How Ben Moved from Iowa to Documenting TDE
Ben details how filming Kembe X at SXSW opened a direct line to TDE management, leading to an impromptu cross-country move and his work on ScHoolboy Q's tour.
At 17:03, Tiny asks Ben how he first secured his working relationship with ScHoolboy Q and the broader Top Dawg Entertainment circle. Ben explains that the opportunity started through a series of key introductions, beginning with Craig and Moosa. Ben recalls that he was in Austin for the South by Southwest festival at 18:05, working with recording artist Kembe X, whom he did not previously know but had been connected with through Craig.
While at the festival, Moosa was observing Kembe X and asked Ben to film the performance. Ben recounts at 18:20 that he captured dynamic footage during the live set and stayed up that evening to edit a video recap to send over to management. The following morning at 18:43, Moosa called Ben, praised the speed and quality of the visual edit, and invited him to travel across various appearances. Ben says this led to an offer to film ScHoolboy Q's upcoming world tour at 19:05, which felt like an unbelievable breakthrough while living in Iowa.
When tour logistics were initially delayed, Ben explains at 19:21 that he made the decision to pack his bags and relocate to Los Angeles so he could be geographically accessible whenever production started. After spending months building local relationships and taking outside gigs, Ben received the call to cover the tour at 19:53. Upon arriving in Detroit, he produced an immediate recap video that eventually evolved into the first episode of the Groovy Tony tour series at 20:08, cementing his role on the road.