B3 is a new artist whose real name is Brandon Benjamin Benavides as his stage name is based off of his initials. He was born and raised in Bakersfield, California and he bounces back and forth from Burbank to Bakersfield. He describes his image as “simply me” as considers himself a very basic and not an “over the top” character. When interviewed, he confidently claimed to be a “god fearing man who can rap his ass off.” B3 has experience writing music for other artists and his musical inspiration comes from his family. His mom and aunts sang, Uncle played the guitar and drums, dad rapped, and his great grandfather played the harmonica, so he feels that music has always been in his blood. He describes his genre as rap and hip hop style with a little bit of R&B.
When asked who B3 would collab with out of any artist in the industry, he claimed that while he thinks most people would say Drake for the fact that a feature with him could get them on the map, he has always wanted to do a feature with either Chris Brown for radio play, Future because he’s “got the streets behind him,” or Lil Wayne for competitive reasons. His career goals are to continue promoting his album released in February as he put his all into it and spent significant time and energy in the promo. His desires and goals include “just being the best” he can be as an artist and “only getting better with hard work and dedication.” His biggest motivation is himself, his city, his family, and the haters.
One of B3’s favorite highlights in the industry was when he got the chance to learn from Eric Bellinger and Rauziel who both taught him a lot about how to think outside the box while writing music. They encouraged him to do things out of the norm, find different cadences in rhythms, and shamelessly be himself. This was a learning experience for him during a dire time of him needing that advice. B3 prides himself on having a unique and distinct voice, not sounding like anyone else.
When addressing the road to get to where B3 is now in his career, he expressed that every artist has their own story and his was full of obstacles, trials, tribulation, and countless nights in the studio giving his all to a beat rapping every bar like it was his last. He works hard to make sure every song is memorable, whether it be the hook, a bridge, or a certain punchline that makes the listener go crazy and want to continue listening. The catchiness and urge to keep listening to his songs is what counts for him. Apart from other artists, B3 claims that there is no advice he wishes he knew prior to entering the music industry as that’s what makes his journey unique.
B3 feels that his way of contributing to his community is that he hasn’t contributed because of course he wants to truly contribute, but he feels that his life consists of music and that takes his full time. He hasn’t gotten the chance to do the things he’d like to in his community as he is a dad, husband, and has a time consuming job. However, he strives to make a difference in his community one day when he can put his full time and effort into it. When asked what motto or quote he lives by, he shared that it’s not a motto or quote, but rather a scripture – Galatians chapter 5 verse 22.
B3 sees himself signed to a respectable label within the next five years and being the best artist he can possibly be. When B3 is not in the studio or working, he enjoys just being a dad and husband. As far as his intentions to be independent or be signed to a label, he claims that he is independent as of now, but he has a deal on the table with Universal in which he is unsure of yet. Overall, he writes his own music and is “cool” with Eric Bellinger’s production team, so they still produce beats for him.
As of now, B3 has 3 single albums, 1 collaboration album, and 4 mixtapes, in which he values all of them as his “babies” so he does not have a particular favorite. What he enjoys most about being an artist is being able to make a thought come to life, which in his words is a “mind blowing” and “incredible” experience.
B3 wants people to listen to his music because not only is it well mixed, well mastered, and well put together, but he also has relatable subjects and matters that can either help people get through their struggles or serve as a stress reliever. While he wants his music to empower and help others, at the end of the day, he does it for himself.
The advice B3 gives to anyone wanting to follow his footsteps is to undeniably be themselves and listen to the haters, letting them be the biggest motivation to prove them wrong. He wants his fans to know that he thanks them for rocking with him and he hopes to never let them down.
Check him out and find his socials below:
Instagram: @b3astof661
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@b3astof661?si=5xoXthS6CGbIYj6VOther: https://b3official.com/
Other: https://b3official.com/
