benrodz: Thank you for agreeing to have me interview you!

benkeller14: And thanks to you for agreeing to put up with me for a whole interview, glad we could set this up!

benrodz: So am I!
So I heard something about you had finals today, how did that go for you?

benkeller14: I actually got my weeks messed up and had my finals last week (yes, I realized in time to prepare). They ended up going pretty well considering I got an A on the majority of them. Now it’s second semester and we’re back into thе hybrid schedule wherе I’m at school for two days a week and at home for the other three.

benrodz: Awesome. Glad you realized in time to prepare 😂.
Can’t get much better than them A’s 😎.
Awesome man, you must really enjoy being able to be at home three school days!

benkeller14: Yeah for sure, on the two days where the other half of the school is in person (the fifth day is everybody online), I can sleep pretty much as late as I want. It’s definitely nice waking up at 11 or so on days like today and I can usually get my online assignments for the day done in the afternoon.

benrodz: Sounds like everything is working out for you! Glad to hear it!
So tell us a little bit about what made you join Genius.

benkeller14: The main reason was “Blueberry Faygo.” Interestingly enough, I thought it was a different song of Mosey’s called “Rockstars” at first because he says the word in there at some point. I tried looking up the lyrics on the “Rockstars” page and they were absent, so I created an account and scribed the song in a proposal. Little did I know, the lyrics had already been done on the “Blueberry Faygo” page. I definitely missed out on that one because the song has 1.4 million views and counting but it’s unlikely any ed+ would’ve been around to accept the proposal anyway, had I done it on the right page.

benrodz: Wow interesting story man! It sucks to miss out on a big scribe like that especially if it’s your favorite artist.
How did you discover Genius?

benkeller14: I’m not totally sure about this, but I think it was back in like 2015 or so when I was looking for a song on AZLyrics (shhh) but I couldn’t find it, then I ended up finding it on Genius. I rarely visited the site in the following years but it was definitely my go to for lyrics whenever I was curious.

benrodz: Hahaha no shame in that, we’ve all been there before 😂
benrodz: Yeah I rarely use AZLyrics, but if I’m looking for a song i can’t find on here, than I’ll go to them.
So how long did it take before you were approached/promoted to Editor?

benkeller14: I remember after a few months of activity I reached out to a couple mods about trying to get a mentorship. I think it was tirelessmess who sent my name to the Slack channel (s/o to you if you’re reading this) and eventually MERLYN picked me up, which I’m very grateful for.

benrodz: Awesome!! Yeah man, MERLYN is the 🐐, I’ve known him for quite some time now and I swear he’s the reincarnation of Ewok, especially after Ewok got fired and everything. MERLYN really stepped up and took over/brought back things that were lost after all that went down so S/O to him!

benrodz: What’s the biggest accomplishment you’ve reached so far here on Genius?

benkeller14: I wasn’t around when Ewok was, but from what I understand, he was amazing. MERLYN is obviously the 🐐 to me and you and I think a lot of others can vouch for that as well.

benkeller14: For my biggest accomplishment, I’d have to say getting top scholar on Mosey, even if he isn’t necessarily my favorite artist at the moment. Even though I definitely enjoyed music before, my enjoyment of Mosey in 2018 and the first 10 months of 2019 is what got me really into music, so it’s really cool to see myself at the top there.

benrodz: Ahh man, Ewok was amazing to say the least, I was really blessed and honored to have known him, he was a huge influence on me and what I do on Genius, I could go on and on but I’ll save it for another time.

benrodz: And yes, MERLYN really is a 🐐 man, he’s taken so many people under his wing and mentored quite a few of them into Editorship.
That’s awesome man, it’s always dope to become the top scholar for an artist! Who are some of your favorite artists?

benkeller14: The four I have displayed on my profile are sort of the Tier 1 artists for me, which are Lil Mosey, Lil Tecca, The Kid LAROI, and Polo G. My favorite used to be Mosey easily but he’s been pretty inconsistent lately so there’s no clear favorite for me at the moment, but I’ve been listening to Polo the most recently.

benrodz: Ahh okay cool!
I haven’t listened to any of the artists you mentioned, except for Polo G’s feature on a Juice Wrld song, and I’ve heard a couple of The Kid Laroi songs, i need to check them out more.
What are your goals for here on Genius as well as any goals you have in real life?

benkeller14: On Genius, I’d definitely like to keep climbing the leaderboard for the artists I mentioned. I’m not too motivated by IQ big picture wise, but when it pertains to one of my favorite artists, it’s definitely cool to move up the leaderboard.
benkeller14: In real life, I’d definitely like to travel some more when the world allows. I love geography and it’s always cool to see places in real life than through a computer screen.

benrodz: Yeah I can definitely relate to the climbing up the leaderboard for artists I like!
Wow that’s some amazing goals man, I’d definitely like to be able to travel as well!! Any particular places?

benkeller14: I’d love to travel to somewhere like Argentina this coming summer if I can, though that all depends on whether I can save enough money and if the country is open by then. I’d also like to travel to all 50 states, so getting the ones I need to go to is certainly always in the back of my mind. I’m at 38 right now.

benrodz: Wow that’s amazing man!!
Which states haven’t you been to yet?

benkeller14: From west to east (ish): Alaska, Hawaii, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, West Virginia, Delaware, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island.

benkeller14: I personally count layovers as being in a state, too, but if anyone doesn’t, then I haven’t been to Arizona, Utah, Pennsylvania, or Georgia either. I count them because you’re in a building, on the ground, in the state, and it’s not like international airports where you have to go through customs to actually enter the country.

benrodz: Wow very interesting!!
I’ve been to several states myself, i actually used to live in Arizona.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.

benkeller14: My main activities at the moment are baseball, playing GeoGuessr (a great geography game) and of course, Genius. Like I mentioned earlier, I’m big on geography and that’s what I plan to major in when I start college later this year.

benrodz: Awesome!!
Wow, getting to know you better through this interview has been amazing!! Any particular college you’re going to attend?

benkeller14: If I get into the University of Washington I’ll likely go there but if not, then probably the University of Oregon. The Pacific Northwest is second to none and I’ve always wanted to go out there.

benrodz: Awesome! I think that pretty much sums up our interview, it’s been amazing to get to know you better, I should be able to create, edit and release this tomorrow! Thanks for being so awesome and answering my questions, I really enjoyed it!!
benkeller14: Sounds good, this was a great experience! Thanks for taking the time to interview me!

benrodz: No problem bro, I really enjoyed this!!
You’re an amazing person to interview, thanks for being so dope!! 🔥😎🎉🙌🙏

benkeller14: For sure, and you too!

benrodz: I’ll let you know as soon as I post it!

benkeller14: 👍