by Steve HueyDancehall DJ Spragga Benz first rose to prominence in the early '90s with a series of Jamaican hits that earned him a brief major-label shot with Capitol. Benz was born Carlton Grant in Kingston on May 30, 1969, and earned the nickname "Spaghetti" as a youth because of his slim build; it would later mutate into his stage name, Spragga. He became a disc selector for the L.A. Benz sound system, and first tried his hand at toasting in 1992 on a dare from Buju Banton, who needed B-sides for some dubplates he was cutting for the sound system. Benz tossed off some lyrics off the top of his head, and the response from the studio onlookers was so great that Benz soon cut two A-sides of his own, "Love Mi Gun" and the lascivious "Jack It Up." The songs quickly made him an underground sensation, and soon multiple labels and producers were clamoring for his services. He scored breakout hits with "Could a Deal" (produced by Winston Riley) and...