Leon Benson

Development Outreach Coordinator (he/him)

Hailing from Flint, Michigan, now residing in Detroit, Leon Benson is a lifetime artist of multiple disciplines. He spent 25 years wrongfully incarcerated in the state of Indiana where he honed many of his spiritual, intellectual, and artistic skills.

Upon his exoneration on March 9, 2023, he began his journey back into society with new lenses and he uses them to show the world what it sometimes refuses to see: the truth. This is seen in his community activism on Justice Reform and Human Rights issues.

Leon is not new to the FREER Records family, as he began corresponding with founder Fury Young way back in 2014. In June 2023, FR released his debut EP, INNOCENT BORN GUILTY under his stage name EL BENTLY 448. His music has gotten national and international attention in the Detroit Metro Times, The Progressive, Flint Courier, Amnesty International, and Swiss Public Radio among others, and the momentum is steadily increasing.

While starting his own record label/production company, 448 Productions, and traveling nationally for speaking engagements, FR hired Leon as its Development Outreach Coordinator. A natural people person, this was a solid fit for Benson, who has been reaching out to supporters, donors, and activists in his budding network to continue to build the movement.

Always analytical, intuitive, and creative while doing outreach work in person and remotely, Leon is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the FR team and looks to bring more value to the position while learning more along the way.