Northern Michigan is known for many things such as the beautiful scenery and lakes. But never for rap music. That could change in the near future with the efforts of one of its own.
Brandon Jenkins, a 2008 Benzie Central graduate, has been working very hard to see his longtime dream of being a professional musician become a reality.
Jenkins was destined to become a Native American teenager fallen victim to alcohol and drug abuse. No one in his family had ever graduated from high school. The odds were stacked against him. But then he discovered his passion. The twenty year old fell in love with rap at age 12 after being transfixed by Eminemʼs hit song, “My Name Is.” When
most kids his age were busy playing video games or hanging out with their friends, Jenkins was writing song verses and turning them into raps.
Three years later, Jenkins met independent rapper/producer Astray and began traveling to Saginaw every weekend to work in Astrayʼs studio.
10 months later Jenkins released his first single, “Do It Like Me,” as a sophomore in high school. Newly introduced as “B. Jenkins,” his first album followed two months later. Titled “Right Where I Want To Be,” it sold over 2,000 copies statewide and launched him into local stardom.
Soon Jenkins was performing at the nightclub Streeters in Traverse City, MI. His mom accompanied him and watched from the audience since Jenkins was underage at 17 years old. His success in multiple local hip-hop contests gave him the chance to perform with artists such as The Ying-Yang Twins, Bizarre, MC Breed and Paul Wall.
As a senior year in high school, Jenkins knew he had to focus on his music career full-time. He graduated a semester early with a “B” average and" never looked back.
For the next two years he worked hard writing, recording and selling his brand. Traveling 47,000 miles in 18 months, Jenkins was able to increase his popularity prior to releasing his second album, “Talk of My City.” The albumʼs hit single, “Make a Flick,” debuted on Sirius XM Radio and made a successful run on several Top 40 Michigan radio stations. “Talk of My City” featured songs targeting Jenkinsʼ female fans, changing the demographic of
his audiences enough to lead to the production of another album.
Currently he is working on promoting his new single "We Like Girls That Like To Party", Touring in partnership with the retailer Hot Topic, and auditioning for roles on Tv & Film.
