everything since i got into hip hop and music, in the mid to late 80's, specifically special ed, de la soul, a tribe called quest, nwa, rakim, digital underground, black sheep, hiero, az, nas, jadakiss, styles p, jay z, beanie sigel, jay dilla, the delfonics, the dells, william devaughan, stevie wonder, the jackson 5, smokey robinson, mary j blige, slum village, ice cube, alchemist, extra p, pete rock, cl smooth, gang starr, james brown, the meters, LL Cool J, public enemy, the gza, ghostface, raekwon, redman, marvin gaye, al green, d'angelo, raphael saadiq, bill withers, donny hathaway, willie hutch, biggie, g dep, dr dre, the dogg pound, talib kweli, the temptations, twista, the new birth, curtis mayfield, gladys knight, big daddy kane, run dmc, big l, lord finesse, ag, fat joe, big pun, and many more...
Since the age of 9, when he heard Special Ed's "I Got It Made", Jeff Spec knew that hip hop music was his calling. "It was so inspiring" says Jeff; "he wasn't that much older than I was, and he was doing his thing - and people were listening to him". Now, well over a decade later, his name is recognizable amongst the underground and club hip hop circuit. His 15 albums and countless live shows, tours, and radio appearances have brought him acclaim in Canada, the United States, Europe, and Asia. After pushing a thousand of his 1999 release "Fort Knock", and two thousand of "The Regular" (2001) independently, he secured his first record deal with an indie label called Day By Day, a New York based imprint which was then home to MF Doom, MF Grimm, Count Bass D, and a host of other artists. The result was his well-received album "Dark City" (2002), which found its way through Revolver, Sonic Unyon, and Sandbox distribution to many corners of the globe. Right around the same time, URB Magazine featured Jeff's crew, the City Planners, in its Next 100 issue. This was when Jeff realized his potential to reach a much broader audience.
In 2003, he received his first nod from a major label, when he won Universal Urban's contest to remake Scarface's "My Block" single. The result was a chance to release his self-produced single "Never Can Say Goodbye" through Universal on a DJ-only 12" called "Somethin 2 Nod Your Head 2". The single was welcomed warmly by DJ's and listeners alike, and enjoyed a good deal of college and commercial radio play. "It was real exciting, I spoke to Click (A&R) from Universal, and he told me that my song was going on the record" Spec recalls. His 2006 album "Rhythm and Blues" helped to define the heavily soul-influenced sound that Jeff has become notorious for today; the album was placed on Chart Attack's hip hop charts for May 2006, and Earshot's hip hop charts for April and May 2006, both in the top 10. The response from DJ's was overwhelmingly positive, and fans readily identified with Jeff's extremely open, personal approach. His 2008 release, "...a little night music" (Camobear/independent), on its way to radio right now, is poised to build his buzz even more. The LP will be accompanied by a free, internet-only EP, entitled "The Free Press", which will be posted on hundreds of websites, with the goal of reaching 100,000 downloads. Also, Jeff will embark on a college tour in September '08, keeping with his tradition of regularly being on the road and following up the tour he has just completed with west coast legend Aceyalone.
Beyond being a visible figure in music, Jeff Spec is a notable radio voice on Vancouver's 94.5 The Beat, handling all ads for popular urban clothing store Dipt. He has also held down residencies as a host at various club nights, including The Crystal Room in Toronto, and The Red Jacket in Victoria. And, he is well known for his live show, having shared stages with Xzibit, Ice T, MOP, The Beatnuts (tour, 2004), Aceyalone (tour, 2008), Digital Underground, Kardinall Offishall, Swollen Members, Abstract Rude, Jeru The Damaja, Rahzel the Godfather of Noise, Kool Keith, Mixmaster Mike, The Alkaholiks, Diamond D, The Pharcyde, Living Legends, Mystic Journeymen, Souls of Mischief, Non Phixion, Saukrates, Maestro Fresh Wes, Saafir, The Luniz, DJ Vadim, Buck Fifty, LMNO, Mr. Brady, Funkdoobiest (tour, 2004), and many more. In addition, Spec has become a sought after guest vocalist and producer, being slated to be featured on more than 20 other artists' releases before the end of the year, and having gained the opportunity to do a beat for a song featuring Kool G Rap. "That's one of my idols" exclaims Jeff - "without G Rap, hip hop would look so different today!"
