TAWANDA CHARI
Basquiat, the latest body of work from Benefit Tanaka, is one of those "you need to sit with" albums. It’s not polished to comfort, nor is it trying to be. It’s tense, restless, and at times emotionally exhausting. And maybe that’s the point.
From the jump, there’s an unmistakable weight hanging over the project. The anger is loud, but beneath it sits the heavy undercurrent of grief. The passing of his girlfriend in August 2025 casts a long shadow across the album. It’s not handled delicately or dressed up in metaphor; instead, it bleeds into the music in its rawest form. Benefit isn’t necessarily searching for healing either. He sounds like someone documenting pain in real time, trying to make sense of something that doesn’t make sense.
Running parallel to the loss is a persistent chip on his shoulder. There’s a recurring question throughout the album: why hasn’t he been crowned yet? Why does it feel like he’s still waiting for recognition while others whom he clearly doesn’t rate as highly are placed ahead of him? That tension fuels some of the album’s most compelling moments, even when the argument itself feels shaky.
Because here’s the contradiction: Benefit Tanaka is not exactly overlooked. Being in “Album of the Year” conversations already places him in a rare tier. That’s not the profile of an artist operating in obscurity. So when he leans into the “underrated” narrative, it doesn’t always land as truth. It feels more like frustration than fact. And maybe that’s what it is. Not a measured take, but an emotional response.
That emotional impulse shows up again in his callouts, particularly towards hip-hop media personalities like Lady K. It’s a curious stance; wanting recognition, questioning the lack of cosigns, but at the same time pushing back against the very platforms that amplify artists. At one point, it almost feels like he’s torn between two positions: craving acknowledgment while convincing himself he doesn’t need it.
Being comfortable staying underground is a theme worth exploring. From his perspective, it is valid not to harbour aspirations of being mainstream, for that will diminish the fundamental genuinness of his craft. Not every artist is chasing mainstream validation. And that's okay. But, at the same time, Basquiat doesn’t sound like an album made by someone fully at peace with that decision. It sounds like someone caught in between. Aware of the industry mechanics (playlisting, media, co-signs), yet impatient with the process. He even admits as much on "Quick, I'm Running Out Of Patience". Still, these contradictions don’t weaken the album. If anything, they even humanize it.
Technically, this is Benefit Tanaka at his sharpest. The writing is tight. His cadence feels more controlled, more intentional. There’s a noticeable evolution in how he rides beats, and the production choices complement that growth well. The sonic palette feels very well curated. Features are used effectively too. Tidech’s appearance on “Underground ” stands out as one of the album’s high points. So much needed humour and charisma to balance the anger in most of the album.
What Basquiat ultimately becomes is a split canvas: one half painted in grief, the other in competitive fire. Sometimes the two blend seamlessly; other times they clash. But even in its messiness, there’s clarity in intent. This is Benefit Tanaka processing loss, ego, ambition, and expectation all at once. It may not be an easy listen. It’s not supposed to be. But as a body of work? This feels like his most complete. And arguably, his best.
Album Rating - 7.6/10
Listen to the album via this link:
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