Growing up in Wicker Park, Chicago, Marc Boyd, professionally known as Benda World, was surrounded by music. His father is a musician whose band often practiced in their family apartment. This solid music foundation that he experienced at a young age, enhanced his appreciation for music. In middle school, Benda World performed a dance solo at a music concert, which garnered a lot of attention from the audience, especially the girls who went crazy over his performance. This experience made him realize he had something special to share.
Photographed by Blue Franswa
Benda World’s first time working with Kanye West musically was in 2000. The introduction was initiated by Burundi Partlow, who was Benda World’s business manager. He and West lost touch until 2017. When they reconnected, West provided him with a direct contact to his label, G.O.O.D Music. In 2018, Benda World received a call that West was returning to Chicago. Eager to pitch his ideas, Benda World met West in his studio. He expressed to West that he’s focused on songwriting and doing business. During their listening session, West was highly impressed with Benda World’s ideas.
Benda World admired rapper Twista’s unique and fast delivery. As a teen, he worked as a car detailer and Twista was one of his regular customers. Benda World was blown away when Twista played “Is This the End” with Puff Daddy at the car wash. Although Benda World’s label, Legit Ballin Records and Twista had issues with each other, he clarifies that Twista personally had no problems with him. Despite the tension, Benda World and his team secured a deal with KOCH Entertainment. He wishes the issues could have been resolved, but remained focused on his career.
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Benda World and CeCe Peniston are friends and she’s collaborated with Benda World LLC on several projects. In their conversations, Peniston expressed her frustration with how her song “Finally” was being continuously sampled without proper compensation. Benda World, as the son of a musician, immediately recognized the similarities between “Finally” and Lizzo’s “Juice” and created a comparison video highlighting the identical melodies in the ad-libs.
He sent the video to Peniston, who then posted it on her Instagram page. The video quickly went viral, and people finally understood the similarities between the two songs. Benda World felt a sense of satisfaction as a content creator for being able to help a legend like Peniston, who had not been adequately compensated for her work. The experience reinforced his passion for ensuring that artists receive the recognition and compensation they deserve.
Benda World has been actively involved in various projects. One of his most recent projects was “The Murder Inc Story,” Q&A, where he co-hosted along with Chris Gotti on Instagram Live. The show aimed to shed light on the history and legacy of the record label Murder Inc. Benda World’s passion for giving back to the community also led him to serve as a keynote speaker for Job Corps. In this role, he introduced creative ways to increase school enrollment among the youth, which aligned with his desire to help and inspire young people.
Benda World’s deep understanding of branding and business has enabled him to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry. He plans to share his knowledge with others through his upcoming masterclass, focusing on marketing, networking, and other related topics. Benda World hopes to empower and inspire others to succeed in their respective fields through these endeavors.
