From Oakland, California, Bennie Rodgers II is a fourth generation musician. Taught by his mother to play drums at age 3, incredible doors have opened that have lead to decades of unforeseen success.

 

At the age of 17, Bennie began producing and performing with a plethora of talented local artist. From 2006 -2008, Bennie attended the Musicians Institute of Hollywood California (M.I.), with a concentration in the drum program (PIT). He was also a faculty member and adjunct instructor at M.I. outside of his academic training.

​

While a student at M.I., Bennie won the 2006 Carlos Vega Memorial Scholarship Drum Competition. Some feel the competition jump started Bennie’s buzz around the Hollywood/Los Angeles music scene. Picking up most of his early skill set from playing in church, and in local funk/jazz groups, he started gaining the right knowledge from experienced musicians and mentors early. This allowed Bennie to venture off into playing, producing, writing, and arranging various types of music such as Pop, Rock, Hip-Hop, R&B, Jazz and many more on a professional level.

​

Through persistence and discipline, and the help of Randy Jackson, Bennie landed the “drummer’s seat” behind international superstar, Mariah Carey for 5 connective years. From there, his career took off. Through the years, Bennie established different musical and entrepreneurial relationships and had become quite skilled in different areas of fashion and entertainment. These opportunities have afforded him to travel the world, with different artists such as Big Bang, Ameriie, PSY, Brandy, G Dragon, Ginuwine, Childish Gambino, Black Pink, and many more. Bennie is an intricate part in bringing popularity to the K-pop sound from the live concert standpoint. A blueprint formed from his vast knowledge of touring, his aggressive approach to live drumming and his experience in musical knowledge, has paved the way for what’s now known as “K-Pop drumming”. Bennie has had multiple publications and features on some of the biggest platforms like Modern Drummer Magazine, Drum Magazine, and Drum Channel, as one of the industry’s top drummers for his generation. Multiple endorsements, appearances, and accolades continued as he grew.

​

Bennie has appeared on various American T.V. shows including, The Oprah Winfrey Show, SNL (Saturday Night Live), American Idol, Jimmy Kimmel Show, James Corden, David Letterman, Good Morning America and various Awards shows. As well as international networks; Seoul Korea, Japan, and Singapore. His on-air, and live performances are always charged with high energy and persistence. 

As Bennie’s career flourished, so did his popularity. His endorsements include elite companies: Tama Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, Evans Drumheads, Kickport, KickBlock, Vratim Drum Shoes, Vic Firth Sticks, Yamaha Electronics, Dauz Drumpads and Drum Dots. To date, Bennie Rodgers II has created a name for himself as an artist, and a promising entrepreneur.

 

Through music, lies creativity and individuality, and Bennie has effortlessly merged the two. His commitment to his craft, and humble spirit, has enabled him to work as a full-time professional musician and create his own entertainment company ‘BrIIght Red Entertainment Partners’ who specializes in providing elite services in music production, composition, drumming, creative branding and many more in the entertainment industry. In essence, Bennie Rodgers II is creating a legacy for himself and leaving a footprint for those of the younger generation to follow.