You can now catch The Cipher at www.thehiphopcipher.com!

Benzino

When it comes to raising champions, Boston is the patriarch of them all. Fathering such winners as the Celtics and The New England Patriots, Beantown prodigy Ray Benzino has been holding its reigns in hip-hop for over 15 years and is set to repeat with his second solo endeavor, aptly titled Redemption, on Elektra Records.

Originally breaking stride back in 1991 with the highly respected Roxbury group Almighty RSO, Benzino has endured a tumultuous ride on his rise to becoming one of hip-hop's lyrical elite. This time out he silences the competition and the critics with a heartfelt opus for the streets.

"With Redemption, it's a whole new beginning," explains Benzino. "Life's been a roller-coaster ride and to start riding smooth again feels good... So I don't want to dwell on anything that someone may perceive as negative about me. I'm basically putting all the old bullshit behind me and moving on to a whole new chapter."

While last year's monster smash "Boottee" from the critically acclaimed The Benzino Project (Surrender Records) proved that Boston OGs boogie too, Redemption showcases Benzino's all-around growth as an MC. He delivers inspirational messages mixed with his gangsta braggadocio and party driven anthems, and doubles up his winning formula of merging the streets with the clubs on the Mario Winans-produced single, "Rock The Party."

However, making the transition from the streets to the clubs wasn't a completely orchestrated plan. "I didn't really try to have any kind of format going into it," reflects Benzino. "I'm used to making street albums straight for the hood. I had to really figure out how to walk that fine line of making a club banging joint and still hold my credibility in the streets."

Benzino also went straight for the hearts of the ladies with the thug ballad "I Remember," which he dedicates to all the shorties standing by their man. He also takes a Bonnie & Clyde expedition with model/actor Lisaraye lyrically riding shotgun on the cut "Would U". Benzino, who rarely drops his guard, offers, "You gotta be conscious of the females because they hold us down. Those two songs right there are testimonials of what I've been through with relationships."

Despite his newfound knack for making the hotties dance, Benzino represents the streets first and foremost. His songwriting reaches the level of thought-provoking lyricists such as Nas and Tupac on tracks like the metaphor heavy "Different Kind Of Lady" and especially "Makes You Wanna Holla," which addresses the plight of the young, Black man in America. "Poverty, police brutality, being caught in the system... I'm so fed up with how we can't get no respect," Benzino explains. "Even when we have money we're still getting knocked down."

Benzino further solidifies his rep on the streets with "Love" and "Staying Forever" and drops some classic collabos with Scarface, Jadakiss, Lil' Kim and Petey Pablo. He even makes sure the dynasty continues as he passes some fatherly advice on to his son and trades verses with his lil' Ray Ray on the cut "Still Shining."

Raised in the Four Corners neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, Benzino's formative years were spent in the Academy Homes projects. His father taught him the importance of loyalty, while his mother taught him love.

As part of the seminal Boston rap group Almighty RSO with DJ Jeff 2X, Tony Rhome, and Antonio 2G, Benzino released a single, "One In Tha Chamba" on Tommy Boy records. Their first full-length release Revenge Of Da Badd Boyz came in 1994 followed by Doomsday: Forever RSO in 1996.

RSO later revamped in 1999 and released the critically acclaimed Classic Limited Edition as Made Men. Benzino also formed the production team Hangmen 3 with DJ Jeff 2X and Johnny Bananas, creating soundscapes for such artists as Nas, Cormega and The Outlawz. Hangmen 3 also released an album No Skits, Vol 1, which showcased some of Beantown's finest on the mic.

And so the saga continues. With Redemption, Benzino hopes to bring light to the long overlooked Boston hip-hop scene. "This is my job," he says earnestly. "It's what I do. My life. My culture. And I'm about redeeming it."