Terrence Spectacle

At first glance, there is something undeniably fascinating about Terrence Spectacle. Fortified with a glorious, textured Afro that bounces alongside to the beat of his personality and a birthmark inside of his left eye, this 6-foot-4-inch wanderlust has wisdom far beyond his ripe 20 years of age.

Rewind back to kindergarten when he first realized he may be a tad unusual. While being featured in his school play, younger Terrence grabbed everyone’s attention when the spotlight suddenly focused on him. Unable to see, he lifted up his shirt over his head and continued his part as if nothing was off. The whole crowd burst into laughter while Terrance was confused by all the attention. He stole the best moment of the show and Terrence, whose birth name reads Terrence Duane Morris Jr., single-handedly created his first spectacle.

Fast forward 10 years and Terrance, now 15, navigated through his early teen angst by channeling music as his dark, secret hobby. He kept to himself, glued to his hands at all times were a standard dictionary, rhyming dictionary and a five-way translator. This is where he developed his large vocabulary, applied it to poetry and perfected it, becoming a big part of his signature rap style.

Over the past couple years Terrence Spectacle has been meticulously plotting his rise in the city of Dallas and now is more ready than ever to make waves.

This year already is shaping up to be the one when people really discover who Terrence Spectacle is and his role in the changing tide of Dallas music. Just in the first week alone he has already been voted “Best New Artist,” by a panel of Dallas’s most distinguished urban entertainment figures and highlighted as an artist in the Dallas Observer and Central Track.

He was recognized alongside his IRAS collective members as “Best New Artist.” IRAS, an acronym for Independent Recording Arts Society, is a nonprofit organization founded by Matthew Winn, Spectacle’s manager, and boasts a roster led by Dallas’ up and coming producers and young hiphop artists. Other artists in this collective include Brandon Fxrd, Kissed Killed, Devy Stonez, Danny Cainco and K. Vation.

With the streets buzzing his name, the attention still hasn’t phased him as fame isn’t something he is chasing.

“Fame is a byproduct of excitement and living in the moment…My biggest goal of 2015 is just knowing my worth,” he said.

Spectacle dropped his album NuDallas last summer. When asked the significance of the spelling he simply said “I don’t like e’s.”

He released a single last year entitled “Blu Summer,” that justifies his fear of e’s as well. Jokes aside, the project is an animated, fresh look at the themes of love, sex, depression and one’s self-esteem. Combined with his fast, fluidity in rhyme and bouncy beats his fresh, new style is breaking the many stereotypes lingering around the Dallas rap scene.

He describes his sound as a “fusion of sorts,” as he seamlessly infuses electro pop-hip-hop and R&B into his music. His biggest music influences are Michael Jackson and Prince in which he takes from them how to be a true entertainer and how to embrace your inner odd tendencies as an admirable feature.

The only way to describe his live performances is an explosion of awesome. In person, he is calm and collected, but once Spectacle steps on stage he creates a mood with his presence that is extremely captivating and his music is so fun that I dare you to try to not to find yourself jumping up and down with him and repeating his infectious, catchy lyrics. It’s apparent through the way he moves on stage how comfortable he is with himself as an artist and it’s admirable to watch him live in the moment.

In the last few years Spectacle has been opening for major touring acts such as Big Sean and The Internet, commanding the attention of their supporters and converting them to Spectacle fans. He takes pride in building an organic following through each show. Spectacle has been known to wear ring pops that he loves to throw out during his shows and he always makes time for the young ladies who line up in droves just to have a chance to rub their hands through his irresistible locks of love.

Spectacle’s style is just as unique as his personality. He channels his love of anime and manga into what he wears. You can catch him often with Chinese calligraphy written all over his hand and you may even catch him in some traditional ninja gear.

At 20, Terrence Spectacle is excited about life and what the future has in store for him. He already knows. His focus is traveling this year and continuing to grow and develop his sound.

“For me to be doing what I’m doing is the biggest thrill, learning to overcome fear and be myself,” he said. “Relativity and bravery are important and I want my audience to understand that there are so many people that come from dark places and do bright things.”

