Stat Quo

Stanley Benton (born July 24, 1979), better known as Stat Quo, is an American rapper signed to Eminem's Shady Records and Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment. He first appeared on a mixtape in 2002. He is a co-founder—with LT Moe—of the Global Music Movement (GMM),. Benton attended University of Florida, where he majored in economics and international business in 2000. Benton was contemplating law school, until veteran Southern rapper Scarface encouraged him to rap.

Early life
Stanley Benton was born in Thomasville Heights, a neighbourhood of Atlanta, Georgia, at the Grady Hospital. In his early life, he lived with his mother and grandmother. Benton started freestyle rapping at around the age of 12. Later, his mother bought him a radio, and he would record himself rapping. In 1997, Benton started taking rap seriously, but continued with his education. Benton would work his way to college and attended University of Florida, where he majored in economics and international business in 2000.

Music
Stat Quo was discovered towards the end of 2003. Dr. Dre and Eminem individually came to know of the Atlanta-based rapper via his Underground Atlanta mixtapes. After Eminem heard his music he gained interest and took it to Dr. Dre who also had interest in the music, and a joint deal was made, resulting in Stat Quo becoming the second artist to be signed to Shady/Aftermath, after 50 Cent.

His debut album Statlanta was originally slated to be released in 2003 but has been repeatedly pushed back. Stat Quo is also featured on Young Buck's Straight Outta Cashville, the Eminem Presents the Re-Up compilation and on the track "Spend Some Time" on Eminem's Encore. Stat has also appeared on tracks with artists such as Jermaine Dupri, The Alchemist, The Game, Disturbing tha Peace, and Chamillionaire.

In 2005, Stat Quo shot a video for his single "Like Dat". The song was made to be a buzz single, in order to help the artist become more exposed The video was shot in Atlanta's Zone 3 near the Thomasville Heights projects where Stat Quo was brought up.

It's the beginning of my career, so I wanted to start where I began life, […] Plus, [the city of Atlanta] is supposed to be tearing the projects down, so I wanted to showcase the area I grew up in and capture it before it was gone forever.

The Atlanta bred rapper was featured on the summer 2005 Anger Management Tour, which also included Eminem, 50 Cent, G-Unit, Obie Trice, D12, and others. On July 13, 2005, a tour bus carrying Eminem's entourage for the summer's Anger Management tour swerved off the road and turned over. Stat Quo was taken to Independence Regional Health Center in Independence, Missouri, where he was treated and released.

Stat Quo has said that his "number one goal is to bring a respect, and bring a voice to this whole southern movement around the world".

Discography

 * TBA: Statlanta