THE SCRAPE - ISSUE 1

Bird Bennett - By Salo

Self-described hip-hop and R&B artist Bird Bennett is a trip. He's a 22-year songwriter and producer brewing a sound that is somehow reminiscent of both Notorious B.I.G. and James Brown. But that's only half the story. He has a penchant for unique, avant-garde, underground shows that he conceives of and runs himself. Bird built a hometown buzz in Portland by pulling such stunts as performing in the back of a U Haul truck, and throwing basement parties. 

"Ah man, I do a lot of things, man... I think the main ingredients to me are my music... my fashion... my taste and my style... and being a community leader. Paving the way for the younger artists in my city." 

He's an advocate for all ages shows, making sure that his audience, no matter the age, has access to his music and his message. 

"The Portland scene is really 21+, and as I'm getting to be 21, 22, some of my fans are in high school, and I can't throw 21+ shows when my fan base is like 18 or 19, y'know what I'm saying?" 

I like his style, and his ability to recognize himself as a figure in the music scene. While many artists are hesitant to play themselves up in conversation, Bird Bennett has no such inhibitions. To quote an old friend of mine, "if you don't believe in yourself, no one else is gonna do it." During his conversation with Scrape Zine PDX, it was apparent that he had no problems maintaining that belief.

Graduating on from being solely an underground artist, Bird received the "In Good Hands Portland hip-hop star award" in 2021, and was discovered by Loud Records founder Steve Rifkind. His goals are lofty, and include playing sold out shows at large venues like the Roseland Theatre, which really doesn't seem too far outta reach. He's already performed internationally, and his single "STOOPID" has tens of thousands of plays on Spotify as of 2023. Be on the lookout for his name on billboards. We're lucky to have him as a part of Spring Fest.