Jamila “Benny” Bentley: The St. Louis Transplant Uniting Phoenix’s Music Scene and Celebrating Black Heritage

Rap and hip-hop have historically been an outlet for artists – particularly artists of color – to speak their truth, criticize their society, and amplify their message, and Benny’s music and collaborations are no different. Originally from St. Louis, MO, Jamila Bentley – a.k.a Benny – has turned her love for writing and photography into a conduit for Black pride and inclusivity in the Valley.

Teeming with fellow Black Arizona talent and nods to the Black Panthers, Benny’s Instagram feed is a celebration of culture, community, and connections, not only the very things that inspire her art, but also the birthplace of her Phoenix music career.

“I hopped on Instagram,” she says. “I had no idea how it worked. I just remember typing in ‘Phoenix music scene’ and the first person to pop up was Vavrix Owens.”

It’s unlikely Benny could’ve predicted that one short Instagram DM would lead to the found family and opportunities she now attributes to her success. Her connection with Vavrix has led to “a million different connections”, the two eventually founding Phoenix Psypher together in 2024, an idea that “almost just fell into place on its own.”

Phoenix Psypher combines the team’s love for traditionalist hip-hop with lyricism, the creative spelling an ode to the psychological aspects of rapping. The group focuses on unity and positive change, “inviting artists of all genres to... showcase their musicianship, singing and rapping skills on a chosen beat.” The performances are recorded and released on Instagram, the videos serving as testimony of the uplifting and inclusive community Phoenix Psypher is creating. The first episode, released in September 2024, was Benny’s debut as a rapper, her fellow rappers giving her verse the love she didn’t know it deserved. Phoenix Psypher has since released several more episodes with more than 15 filmed and ready to be shared, the group’s positive impact only getting started.

Don’t be fooled by Benny’s fisherman’s cap and Birkenstocks. In her two and a half years of rapping, she has solidified a brand oozing with activism, empathy, and vulnerability, her verses “a little radical” but always with good intentions. Her flow is unapologetic and passionately outspoken, peppering in the occasional nod to Kendrick Lamar while maintaining her larger message of “love for everybody”. With this message in mind, her lyrics become a conversation between her and little Black girls around the world, her songs personifying into a role model for her younger self.

“I want to empower her and make her feel like it’s okay to be vulnerable, it’s okay to be you in every regard,” she says, a reminder of the immense intention that shines in her music.

Music, as with many artists, has always been a large part of Benny’s identity, and with that comes a responsibility to honor that identity in your music, especially when society and political differences attempt to threaten it.

“I think bringing awareness to [issues], especially in a time where things are trying to be covered up, [is important],” she says. “I won’t act like I’m not Black and that there aren’t issues I face every day just being Black in America. I feel like it’s my responsibility to speak about it because my family, my ancestors, my people spoke to me about it,” she continues. “My people are resilient people and I’m just so proud of that. I’m so proud of my history and my heritage, and I feel pride when I speak about it.”

Benny plans to continue to celebrate her heritage and pride in her upcoming project, a remix centering on Black empowerment and a tribute to African American men. There’s no doubt that her presence in the Phoenix music scene will continue to be noticed, her future bright and abundant and her positivity never wavering.