Andre Benz

Overview

Andre Benz is an American entrepreneur and investor recognized for his contributions to digital media and technology. He co-founded the YouTube music curation network The Nations, which includes channels like Trap Nation, Chill Nation, Bass Nation, and Rap Nation. These platforms focus on curating electronic music, particularly in genres such as trap and future bass. In 2016, Benz founded the independent record label Lowly, later rebranded as Lowly, to develop intellectual property and offer contracts with profit splits and short-term licensing agreements to emerging artists featured on The Nations channels. In 2023, he launched Broke Records, his second independent label, focusing on digital marketing strategies, particularly on short-form video platforms like TikTok. Under his leadership, Broke Records achieved over 15 Billboard-charting singles without major label backing and grew from 25,000 to over 5.3 million daily streams within its first year. Benz has been recognized in the music industry, being featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 Music in 2024 and named a 2025 Noisemaker by Hits Daily Double, acknowledging his role in reshaping the independent label landscape. He has also served as a speaker at music and technology conferences, including the Amsterdam Dance Event and South by Southwest in 2025. In January 2025, companies associated with Benz, including The Nation, LLC (doing business as Broke Records) and Lowly Palace, LLC, were named as defendants in a federal copyright lawsuit filed by Artist Publishing Group (APG). The complaint accused the defendants of copyright infringement and sought over $30 million in damages. In their response, the defendants denied the allegations and filed a counterclaim that characterized the lawsuit as a 'classic example of the pot calling the kettle black.' A June 2025 court order dismissed the plaintiffs' claim for tortious interference with contractual relations while allowing claims of copyright infringement and conversion to proceed. A trial is scheduled for February 10, 2026.

Investment Focus

• Innovative digital media and technology ventures
• Emerging artists in electronic music genres
• Projects with strong digital marketing strategies

Portfolio Companies