Oral History of Mervin Jenkins, interviewed by Laura R. Brown, Ra'Shaud J. Graham and Michael L. Rice, 16 March, 2017

Oral History of Mervin Jenkins, interviewed by Laura R. Brown, Ra'Shaud J. Graham and Michael L. Rice, 16 March, 2017

Musician and educator Mervin Antonio Jenkins, also known as Spec the Spectacular for his talent at rhyming and freestyle, was born in Eutawville, South Carolina in 1972. He is the first child of Mary, a schoolteacher, and Melvin Jenkins, an auto mechanic worker. It was in his father’s garage that Jenkins listened to Run DMC, "Sucker MC's" for the first time. Later, he would learn more about rap music and culture with his cousin from New York. In the interview, Jenkins reflects on his career as a musician and as an educator who uses rap to engage young people. He shares the challenges and rewards of his career, stating that recording with Big Daddy Cane was one of his proudest moments. He discusses the evolution of rap music and its styles and names his favorite artists. When asked about a particular Charleston/Carolinas sound, he argues that the Carolinas never developed their own rap sound and style because it was not functional for the music industry. At the end of the interview, he performs “War of the Worlds” and freestyles, responding to the audience prompts.

Working Charleston

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application/pdf

English

Text

https://citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/items/show/617

Charleston (S.C.)

1 hour, 9 minutes

Brown, Laura R.

Graham, Ra'Shaud J.

Rice, Michael L.

Jenkins, Mervin