Spragga Benz – real name Carlton Errington Grant, born on May 30, 1969, in Kingston, Jamaica, is a dancehall musician. He began his career around 1991. His friends nicknamed him “Spaghetti” due to his tall and slim physique, which was later shortened to “Spragga.” He worked for L.A. Benz, incorporating “Benz” into his name from the sound system. During a Dubplate recording session with Buju Banton, Spragga’s talent became evident. Buju Banton, having recorded only two of four tracks given for L.A. Benz, suggested Spragga voice the remaining two. Though new to recording, Spragga improvised a few lines, resulting in the popular track “Love Mi Gun.”
His talent attracted many producers, including Winston Riley, who produced “Could a Deal,” and Steely & Clevie, who produced “Girls Hooray.” The success of his debut album, Jack It Up, with its many popular singles, led to a deal with Capitol Records. In 1995, Capitol released his second album, Uncommonly Smooth. However, disappointed with the album’s sales, Capitol dropped Spragga, who continued releasing singles in Jamaica, including a collaboration with Wyclef Jean. In 1999, he released a ‘clash’ album with Beenie Man, Two Badd DJs, featuring the hit single “She Nuh Ready Yet,” which also appeared on his third album, Fully Loaded, released in 2000. This album was co-produced by house music legend Todd Terry.
Spragga made his film debut in Brooklyn Babylon in 2000 and landed a leading role in Shottas in 2001. He released his fourth album, Thug Nature, in 2002 and, aiming to break into the US market, recorded some duets in 2003. In 2007, he co-hosted the Urban Music Awards in New York with Foxy Brown. He received three nominations for the Caribbean Urban Music Awards in Jamaica in 2008. His album Chiliagon topped the Billboard Reggae Albums chart in 2019.