Keep up with Terrance Spectacle and the IRAS collective at theiras.com. He will be featured at SXSW this year and will continue to perform and tour in Dallas and surrounding cities - Blitz Weekly

The IRAS are young, hungry, talented, and dangerous. A collective of individual artists from surrounding Dallas suburbs who met via Soundcloud, they have their own in-house producers, an in-house videographer, and a site to distribute their content. Each artist has a unique sound, with their commonality lying in the contagious energy they all exude within what they do. For example, Devy $tonez is the well-rounded rap star, his delivery seemingly effortless, while Terrence Spectacle exists as a future pop star, ready for any local pop radio station’s Jingle Jam. Having recently put on a show entirely manned by them, the IRAS’ future looks quite promising. - Noisey

Hell took a few days off. It's hibernating. Taking a well-earned nap. It must have gone on a date or something. Maybe it's at the ballpark cheering on its favorite baseball team, the New York Yankees. Point is, the hellish Texas heat isn't terrorizing the citizens of the Valley Ranch development in Irving this Saturday morning. The air is crisp and cool and the sky is gray. What a perfect day for a run.
A Saturday morning run is routine for Terrence Spectacle, whose given name is Terrence Morris. The 19-year-old pop-rap musician was on Tarleton State University's track team during his freshman and lone year at the school and still makes it a point to stay in shape. So this is where your narrator will have to break the fourth wall for a moment: Any sort of running or exercise in general is not routine for me. I eat things that taste good and clog arteries. I am a smoker and am going to do a quick run with Spectacle. Hell took the day off to visit my blackened lungs.

Spectacle does a number of stretches and loosens up his muscles before taking off on a light jog, his curly Afro bouncing in the wind.

Originally from a Detroit suburb called Southfield in eastern Michigan, Spectacle left as a result of the recession. His mother was laid off by a materials-making company, Plastipak. "When the recession hit is really when I saw my mom buckle," he says. "She's never been a runner. I've never seen my mom run in her life."

However, they had to leave the deteriorating city and head down south. "She was like, 'This is the next chapter of our lives.'"

At 14, Spectacle found himself picking everything up and running from Southfield, Michigan, to Valley Ranch.

Detroit and Valley Ranch have their differences. You don't get a cookie for assuming this much. Whereas Spectacle relishes a more diverse mix of people in Texas, Detroit's magnetic personalities are something he harkens back to.

"The people are so different. In the South they have Southern hospitality," he says. "But in Detroit, there's a swagger that's just uncanny."

Spectacle had done his fair share of moving throughout the Midwest well before a crumbling economy forced him to be an expatriate of the region altogether. Thanks to "family dysfunction," he lived in Ann Arbor, Chicago and various areas around Detroit. Papa was a rolling stone and Mama couldn't deal with his shit, according to Spectacle.

When he was 12, Spectacle's parents split, and his mother's demanding job saw that he would often be left alone. Where he could've gotten himself into trouble, as many precocious youth do -- "I had friends coming out of the eighth grade that moved bricks," he says -- Spectacle spent time on the computer, soaking up music and poetry. Some of his notable influences include the wandering jazz-influenced couplets of Langston Hughes, poet of record William Shakespeare, king of all that is wit Oscar Wilde and recently passed feminist luminary Maya Angelou.

Spectacle was always something of an artist. As a child he played saxophone in the school band, got into spoken-word poetry early on in his teenage years and was a theater kid. His first role took place in middle school, where he was in a semi-original play that combined Animal Farm and The Wizard of Oz.

Spectacle took an advanced theater class in high school, yet he never acted in any more plays. He says his band director wouldn't allow it. On top of track, it would take up too much time and band directors in general are greedy with their students' time. However, the barrier placed on being a thespian wasn't a tragedy at the time.

"I was on the back burner for a really long time with my talents. I was hesitant to run with the torches," he says. "I always wanted to be more of an underdog than anything."

