Full Bio

Emerging from the vibrancy of West London, Karl Benjamin, a musical prodigy whose journey encapsulates that of a rising star, is showing no signs of stopping. As the years unfolded throughout Karl’s childhood so did his infatuation for music and fashion. Before long, Karl’s ability to seamlessly blend soulful melodies and captivate audiences saw the release of his debut EP D.R.I.S.T in 2021 to accolades from industry and critics alike. The project, featuring the standout track Moon, garnered millions of streams, solidifying Karl's upward trajectory and heralding a new era for the luminary. Now, with multiple accolades to his name and his follow-up EP ‘There In 5’, Karl Benjamin has arrived. The most thrilling aspect? He’s just getting started.

Karl Benjamin’s immersion in sounds began early on with a childhood absorbed in eclecticism, influenced by everyone from Michael Jackson and Bob Marley to Daniel Beddingfield and Fall Out Boy. This diverse gathering of sounds carried through to Karl’s time in higher education whereby he began to spend more time in studio environments. Crafting sonics reaching into the worlds of Rock, R&B and Funk music, all the while developing a love for live performance, his musical endeavors saw Karl perform in and around the Brighton circuit.

As Karl honed in on his sound, he sculpted a slower, more sensual component to his work, bordering the lines of Alternative-R&B, leaning heavily on his personal experiences to channel maturity and experience through his lyricism. It was in 2019 when Karl’s refining of his sonic persona culminated in working closely with one of the UK’s most distinguished production talents, PRGRSHN, who's credited with works from Stormzy, Jacob Banks, Aya Nakamura and Wretch 32 amongst others. The pair began work on what would become Karl’s debut solo release ‘Apricot Sky’ towards the end of 2020, a contemporary infusion of gospel harmonies and soulful nuances well-received by his growing listeners.

The track would later make one-quarter of his debut project D.R.I.S.T (Deep Rooted Insecurities & Shy Tendencies) released in 2021. The 4-track EP, featuring the glistening soundscapes of breakout track ‘Moon’ to the contrasting vocals with deep rhythmic bass-lines of ‘Mortal’ received critical acclaim across the industry, championed by the likes of BBC 1Xtra’s Nadia Jae and DJ Ace and HCPod’s Chuckie Online. His rising star and success continued from this release as Sumer 2022 saw Karl support multi-platinum-selling artist Tinashe across multiple dates of the global superstar’s European tour.

Alongside his music, Karl’s fashionista tendencies and modeling have seen him collaborate with major global brands from Levi’s and Zara to Jerry Lorenzo’s Fear of God x ESSENTIALS campaign. All the while Karl has continued building upon his already exceptional musical resume having continued working relationships with Mahalia, James Vickery and more. His works resulted in Karl winning both Best R&B Act & Best Newcomer at the 19th Annual Urban Music Awards, 2023, in company with the likes of Raye, Cleo Soul, Chris Brown and Dave.

As Karl Benjamin stands at the precipice of a promising future, the most exciting part is realizing that he's only just beginning. His new EP, ‘There In 5’ is, in his own words “a conceptual voice

note to that person” which both documents and demonstrates his artistry and musical kaleidoscope through previously released tracks Signals, Celebrate and in addition to the EP’s other works. With an unwavering commitment to continuously evolve and a soul and personality to carry him through, Karl is ready to elevate his journey to the next level.

Short Excerpt

Emerging from the vibrancy of West London, Karl Benjamin, a musical prodigy whose journey encapsulates that of a rising star, is showing no signs of stopping. Karl’s ability to seamlessly blend soulful melodies and captivate audiences saw the release of his debut EP D.R.I.S.T in 2021 featuring the standout track Moon, garnering millions of streams championed by the likes of BBC 1Xtra’s Nadia Jae and DJ Ace and HCPod’s Chuckie Online. His rising star and success continued from this release as Sumer 2022 saw Karl support multi-platinum-selling artist Tinashe across multiple dates of the global superstar’s European tour. Alongside his music, Karl’s fashionista tendencies and modeling have seen him collaborate with major global brands from Levi’s and Zara to Jerry Lorenzo’s Fear of God x ESSENTIALS campaign. His works resulted in Karl winning both Best R&B Act & Best Newcomer at the 19th Annual Urban Music Awards, 2023, in company with the likes of Raye, Cleo Soul, Chris Brown and Dave. His new EP, ‘There In 5’ is, both documents and demonstrates his artistry and musical kaleidoscope through previously released tracks Signals, Celebrate and in addition to the EP’s other works. With an unwavering commitment to continuously evolve and a soul and personality to carry him through, Karl is ready to elevate his journey to the next level.