Future Pop Star (and master of extemporaneous verbal communications)
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(Photo courtesy of: theiras.com)
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So I’m sipping on a latte at one of my favorite coffee shops in Dallas, Ascension Coffee. I’m enjoying the weather, scrolling through emails and the next thing I know, I see a bouncing head of curls appear just behind the glow of my laptop… “Terrence!”
My good friend and “future pop star” as stated by Noisey, is sitting down with me today to discuss the many different facets of his artistry and what makes him: Terrence Spectacle. Apart of The IRAS Music Company, Terrence Spectacle has found a way to unapologetically embrace his own individuality and bring an entirely different sound to the music scene in Dallas. And don’t think he’s stopping there.
At the young age of 20, Terrence Spectacle has performed at countless shows, in several different states, both headlining and opening for other acts. He’s opened for Odd Future-affiliated band, The Internet, as well as rapper Big Sean, who shares his hometown of Detroit, Michigan. Needless to say, when it comes to experience, Terrence Spectacle is anything but lacking.
If you were looking for another humdrum, repeat rapper, this is definitely NOT your guy. Spectacle, an incredibly dedicated musician, has been rapping in the public eye since the age of 15 and is far from run of the mill. “Before that I was a spoken word poet and that predates everything. I started playing saxophone when I was 10 but I don’t consider that a part of my artistry,” he says. (I’m telling you…he’s a real musician!)
Spectacle recalls on the pivotal moment when he truly realized his talent as an artist. “Hmmm…I’d have to say summer of 2013, I did a featured guest verse on a friend of mine named KissedKilled’s song. The general reception of that one record pulled me to total belief of my abilities. A lot of friends and strangers believed that I kind of pieced together the song. That alone was the needed push to know that maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea.” Prior to that he kept all of his music to himself, allowing only a few close friends to hear any of his stuff.
Spectacle attributes his musical influence completely to Michael Jackson. He reaches over to show me the lock screen on his phone, which is a photo of none other than the King of Pop himself. “You can’t deny the King his thrown. I was very much so raised on soul and R&B growing up. That kind of made me a funky kid; I was always very outspoken, at least when I was younger…” he says. The music he was raised on however did not limit his current taste in music to one particular genre. Spectacle cites local artists Kevin Abstract and band, Herrick and Hooley, as just a few of the artists he currently can’t stop listening to… along with John Mayer. He’s also a huge fan of artist, Thundercat, and constantly bumps his latest release, “Them Changes.”
Although he's made it out of the awful teen years, Spectacle embraces his youthful exuberance and realizes the greatness in that energy. He jokes about his sudden blossoming as a teen and his theory of how most guys truly experience that awkward pubescent stage.
“I feel like as a guy, you're either a douchebag when you're a preteen, or you're just socially awkward and don’t get any girls," he says. "Then you get that weird growth spurt midway through high school and suddenly a lot of people like you. You just look up and go ‘Oh yeah, I’ve been like this the whole time!’ There’s literally no in between time…you go from self-doubt to self-worth, which are directly correlated.”
With the faithful (and slightly crazed) fans that Spectacle has developed, it’s hard to imagine that he ever suffered from even the slightest dry spell in the ladies department. Of many artists that I’ve met, I have to say Terrence Spectacle has possibly the most genuine appreciation of his fans and supporters that I’ve ever seen.
“It’s usually just the fans that get me every time…their reception really dumbfounds me and I just smile,” when discussing his favorite part about performing. He added his recent show with artist, Super Duper Kyle, to his list of top performances when he found out that one fan drove from New Orleans to Dallas for the show. “I just thought that was so wild! She came up and gave me a big hug and all I could say was ‘Wooooooow!’” He counts his opening performances for The Internet, and Big Sean as the other top two shows on his list of favorite performances.
Spectacle recognizes that the majority of his character traits as an individual have helped him advance tremendously as an artist. He possesses a self-assurance that not only impresses, but intrigues most. “I’m very energetic, charismatic, inspiring to a lot of people, which is always surprising to me. A lot of people consider me to be very motivational. A large part of it comes down to me being eccentric, that’s just naturally how I am. When people tell me that, I honestly get confused because I just think I’m normal, I think I’m normal and everyone else is crazy,” he says. Spectacle calls this kind of energy, incongruity, which is taking what is expected and flipping it.
Speaking of unexpected, Terrence Spectacle has adopted an eclectic and culturally inspired style that undoubtedly trumps your favorite rapper's "swag." Drastically different from his day to day uniform of white tees and denim, the rapper says he like to preserve his more high fashion gear for special events.
"I’m more of a functional dresser than a fashionable dresser," he says.
That may be true for his everyday style, however, when it's time to put on a show Terrence Spectacle cleans up. He thinks of the most fashionable moment he's ever had and says, "Probably in 2014, the more I went out in traditional Chinese attire, people were just begging to have conversation with me."
He speaks on one particular style that he's recently adopted, "My thing now is a lot of long-sleeved button-ups…with bolo ties, which I happen to have a large collection of!"
Spectacle feels that his deep appreciation for other cultures stemmed from his home and up-bringing. "I was raised very multi-culturally, that was sort of my steelo, or “handle” if you will. I was the “multi-cultural genius” for quite some time. I guess it just comes from a rich ancestry, both of my parents are biracial," he says. That rich ancestry led Spectacle to garner inspiration from many cultures to form his artistic aesthetic.
Spectacle answered perhaps the most trivial, and what I found to be the most entertaining question of the interview...his dream dinner party guests.
"Dream dinner party guests? Hmmm...of course Michael Jackson, Oscar Wilde, Martin Luther King Jr., Maya Angelou, William Shakespeare, Theodore Roosevelt..." The last spot at the imaginary dinner was tied between Adolph Hitler and Genghis Khan when Spectacle made a drastic change, deciding that he had to have a "bae" at his dinner party. With that decision, his final dinner party guest ended up being comedian and actress, Rashida Jones.
Spectacle laughs as he says, "I've named a lot of dead people on this list...but there's just not too many people alive that thrill me to the point where I feel like I have to meet them. But that's life, we always miss what we can't have."
Keep up with Terrence Spectacle using the link to his website below. Also, check his music below & find his latest single Night Owl on Apple Music now!