Said talents are something he's learned to put in the foreground. Spectacle has fostered a brand of loopy, dazed, psychedelic hip-hop that leans more toward pop than anything. The title track from his upcoming album NuDallas, due out August 19, finds Spectacle emphatically proclaiming that Dallas is his city, over bouncy production that paints a picture of flowers in bloom. "Wanna" features Spectacle singing abstract lyrics over the same bright utopian landscape on the feel-good posse cut, "Blu Summer," which features guest spots from Brandon Fxrd, KissedKilled, Jarvis Hodges and Crit Morris. Kanye West, ball of fury and genius, rants about the heights he can't reach, but the glass ceiling he's broken allows people like Spectacle to further blur the lines of what hip-hop and pop music are allowed to be.

Spectacle often writes lyrics and composes music while submerged in darkness, creating an atmosphere that's both eerie and lucid. "I'm really cut off from my feelings. I don't know why that is," he says. "The most meaningful words, to me, expose numbness and what it's like to feel for something that you know you can't feel."

Spectacle is a part of a collective that's a cross between the late '90s' Soulquarians and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Michael "Flea" Balzary's Silverlake Conservatory called the IRAS. The acronym stands for Independent Recording Arts Society founded by Spectacle's manager, Matthew Winn, 21.

The IRAS is a not-for-profit organization founded in April 2013 that seeks to promote, educate and encourage artists, regardless of their medium, in the Dallas area.

"To me, the IRAS is like the Hogwarts of artistry," Winn says. As of now, between 20 and 30 artists are involved with the IRAS in some capacity.

"Right now people are like, 'Y'all are talking a big game,'" Spectacle says of the IRAS. "But everything we said we're gonna do, we have." The IRAS has cultivated a legitimate artist community in the Dallas area in a relatively short time. Most collectives throw shows to cast a spotlight on the talent, as does the IRAS, but fostering a sense of brotherhood -- something which Spectacle says was lost on him until now -- may be its most important contribution yet.

Spectacle is no longer an athlete on a university track team, nor is he escaping a city facing an economic plunge. Yet he is still running. He's running on Saturday mornings to keep the blood flowing the way it's supposed to. To get an endorphin rush. He runs in circles around a track or back and forth doing sprints. Even when he isn't decked out in mesh athletic gear, curly Afro bouncing in the wind, Specactle is still running. He's running toward something, and now, he's finally bold enough to run with the torches. - Dallas Observer

Too Fresh Productions premiered a video for the track, “King’s Cup,” by local musician Terrence Spectacle on their site earlier this week. Too Fresh founder Joel Salazar had this to say about the instantly memorable video, which features funeral imagery and yet also includes footage of people living it up, and lyrics that feature much of the same:

One feedback I will give about the video is that it I feel like it doesn’t really fit the track itself. There is only a quick mention of “funeral” in one of the verses, and to center the whole song around that premise was kind of off for me. I get that they were celebrating his life in passing, but for me it just didn’t fit.

While I can see Salazar’s point, I also think that Spectacle and his Independent Recording Arts Society-produced video are onto something here. The juxtaposition of depressing imagery with uplifting lyrics and vice-versa is an age-old trick in pop music and I think it works here. This is the most unusual Dallas hip-hop video to come across my screen in recent memory. See it by going here. Also: Read Joel Salazar’s year-in-review that we ran this week by going here. - Christopher Mosley

Im just getting hip to this dallas movement but i must admit it’s kinda smooth. Check out this exciting visual shot by Parker Foster for “Blu Summer” by Terrence Spectacle feat. Brandon Fxrd, KissedKilled, Jarvis Hodges & Crit Morris. Terrence Spectacle’s debut project NuDallas, project is due out in August. - Elevator Magazine

