In the public eye, rappers are often known to be crass, rambunctious or attention seeking. Those who expect a rapper to appear that way might miss out on J. Specs, a soft-spoken, up-and-coming rapper.

Jordan Spector, a sophomore information management and technology major from Livingston, New Jersey, never thought music was in his future. But in 2011, he wrote and performed a rap for his teen retreat in Israel and got positive feedback from his peers. From that moment on, he started working to develop his skills and eventually began a rap career as J. Specs.

His most recent song was released this month and is an ode to Syracuse University called “College Dayz.” Before this track, he had produced six songs in the past six months. They’re all available on Spector’s SoundCloud page; he said he is working on even more now.

As a new artist, Spector tries to prove that everyone can get into music if they’re interested.

“Anyone with the motivation and the inspiration can express themselves through music,” Spector said. “I came into (rapping) knowing nothing about music and music production, and you just learn as you do it.”

When he started rapping, Spector didn’t have much equipment and described himself as a “low-budget artist.” Instead of studio headphones and fancy mixing equipment, he produced his first song using GarageBand on his iPad and Apple earbuds. Since then, he has upgraded to new music-producing software, which has much more in-depth capabilities. Now, he can cut up beats and include piano instrumentals that he comes up with by ear.

Spector didn’t grow up with a very musical background, as his father was a rabbi and his mother was an assistant principal at a local private school. However, he said music ran in his blood because his grandmother studied opera at Syracuse University. Still, Spector’s friends found that his new ambition came a bit out of the blue.

“When I first came out with my songs, my friends were really surprised because they viewed me as a really quiet person, maybe even a little introverted,” Spector said.

However, his friends still support all the music he’s turned out. Lenn Brown, a sophomore management major and a good friend of Spector’s, praised his work.

“He can formulate lyrics in a way that everyone can relate to,” Brown said. “I’m most impressed by his uniqueness and mindset on life that he incorporates into his music.”

Other friends describe his music as rap, hip hop, reggae and a hint of pop, comparing him to rappers like Matisyahu. Although Spector doesn’t like to compare his music to other artists’, he said he takes inspiration from his favorite performers: Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Eminem and others.

But one thing definitely set Spector apart from many other rappers: he makes sure his lyrics are clean.

“A lot of times in the music industry, you’ll have songs that their messages might be a little shallow. So I try to put more than that into my music,” Spector said.

In a recent song about college, he didn’t just focus on partying. He raps about forming connections that will last a lifetime and learning the skills required to “venture into the crazy unknown,” capturing the highlights and struggles of college life in one song.

Spector said if his fans could only listen to one of his songs, he’d want them to hear “Too Many Thoughts,” one of his singles that preaches taking chances in life.

“I came into this just trying to create something special so that I could look back and see that I created something original,” Spector said, adding that he uses music as an emotional outlet. It is an added bonus when he receives positive feedback from his family, friends and fans.

Spector said rapping is just a side hobby right now, and whether he plans to make it a part of his career is unforeseen.

“The fulfillment comes not in popularity, but knowing that I can make an impact and knowing I can make my message resonate with even one person,” Spector said. “That means the world to me.”

Published on January 26, 2016 at 10:23 pm