evoke a feeling of positivity and warmth, and I’ve been acknowledged on libraries like “Sunny Beats” and “Feel Good Beats” on Spotify, helping me realize further, my yearning to create a fun and inviting space in my music.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

You can SUPPORT your network. More often than not, it’s easy to ignore a link, that sometimes even a good friend sent you, because, guess what, it takes effort to give someone your time. But when you take the time to give someone feedback or check out what they’ve created, you’re allowing them to gain the confidence they need – some people require that boost, and if it’s someone you care about, then you better be acknowledging their artwork. That doesn’t mean lying and saying everything you’re seeing/hearing/tasting is good, but that’s an entirely different conversation (until next time…)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://open.spotify.com/artist/58flJQprTkM8cMJwnQ6aIi?si=JIPd6e3iR1G_t-DjF3l9fQ
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben.jammin.beats/?hl=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSdAyc57pgOXPwTCoT-kSLA
• Other: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/ben-jammin-beats/1513120067