| Bennu Byrd | |
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 | |
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Origin |
Washington, D.C., USA |
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Genre |
Hip hop, go-go, Conscious hip hop, Underground hip hop, EDM, urban R&B, contemporary R&B, alternative R&B |
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Occupation |
Rapper, lyricist |
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Years active |
2013 - present |
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Label |
none |
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Associated acts |
Onrae` Lateal, Wifty Bangura, Jaydee Polo, The Black Swan Academy, DJ Heat, Elbie Smoov, Lesa Campbell, Entaty Music, Dior Ashley Brown, Rotem Sivem Guitar, 4th Quarter Collective, Fred, John Anthony Pollard, Tamika Love Jones, The Misfits |
Bennu Byrd (born in Washington, D.C., USA) is an American rap recording artist and lyricist. Her name is sometimes spelled as "Bennu Bird", which is her stage name. The "Bird" part of it is a reference to the legendary, mystical bird, the phoenix, which like every time the phoenix fell, it rose from the ashes and always came back. This analogy became the inspiration for her stage name as she found that relatable. Growing up, Byrd immersed herself in music, listening to various R&B and soul acts, and that included those in her local music scene. Her parents saw the interest she took and they introduced her to modern music to help her get a better understanding of how it came to be, which helped shape her sound. As much as she loved music, that wasn't her priority, as in high school, her first love was basketball and she only considered music to be a hobby originally. However, it wasn't until she attended college, Clark Atlanta University, the city's history and culture gave her the drive to become more involved in the arts. A friend encouraged her to show off her rapping skills publicly, her urge to write was ignited, and with her peers' support, she entered the rap industry. Following her graduation, she partook in various performance events at an artist community, D.C.'s Mousai House, and continued to display her rhyming skills at other venues as well. Around this time when she was coming up as a performer, she also took part in after-school programs with DC youth, as she is a natural leader who believes it's her duty and responsibility to be a positive influence to impact the next generation.
Byrd describes her sound as "millennial soul", as it refers to taking the sounds and styles of the past and bringing them to the present to create something new. Her brand of hip-hop combines with Washington's go-go music as well as EDM and modern R&B. The songs range from those that are thought-provoking to club bangers. An independent artist, she self-released her debut album, Incarnation, on March 25, 2017. That same year, she collaborated with Onrae` Lateal, Wifty Bangura, Jaydee Polo, and The Black Swan Academy on the single, "Miss Mary Mack". In between albums, she joined the group, 4th Quarter Collective. Her EP, Featuring The Bennu Byrd, which contains her verses in songs by 4th Quarter Collective, was released on January 5, 2021. Her second LP, In Rare Form, appeared on March 30, 2023. Her latest single, "Fearless", featuring DJ Heat, was used as the anthem for her city's basketball team, The Washington Mystics.
Discography[]
EPs[]
2021: Featuring The Bennu Byrd
Albums[]
- 2017: Incarnation
- 2023: In Rare Form