What makes him different is that he is a lover of soul not an abuser. In his music there is an appreciation and an ode to his love of soul not just a bunch of mixed samples. What makes him different is his intelligence and his versatility. Soul is always the beginning his beginning. Fitz Fonzarelli was born on 8-21-1984 as Benford L. King. In the early 90’s gang culture took over Gary IN which was soon known for its soaring murder rate. Most grew up cutting their teeth on the popular rap of the era such as Easy-E and Bone Thugs N Harmony. However Fitz was nurtured by the warmth of vinyl from soulful artists like Teddy Pendergrass and Barry White. This is evident in his strong instrumental arrangements on songs like Love Struck. Music was always his first love yet when he was accepted to an “audition only” gifted arts High School he decided to study art instead. Choosing art instead of music proved to be more of a challenge than he anticipated. He became more interested in visual arts which in turn has made him a more efficient lyricist. Not only can he tell you a story he can verbally paint a picture. Eventually Fitz was accepted to the Indiana Academy in Muncie Indiana. Leaving everything he knew behind at such an impressionable age was a difficult thing but proved to be a pivotal move in not only his talents as an artist but in his becoming a man. It was a culture shock to say the least. The school took him away from everything he knew including his passion for art. His time at the college prep had him focusing solely on academics. While hitting the books his only creative outlet was rapping. This brought him back to his first love music. The new found diversity at school made his taste in music more well rounded. Appreciating the artistic quality of bands such as Linkin Park Sublime 311 Nickelback and Fallout Boy he began to think outside the box. Prepped for college Fitz went on to Purdue University constantly switching his majors from Graphic Design to Fine Arts and back to Graphic Design. He lived the picture perfect college student life: Hitting the books studying writing papers drinking and partying. While being a staunch intellectual he still maintained his Gary IN hustler mentality. That same mentality was a make or break for him. He decided to end his college career to pursue his art in music. Coming home was a hard pill to swallow but it had to be done. Hard work is what made him stay afloat what made him survive. Through various social circles he came back to his love back to music. Music finally worked its way to the forefront of his life and he began to take it more seriously. He then became one half of the rap group GFBG (Good Fella Bad Guy) along with Rodge aka Hajjimus Prime. They created their first demo comprised of four songs and hit the streets with it. They began to notice a demand for their music so they set their sights on creating a free college tour. Money wasn’t a factor experience was. Through their dedication and persistence they were able to perform at IU Purdue and Vincennes University. The tour got them even more exposure in the state of Indiana which is exactly what they wanted. This experience put Fitz in an artist mindset where he needed to be. The group GFBG helped Fitz and Rodge form a stronger friendship which led to them being roommates. Living together would allow them to become stronger as a group as they could easily feed off of each other creatively and artistically. Motivation and dedication were no longer an issue for Fitz and Rodge. They were in the studio constantly honing their craft. However such dedication and drive has a road block called life. Between moves short stints in the studio and job loss their next project called Rent Money was created. They chose the title Rent Money because the success of the album was leveraged by their looming eviction. As circumstances and the economy may have it their bond as roommates was severed. As a result of having to find new housing and jobs Rodge ventured south and Fitz remained in the northwest. As you would expect this put a strain on the group and they decided to remain best friends but to break ties creatively. After an end to a college career a group and a beginning of a profession as a barber Fitz realized that becoming a solo artist was his destiny. Fitz then met producer and engineer Jesse Black while recording his Happy Daze mixtape at Fakulty Studios. Fitz wanted to create a new sound still utilizing his soulful s so he and Jesse Black collaborated and created New Vintage. The buzz and excitement is now all about his debut album: New Vintage (No Samples). Fitz Fonzarelli’s declaration as a brilliant artist his dedication to past musical influences and his determination to be a lyrical force is all too evident in this new sound of music.