Bed Stuy by Spec Boogie

Last.fm:

With his streetwise demeanor and ferocious loyalty to Brooklyn, Spec Boogie happily falls into the category of an “old soul” – but his music is anything but dated. In fact, the guy is a trendsetter. Thanks to his nimble delivery, knack for wordplay (“I want to bring a brickhouse to my brownstone,” he raps), and ear for experimentation, the New York City product has been instrumental in cultivating the music, fashion and attitude embraced by the newest generation of Hip-Hop artists.

Hailing from the same corner where The Notorious B.I.G. once roamed, Spec Boogie has seen more than his share of difficult times. While his childhood friends found themselves caught up in the violence and incarceration that plagued the youth of Bedford Ave. and Quincy St. in the 80’s, his watchful parents kept him out of the fray. In his teens, the household was shattered after both of his parents passed away in a three-year span. Spec Boogie is neither preachy nor sensationalist as an artist, but these life experiences give him a certain gravitas – there’s a remarkable sincerity that weaves throughout his music. Even songs with less-than-weighty subject matter inherit the trait: when Spec Boogie says he’s going to roll a Dutch Master and steal your woman, you believe it.

After the passing of his parents, Spec Boogie sought refuge in Philadelphia, a decision that resulted in a tight affiliation with Questlove and the Grammy Award-winning group The Roots. Polishing his live stage show under the tutelage of the masters, Spec Boogie performed on several legs of Okayplayer tours

• Spec on MySpace
• Spec on Twitter
• Spec’s Tumblr (an interesting catalog of restored and preserved photos his father took in New York, over a span of 30 years)
• Downloadables