Fonzworth Bentley | Biography 2021

Fonzworth Bentley, real name, Berek Watkins, is an American actor, rapper, and author, who transitioned from a personal valet of the American rapper P. Diddy. He appeared in season 2 of 'Making The Band,' then created his own show, 'From G's to Gents' for MTV. He released his debut album 'C.O.L.O.R.S.' in 2011 and collaborated with Kayne West to create more music since then. More popular as a fashion guy in hip-hop, he released a book, 'Advance Your Swagger: How to Use Manners, Confidence, and Style to Get Ahead,' and has also acted in several movies.

By Puja Bhetwal
Original : June 14, 2021

Fonzworth Bentley is an American actor, rapper, and author, who transitioned to achieve these places from an assistant and a personal valet of the American rapper P. Diddy.

Who Is Fonzworth Bentley?

Fonzworth Bentley, after graduation, worked at the Ralph Lauren store in Atlanta's famed Lenox Square Mall, where he met American rapper, Diddy.

In 2005, Bentley made his big-screen debut in Season 2 of Making The Band, alongside P. Diddy.

His book in 2007, 'Advance Your Swagger: How to Use Manners, Confidence, and Style to Get Ahead' was a New York Times best-seller. In 2008, he launched his own MTV reality show, From G's to Gents, in which he taught errant men how to be gentlemen.

He partnered with Kanye West and another musician to further his musical career. C.O.L.O.U.R.S., his debut album, was released in 2011.

Bentley's acting career began in 2003 with the film Honey. He also appeared in the films Fat Albert (2004) and Think Like A Man Too (2017)

Early Life

Fonzworth Bentley, real name, Derek Watkins, was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on 13 February 1974. He was brought up in a historic neighborhood of rich African-American families in Southwest Atlanta.

Bentley attended Morehouse College, where his father was a professor. He majored in biology with aspirations of becoming a doctor. By his junior year, Watkins, a.k.a. Bentley, had decided that medicine was not for him. He instead wanted to be an MTV V.J. his entire life. Bentley then auditioned for MTV's 'Wannabe a V.J.' competition but didn't advance past the first round. After graduation, he decided to work at the Ralph Lauren store in Atlanta's popular Lenox Square Mall.

Early Career

When he was at Ralph Lauren's Madison Avenue flagship shop, Bentley met Diddy and eventually became his assistant and valet in New York City. According to an interview with The New York Times, he acquired his nickname Fonzworth Bentley from Diddy himself.

Bentley claimed that Diddy appraised one of his lavish outfits and named him "Farnsworth." "The "Bentley" came from an executive at Bad Boy, Diddy's record label," he said.

Bentley was not only Diddy's butler, but he was also a well-dressed man in hip-hop in the early 2000s. Bentley wore Ralph Lauren even before Kanye West made it popular and fashionable. When JAY-Z was still wearing throwback jerseys and fitted headwear, Bentley wore button-ups.

After appearing on Diddy's Making The Band reality show in 2003, Bentley moved from butler to reality star. His charisma and manner appealed to audiences, and his career took off from there. In due course, he created his own MTV show, From G's to Gents. He also performed in movies, including Honey, Fat Albert, and Think Like A Man Too.

In hip-hop, Bentley has been applauded for establishing the 'Gentlemen's Movement.' In 2007, he published 'Advance Your Swagger: How to Use Manners, Confidence, and Style to Get Ahead,' which became the New York Times best-seller.

Music Career

Elevating his career in music, he released the track 'Everybody,' featuring Kanye West and boyhood friend André 3000. In 2011, he released his debut album C.O.L.O.U.R.

He continues to work in the music industry, collaborating with Kanye West on multiple occasions. 'Black Skinhead,' 'I Am God,' 'On Sight,' and 'Hold My Liquor' was among Bentley's songwriting credits on Kanye's Yeezus album. He also collaborated with Kanye on his most recent album, The Life of Pablo, as one of the producers of the song 'Ultralight Beam.'

Bentley, a.k.a., Watkins also expanded his musical horizons by replacing Coco Brother as host of B.E.T.'s Lift Every Voice gospel morning show. He also worked on the hit A.B.C. show Black-ish, assisting with the arrangement and writing of the songs. He also choreographed and orchestrated the first promotional video clip for Yara Shahidi's Black-ish spinoff, Grown-ish.

Contributing to hip hop fashion, which was formerly dominated by a small number of predictable and simple European fashion labels like Gucci, Versace, and Louis Vuitton, Bentley demonstrated how to tell the difference between Purple Label and regular Ralph ties, when a Windsor or half-Windsor was appropriate, and how to knot the ideal, untidy bowtie.

T.V. appearance

Fonzworth Bentley made his big-screen debut in 2005, starring alongside P. Diddy in Season 2 of Making The Band. The former valet landed his own MTV reality show, From G's to Gents, in 2008, where he taught errant guys how to be gentlemen due to his abundance of knowledge.

He soon transitioned from reality television shows and music videos to the big screen, starring several movies. In 2003, he made his film debut opposite Meiki Phifer, Jessica Alba, and Romeo Miller (aka Lil' Romeo) in Honey, in which he played a barber. Bentley played a salesman in the movie Fat Albert that starred Kenan Thompson in the lead role.

Bentley then worked with OutKast in the star-studded, surrealistic musical Idlewild in 2006, when he portrayed Big Boi's slick-talking character Rooster's drinking flask. He had a cameo as a well-dressed shot-caller in 2017's Think Like A Man Too, the sequel to the film adaptation of Steven Harvey's controversial book 'Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man.'

Net Worth

According to CelebrityNetWorth, Bentley's net worth is 2 million.

Awards and Nominations

In 2019, Bentley won the 'Guild of Music Supervisors Awards' (G.M.S.) for 'Best Song/Recording Created for Television' in 2014. He was also the winner of the 2017 'MTV Video Music Awards' for 'Best Choreography for Kanye West's hit song 'Fade.' '

Personal Life

Bentley married actress Faune Chambers on 10 July 2010, and they have two children, Daniel and Zoie. Faune Chambers Watkins, originally Faune Alecia Chambers, was born on 23 September 1976 in Florida, United States. She is an actress and producer who have appeared in films such as Epic Movie (2007), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), and White Chicks (2004).

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