#specsone

[intrudercomics]

Color Page from Intruder #18 by Specs Wizard AKA Michael Hall

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Portraits Of Seattle #28 SPECS WIZARD

Michael Hall aka SPECS ONE/SPECS WIZARD is among the most important people in Seattle's Hip Hop scene. He has been an active and important member of this community since back in 1979.  I was extremely excited to include Specs in my series. I feel many of the younger generations here don't realize the sheer volume of quality music Specs has made since they were still youngsters. I have been tripping off his nearly endless supply of expertly crafted production and lyrics for years. In addition to the music itself, he is a graffiti writer/comic book artist and has shown his visual art in some of Seattles best galleries.

When by SpecsWizard You Herd by GLS2011

I originally met Specs back in 2004 through my friend Phil Petrocelli who said he may have some good beats for me to use in a documentary film I was making during college. At this time, I had just been getting heavy into J Dilla/Madlib production and had heard nothing comparable up to that point in my own town. The disc of beats Specs got me was unbelievable. This production was right up there with any I had heard and the CD was just a fraction of what he had at home. The cassette tapes and CD's specs has put out over the years feature production that is gritty yet still melodic and soulful. They feature a rough aesthetic that compliments his laid back flow perfectly. Back in 1996 SPECS contributed to the 14 Fathoms compilation. This Seattle classic was put out on Loose Groove records.

In recent years, Specs has been as busy as ever. He collaborated with the group Foscil on two albums as well as helping to curate art shows and still make his comic books. The vivid brush and ink drawings that make up Mux Adaptor are especially fresh. I'm looking forward to hearing more new material from Mr. Hall as well as hoping he makes some of the OG mix tapes and recordings more readily available for listening online.

Writer Andrew Matson asked Specs the following 3 questions as part of the Portraits of Seattle Project:

1. When/where in Seattle did you first start rapping? Was there anything about your environment that influenced you to use a particular style?

I started rapping and making beats in 1979. In the High Point projects in SW Seattle. At the time I was mainly influenced by the music I was listening to. Which was 70's funk, soul, disco and early rap music. I just wanted to make my own music. The pre-crack era environment was very positive for me, though. I feel lucky to have experienced that. I was able to focus on art and music. 2. "14 Fathoms" is considered a classic in Seattle hip-hop now. When you made a song for the compilation in 1996, and designed the cover art, how did you feel it compared to other Seattle rap around that time and before? It was just another phase in the maturing of the NW rap scene. I always tried to do something different with each project. Years later, I feel like I would have done a few things differently. There were two versions of the song ["A New Day"] we did. The first beat was a lot simpler. I had fun with that, though. I put a Metro bus ride in the background. You can hear us talking about tagging it up. I think there was a good deal of independence among artists then. We had a detectable sound. It seems like now, most groups are trying to equate themselves with what is popular on the radio.

3. I know you used to walk the city a lot in the early morning time. Are you still a big walker? What's Seattle like for walking? A good place?

I don't walk as much as I used to. I enjoy biking a bit more. It is good to walk the back-streets though. It's a good place to think of new ideas. I'm also a big fan of hiking in the woods and mountains. In this crazy world, we have to seek out those moments of clarity. Silence is good for the soul. Sometimes the most peaceful time of the day is between 4-6 AM.