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Photo of Benny Blanco 2018 Photo by Matt Adam

Top 10 Fun Facts about Benny Blanco

Benjamin Joseph Levin who is known professionally as Benny Blanco was 1988. He is an American record producer. Benny Blanco is the recipient of the 2013 Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is also a five-time BMI Songwriter of the Year award winner. And 2017 iHeartRadio Producer of the Year award winner.

Blanco, who is Jewish and a native of Northern Virginia, began producing hip-hop instrumentals in his bedroom and recording his own vocals on top of them. His first serious exposure to music came in 1994, when he was 6 years old with Nas’ which was  “The World Is Yours” and All-4-One’s “I Swear” on cassette tapes, which influenced his early productions.

He  has been  in the studio working with a number of diverse artists including Mikky Ekko, Ludacris, Sia, Maroon 5 and Jessie Ware and  have songs debut on several major album releases in 2013.  Blanco  who is also a frequent guest lecturer at New York University鈥檚 Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music and is involved with the Get Well Soon Tour, a charity Blanco started, designed to bring superstar musical performances to sick children in hospitals.

1. Blanco has contributed to the sale of over 500 million albums worldwide through his work with artists

He was mentored by songwriter and producer Dr. Luke, who signed Blanco to his production company Kasz Money Productions. While under his tutelage, Blanco had been  co-producing  and co-writing  a multitude of hit singles in the late 2000s and thereafter.

Blanco has contributed to the sale of over 500 million albums worldwide through his work with artists including Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, Halsey, Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Kesha, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Sia, The Weeknd, Avicii, Selena Gomez, Adam Lambert, Charlie Puth, Keith Urban, Tory Lanez, Wiz Khalifa, Kanye West, J Balvin, and Juice Wrld.

2. He took part in writing and producing Britney Spears’ “Circus”

An impromptu photo shoot with Benny Blanco in SoHo. photo by Deserae stage

In 2008, he took part in writing and producing Britney Spears’ “Circus” (with Dr. Luke, and Claude Kelly). The song reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on American pop radio and is her second best-selling digital song in the United States, having sold over 3.2 million downloads as of July 2016. On a global scale, “Circus” was one of the top 10 best selling songs of 2009 with 5.5 million digital copies sold that year across the world, according to the IFPI.

3. Benny has worked with Maroon 5 for their album ‘

In 2011, Blanco wrote and produced his first charting hits without Dr. Luke, among them Maroon 5’s “Moves Like Jagger”, Gym Class Heroes’ “Stereo Hearts” and 3OH!3’s “Don’t Trust Me”. The same year, Blanco went on to work on Maroon 5’s Platinum-selling album Overexposed and its lead single “Payphone” featuring Wiz Khalifa.

4. Benny Blanco became popular with his debut song ‘Eastside’

Photo of Benny Blanco 2018 Photo by Matt Adam

As a solo record producer and songwriter, Benny became popular with his debut song ‘Eastside’ which featured artists Halsey and Khalid. This song was a part of his album’ Friends Keep Secrets’ published by Interscope Records. It also had other songs that included of  ‘I Found You’ with fellow DJ Calvin Harris and ‘Better to Lie’ with Jesse and Swae Lee.

5. He has been involved in multiple Charity events

Benny Blanco has been involved in a number of charity events throughout his career. In 2010, he launched a tour which was  named ‘Get Well Soon’ that focuses on sick children who are in hospitals for chronic treatments.

The aim of the charity was to distract the children from their sickness by having musical superstars perform for them. In 2018, he was part of the #RocDaCourt celebrity basketball game that raised money for the young people of Southern Nevada.

6.Blanco has amassed 29 total number-one songs and has been recognized for his achievement

benny blanco in his studio photo by benjamin levin

In the years since, Blanco has  amassed a total number-one songs which are  recognized for his achievements. Most of the  artists including BTS, Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, The Weeknd, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Britney Spears, Lana Del Rey, Miguel, Halsey, and Camila Cabello.

7. Benny Blanco received the Hal David Starlight Award at the Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony

In 2013, Benny Blanco received the Hal David Starlight Award at the Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony, an award for young artists. (Previous recipients include Drake, John Legend, Taylor Swift, and Alicia Keys.) In his acceptance speech, he joked, 鈥淭hey picked the wrong person, I鈥檓 in a room with people I should probably be serving food to.鈥�

8.Blanco founded two imprint labels under Interscope

An impromptu photo shoot with Benny Blanco in SoHo. photo by Deserae stage

In 2014, Blanco founded two imprint labels under Interscope, Mad Love Records and Friends Keep Secrets. Some his  mad Love’s releases to date include the following artists. Most of  many of them having been initially signed to Blanco’s development imprint Friends Keep Secrets:

9. He  had teamed up with Baltimore rapper Spank Rock to release Spank Rock

In 2007, Blanco teamed up with Baltimore rapper Spank Rock to release Spank Rock and Benny Blanco Are…Bangers & Cash, a collaborative EP for both artists based on 2 Live Crew samples that caught the attention of many in the industry and sparked connections to future collaborators Amanda Blank and Santigold. The EP received acclaim from the likes of Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and more.

10. He has received several Awards and nominations

benny blanco in his studio photo by benjamin levin 

Benny has been the recipient of the 2013 Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He  has been also a five-time BMI Songwriter of the Year award winner. Including the 2017 iHeartRadio Producer of the Year award winner.

In early 2012, Blanco received the Songwriter of the Year Award at the BMI Pop Awards. It  has successfully solidified a firm presence on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with his genre-hopping work with Wiz Khalifa, Trey Songz, Marina and The Diamonds and many other artists.