4Batz Shares the Origin of His Stage Name

Just last year, the residents of Oak Cliff knew him as Neko Bennett. Today, the world knows him as 4Batz. In a recent interview with R&B Money‘s J. Valentine and Tank, the Dallas native shared the story behind his stage name.

“In Dallas, we call it the four,” he explained to the R&B legends. “Then, Batz [is] because… I don’t know if they want me to say it. Well, Batz is like my hood nickname because I used to fight a lot. Neko, that’s my real name. Neko. I used to fight a lot coming up.”

4Batz recalls his early days of making music back in elementary school in Dallas. However, he wasn’t always confident about how the world would perceive his work, initially receiving lukewarm reactions from those around him.

“I showed my [friends] my music and it was… we’re all caught up in what we’re caught up in and I showed them my music. And they were just like, ‘This you? This is not a girl?’ They were just kind of like that. It wasn’t what I wanted. For the world to receive it the way I wanted, God has just been working in my favor. God is good,” he said.

Starting July 29, 4Batz will have the chance to share his music with a broader audience as he embarks on the Thank U, Jada Tour. This will be the singer’s first headlining tour, covering nine cities including Boston, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Oakland.