It’s been month after month of build up, with so much anticipation surrounding ‘NuDallas’ You’ve gotta wonder did Terrence Spectacle reach expectations? Did he go above & beyond them? I want to say that the line is drawn somewhere in the middle for me. If you’ve already heard one of Terrence’s songs before you should already know what to expect for his album. That’s not a bad thing at all being that he has one of the most undefinable sounds I’ve ever heard this side of music. So many poppy hooks on this album, and bars like this was an underground rap album. Add in a slew of R&b, jazz, funk inspirations. Boom you got his sound. Now what do we call this? Idk lets just call it T-pop for now. The instrumental selection on this album is awesome, a lot of electro pop sounds, trap influenced hihats, jazz brass like on the track ‘Kings Cup' which happens to have one of my favorite overall sounds on the album. It was my least favorite at first, but it grew on me quick. Who doesn't like a song about turning up with a twist. After that song I feel like the album takes a turn into a deeper more sophisticated sound. 'Man Down' almost in interlude fashion bridges the gap with the airy vocals. The reverb heavy track makes you feel like you're in a cold dark room. The strings really make this track. Things stay pretty slowed along to the next track 'On The Fence' Its a Texas flavored track with that Tspec twist. One of the most catchy songs on the album without a doubt. I know the ladies will love this one, but i guess that holds true for most of his tracks. Like the forever beloved 'Futon' and 'Say My Name' to the smash hit 'Blu Summer' which contracts some of the hottest artists in the city (Brandon Ford, Kissed Killed, Jarvis Hodges and Crit Morris) to help Terrence along with the fan favorite. 'NuDallas' might be my favorite song off of the entire album (No not because of the name) This song just gives me an amazing vibe. It makes me feel like I can win. Seriously an inspiring track in every way. “This is my city” is a big claim, but somebody with as much ambition as Terrence he will live up to that. One of my favorite things about this album is it's cohesive, like it sounds like an album entirely through. Sonically enjoyable from the first song all the way to the last, and not to mention the extras on the downloaded version. Especially 'Futon II’. I’d recommend this album toa nyone even my own moms. What did you guys think about NuDallas. Did you love it hate it. Give us your thoughts? - New Dallas LTD

What’s up man. It’s good to finally have you on the blog.
Terrence - “Thanks for having me, it’s good to be in touch.”

Right off the bat I really want to talk about your recently released debut project “NuDallas” It’s almost been a month since then. How do you feel about the overall reaction from the project so far?

Terrence - “I’m shocked to be honest, surprised, and happy. The reaction is always shocking in a sense, I never go into an endeavor expecting much more than I invested, as a moral fail-safe of sorts.”
That’s a true artist complex right there. I think the overall reaction you got was great. It’s been about a month, and I know people are still enjoying the tape.

The title of your album really caused quite the controversy throughout the city, was that something that you had planned before hand, and tell us a little bit about your definition for “NuDallas”?

Terrence - “I hadn’t planned for the album title to be so controversial, you can only project your foresight so much into the minds of audiences you know, and the minds of those you don’t know. That proved to be more of the situation, awareness and enlightenment on the city less than the term. To me, NuDallas is merely my album title. The ideology behind the music, and the album is different all together.”
It was like a giant misconception really, but in the end that helped fuel the album. Just with that name there comes this stigma that I think people from the city automatically gravitate towards. It peaks their interests you know. The true definition by now has been obscured, but I think as individuals we have similar goals for ourselves, and the future of the city. Even with our own respective definitions.

From the start before you even released your album it seemed like you already had one of the most diverse and loyal fan bases I’ve ever seen. How does that effect you, and your musical process?

Terrence - “Shouts outs to the fans, they keep me going. It’s very inspiring, to know that so early in my career I can spread to a variety of listeners and in turn through my music can change their lives. I write songs often times with people in mind(sometimes fans) and lyrics tend to pour out as if I was in a conversation with them. Each conversation is uniquely tailored to the person, and yet fits other listeners as well. They’re meant to be stories for others to learn from.”

Fans. One of the most important aspects of being an artist,
and I hate to see that overlooked, but you always seem to put the fans first. Always. I respect that. I think you have a very unique approach when it comes to tying together your fans & your music, and everything else that’s going on. I’d like to say that you’re sound is extremely unique, but it suits you well. It’s like a electronic, pop, hiphop, jazz fusion. Where do you think your unique combination of sounds comes from?

