Benjamin Earl Turner Continues His Unyielding Journey With “Had To”

Benjamin Earl Turner’s clerical responsibilities often bleed into his craft. Instead of manning the wheel like a tyrant, Turner allows the listener ample space to declare their own intentions within the body of his songs. “Had To” isn’t the first time Turner successfully created intimacy without making any strange inferences in the process. He is, by virtue of his vagabond past, and I do say that kindly, a rapper who views unexplored territory as a challenge, as opposed to an impossibility.

Where others see drywall, Turner weaves into open space. While that allusion might seem overly generous at first glance, think it over: Turner falls short of explaining “what he’s been on” because there’s no real need or a pitch line within the poetic mask he’s operating behind. These creative impulses start to click once you read his artist bio – a story that begins on the surface level, with him meeting Saba, and culminating with this Izaïah production of “Had To.” Enjoy, and hit us with your thoughts in the comment section below the write-up.

Quotable Lyrics:

I am on yes I’m on
I am on, oh yes I’m on
You don’t want to have no problems
You don’t want to get involved.

– Benjamin Earl Turner