In a world where rap often moves faster than it evolves, Ben Reilly is taking his time, building universes, not just songs.
The Brooklyn-born, Atlanta-based artist doesn’t simply make music; he crafts cinematic worlds filled with symbolism, intention, and storytelling. His name, a nod to Marvel’s Spider-Man clone, reflects more than fandom; it’s a statement on identity, reinvention, and the duality that drives his artistry.
Since his breakout Freelance debut, Reilly has proven that his creativity knows no bounds. Whether he’s rapping through his alter ego Heroman or designing entire rollouts that feel like comic book arcs, Reilly approaches hip-hop like a director, pairing introspection with imagination.
His upcoming album, SAVE!, plays like a superhero origin story, weaving together themes of power, vulnerability, and self-definition.
Now, with the release of his newest single Don’t Lose the Plot, Reilly invites listeners into a world where sound and storytelling collide, an upbeat, Neptunes-inspired love pursuit layered with charisma and cinematic energy.
But beyond the music lies a deeper mission: to remind a generation of dreamers that resilience is its own kind of superpower.
We sat down with Ben Reilly to talk about identity, artistry, and the stories behind SAVE!, a project that proves hip-hop’s next hero doesn’t need a cape, just conviction.
Your stage name comes from your favorite Spider-Man character, Ben Reilly. What was it about that character that inspired your stage name?
What inspired me to name myself after the Ben Reilly character was a simple decision actually. I initially wanted to name myself after Peter Parker, the original character, but the name was actually taken. I then sat and thought about what I wanted to go by because I really wanted the name to align with my love for comic books. So I ended up going with who I thought was the coolest version of the character at the time, Ben Reilly.
The name is also an acronym for Be Nahree. What does carrying both those meanings, comic-book alter ego and your real self, mean for you as an artist?
So the ‘Be Nahree’ meaning came from a conversation I had with a lady at a bar one time. I was the bartender, and she was a patron. I introduced myself as Nahree, and she asked me what my passion was because she could tell that there was more to me than being a bartender, which resulted in me telling her I made music and what my stage name was.
We had a long conversation about my stage name. She essentially told me to embrace every aspect of myself, down to my name, because my mother gifted me a strong, beautiful Black name. I took heed to what she said and decided to give the name a double meaning.
I’m always representing myself as Nahree, but as Ben Reilly, it’s still me, just slightly exaggerated and more confident.
Your upcoming album SAVE! feels like a superhero origin story. What do you want fans to “save” or take away from this project?
I want fans and new listeners to walk away from SAVE! with a new understanding of who I am and what I’ve been through. It’s my most personal and vulnerable thoughts and experiences at the time.
The idea behind SAVE! is me presenting myself as the hero I felt I needed when I was young, while also highlighting the heroes in my life, or the lack thereof, through my experiences.
What’s the story behind how Don’t Lose the Plot! came together?
So the song Don’t Lose The Plot! came together in a funny way. Someone who was around at the time challenged me, implying that I couldn’t write a song. I felt tried, so I took them up on the challenge.
I hit my brother WASEEL up to send me some fun beats and sent some 8-bar loops. One of them was the skeleton of the Don’t Lose The Plot beat. I took it and made this song in the next hour. Haha.
My album was already done at the time, but we all ended up loving the song so much that we were able to fit it within the context of the story.
The visuals for your singles often feel cinematic. How important is it for you to not just make music, but to build full universes around your projects?
When I’m writing music, I’m always keeping in mind two things: How would a video look for this and how would it be to perform this?
I think world-building is extremely important when creating music. You want to invite people into your space as much as you possibly can without giving too much of yourself away. You want people to understand the point you’re getting across, so you create an environment and language for your music to be understood in.
You’ve cited legends like Jay-Z, André 3000, and Prince as inspirations. How do their legacies show up in your music and creative direction?
I think they all have different things that speak to me and inspire my artistry. When I write, I always look at how Hov speaks so effortlessly and sarcastically. I appreciate his business acumen. His lyricism is crazy to me; he has things from his first album that I’m still catching till this day. Jay-Z directly inspires how I write my rhymes every single time.
I look at 3 Stacks‘ history and success as an artist in tandem with Big Boi, where we see one of the first times in hip-hop history that a southern act was taken seriously, and look at what came from that. They kicked that door down.
Both 3 Stacks and Prince’s influences on me allow me to try things and not be afraid of the outcome. Because Prince, man… Prince is PRINCE. I remember seeing the Purple Rain Super Bowl performance, and I’ve never seen anything cooler. I truly believe he was one of the most unapologetic, unpredictable, and unable to be controlled artists ever.
Truly, that’s how I feel about each one of these legends. I aspire to be even remotely as great as they are.
Growing up in Brooklyn but making your home in Atlanta, how do those two worlds blend in your music?
Growing up in Brooklyn is what gave me my love for hip-hop and my sense of… independence, if you will. My lyricism, my attitude, my swagger, my bravado, and my love for dance come from New York.
I remember being young and having my mother introduce me to all the classics via mixtapes and old VHS tapes, dancing and trying to ‘get lit’ at the block parties, or just being on my stoop or by my window, hearing the loud music from my neighbors, soaking it all in. For that. I have to remember to keep the core elements intact for my journey.
When it comes to Atlanta, that world brings me an extra edge, I feel. My time here has allowed me to really understand the dialect and culture here, the sometimes 808-forward beats I choose, the moments of funk I lean toward, or the way I may approach the beats, even down to my melodic moments.
You recorded your first track in 2010 and spent nearly a decade grinding before Maytag blew up. What kept you going in those early years?
What kept me going in those earlier years was, honestly, just what I saw for myself and my future. I’ve always thought I was good until I saw what the people deemed as good, then I felt I was never good enough. That made me work really hard at my craft; I spent every day practicing, writing, brainstorming, praying, and studying until I truly felt I was THAT good because I know what my destiny is. It’s always been a matter of how to get there for me.
Looking back at viral success with Maytag, how did that moment change the trajectory of your career?
Maytag changed just about everything for me; it made this little dream I had actually manifest into an actual career. I was able to quit my job and focus full-time on music. It brought me new fans, shows, and tours, and different deals and opportunities began to show up for me. I spend every day thinking about how to beat that moment and push forward.
For young men chasing their own dreams, what’s one lesson you’ve learned about resilience that you’d want them to carry?
One lesson I’ve learned about resilience is that you really have to keep going. It’s cliché to say, but it’s one of the truest things I’ve learned.
You kinda have to be delusional in order to keep seeing it through. If you want something badly, you’ve got to put the work in. Sacrifice some of those nights out, some of those times on the game, and lock in. Focus up. Keep that mind clear, even when you’re going through something, go through it and face it. The only way onto the other side is to go through it.