Terrence - “Thanks, it honestly just came from the music of my childhood. Listening to Prince, EWF( Earth, Wind & Fire), and Michael Jackson. Alternative bands especially, N.E.R.D sped up my ear for music in my early teen years. I appreciated all types of music, my parents played anything around the house from Sebastian Bach, to LL Cool J.”

I think it’s that diversity that makes for a great artist. People now a days are stuck on genre. More like stuck on stupid. I’ve been waiting for a new age artist to come along that transcends genre. Maybe you can be that next multifaceted artist. Almost like Prince or Michael Jackson that inspired you. I think you’re well on you’re way Terrence.

I don’t know if I’ve said this before but I think that you have one of the best artist aesthetics. From the way that you present yourself to your energetic performances accompanied by a live band. I’m sure this city has never seen anything like Terrence Spectacle before.

Terrence - “Thanks again, I really appreciate that.
My presence could’ve been the product of the absence, and unanswered calls of our people; I can’t say for sure yet.
I learned so much growing up in Detroit, between playing classical music at an early age, to acting and poetry, a persona of it’s own began to form from all these things occupying my life. I feel as though this all started in the mirror. I remember looking into my bedroom mirror looking for things to improve upon, and bring into existence, years later the method is the same, the routine just adjusts to my everyday life as a musician. I recognize my role in all of this, and I know now exactly how to play it. I intend to be a beacon, and trailblaze a path of greatness no matter the destination; it started in this city.”

Where ever there’s a void it will always find a way to fill itself. I think that’s just one of those universal laws. Your on this path of progression, and nothing can stop you. I’m looking forward to see where this road leads you.

Speaking of which. You’re one of the front runners of TheIRAS. What is like working with such a big group of talented kids. I’m sure there’s a lot of in house competition. Does that keep you motivated or what?
Terrence -“That’s just it. There isn’t competition in-house, the diversity of our artists dissolves that in a sense. It’s more like in-house motivation. We tend to feed off of each other’s energy, and thrive from that. If one artist is eating, it encourages the next artist to eat more; we all recognize the need to put food on the table. Other than Jarvis Hodges, I’m the eldest developed artist in The IRAS, so to artists such as Devy Stonez, Brandon Fxrd, and K.Vation I feel like a big brother. My job is to continuously break through doors, and glass ceilings. It’s my responsability to bear the weight of many things before they have the chance to experience them so that they can learn from my mistakes.
The cycle will continue with their growth, and one day they’ll assist other artists develop, I’m sure it’s happening now.
That’s what the IRAS is all about.”

That’s amazing. The IRAS seems to have it all figured out for the most part, and I’ve noticed how with most of The IRAS releases they tend to improve every time. Progression seems to be the main focus. And it’s cool that you can be a real source of inspiration to some of the younger guys. I know you said before your job is to continually break doors, and I think that’s exactly what you’ve done so far with your music, and your attitude. The way you interact with fans. The whole 9 I think a lot of people should make note of that. I know “NuDallas” just released but what do you have planned next? I know you’re cameraman Parker Foster left for Chicago recently. Any new visuals dropping soon, perhaps filmed with someone else?

Terrence - “I have two more videos directed by Parker Foster scheduled for release throughout the rest of the year, one in Autumn, and the other in Winter. Parker has been, and as it remains my go-to-guy for music videos, I can’t see that changing in the near future.”
I feel you on that. You two make one hell of a team. I mean Blu summer aha. That video was amazing. Your videos always have an interesting back story as well. It’s not just a random compilation of video clips. Speaking of which your latest visual ‘Man Down’ Is dropping bright & early tomorrow. It looks very interesting to say the least I can’t wait to see it.

I Think you’ve got so much going for you right now man. I love to see the humble guy win, and I feel like you’re one of the most beloved artist in the city right now so you are. I’m still spinning NuDallas. It’s a sick edition to my itunes. I can’t wait to see what you do next man. I’m watching. - New Dallas LTD

So, lately there’s been a lot of talk about this whole “NuDallas” movement. Some people say it makes no sense because Dallas isn’t necessarily “new”, some say that it simply means these are new faces of Dallas that need the city’s support NOW. To me, the NuDallas movement appears to be a group of young, fresh, and new artists that are making one hell of a name for themselves here in the city. One artist in particular, Terrence Spectacle, released his first single titled Blu Summer earlier this summer, which featured other members of the NuDallas movement, including Brandon Fxrd, KissedKilled, Jarvis Hodges, and Crit Morris. This track honestly is a summer anthem and I have had this joint on my playlist since the release! Every artist brought their own style to the track, especially when Crit Morris’ verse starts and the beat slows up. I can dig it! Check out the video below. - Chan-Lo

“Futon” music video by Terrence Spectacle. Via his YouTube description: “The video follows a teenage ninja from the future who’s losing his grasp of reality. Technology and the internet has engulfed the minds and souls of humans everywhere. It’s not long before the ninja finds himself trapped too, where he’ll meet three strangers where they’ll all meet their fate.” Catch up with all things Terrence Spectacle HERE, and be sure to check him out live in concert in Dallas this Saturday. Details HERE. - K104 FM

Peace to everyone at SXSW this week. Today is the last day of madness and it’s pretty crazy around these parts as well. On this rainy Saturday afternoon I’ve elected to catch up on some emails and messages that were sent my way as submissions to review on the site. After fumbling through a couple of emails, I was pleased to see one from the IRAS Inc group. These guys have been one of the most professional and consistent music groups that have provided quaility content that I have run across in some time. The artists they send my way on their roster have been impressive, and it hasn’t slowed down a bit with their latest submission, a track titled ”Futon” by Terrence Spectacle (ft. Nicole Fenner). Terrence is a transplant from Detroit that has found his way here fusing some of that northern flavor with some southern twang. It’s evident in this track. I’ll be up front right away, I absolutely love this track. It’s music and diversity like this that makes certain artists stand out. Especially in a market from the South. I certainly don’t blame artists for playing to the strengths the area provides, or making music that they were inspired with or grew up to. But there is something about being able to take a little bit of something and make it your own. The track itself is upbeat and fun. I particularly like the variety of energy throughout the track. The song is upbeat at first with some catchy raps, then breaks into a lovely medley and voice from Nicole Fenner who compliments the track well. The change up is something special. From the drummer breakdown, back to the uptempo vibe, then to a more club southern heavy bass and bounce. I could easily see this song being shopped and being played somewhere big. Very impressed and would love to get a show with the IRAS Inc roster of artists. Keep up the good work fellas! Bang out the video/track below. - TooFresh Productions

OK, enough about the people you already know. Here's someone you probably don't -- yet anyway. This is Terrence Spectacle of the upstart crew, The IRAS, which stands for The Independent Recording Arts Society. They're brand new to the scene, but they've got promise -- enough so where, tomorrow night, you can catch Spectacle opening for Odd Future offshoot The Internet at Trees. Based off his small available sample size, Spectacle for the most part comes off as a largely unoffensive character. But his quick rhymes and wit? Those are undeniable. Definitely a newcomer to watch. - Central Track

22. Terrence Spectacle – Say My Name

Most of the year went by without a peep from Terrence Spectacle, but this past September saw the emcee release a freestyle remix to Destiny Child/Drake “Say My Name”. The futuristic pop anthem is highly addictive. Catchy melody, smooth flow and nice complementary vocals towards the end made this cut a true standout this year. - The Independent Recording Arts Society, Inc.

19. Terrence Spectacle – Wanna

As a follow-up single to “Say My Name”, Terrence Spectacle released this groovy R&B/Pop number to much fan affair. The rap/sung number further solidified Spectacle’s sound as retro-futurism Hip-Pop, or quite simply a mutant offspring of Jimi Hendrix, a Japanese ninja warrior and Morpheus. - The Independent Recording Arts Society, Inc.