What do you get when you combine two multi-talented musicians (one a former public school principal and another who makes his living working for one of the top automotive industry giants)? Well, just add the high pitched, smooth-lyrical rhyme delivery along with jazzy samples that’s reminiscent of hip hop’s Golden Era and you have the Dynamic Duo better known as Spectac & Amiri. Both artists have been in the game for some time now and after a short hiatus they’ve decided to return with their first official full length, titled Spectac & Amiri ‘Are Almost Famous’, to be released on HiPNOTT Records.

In 2003 Spectac & Amiri released the single Lessons from da Ghetto that charted Billboard’s top 100 Hip Hop/R&B list. Soon after, work began that involved the likes of 9th Wonder, Big Daddy Kane, and a host of other prominent hip hop figures. Performances at the Annual Rock Steady Reunion in NYC to the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and interviews on NPR (National Public Radio) are all a testament to the duo’s ability to transcend the norm when it comes to music and the hip hop audience.

Spectac & Amiri have remained a constant in an industry where groups tend to come and go in a ruthless and never-ending cycle of one hit wonders. If you ask them their longevity can only be credited to their strong commitment to making the music that they’ve always been passionate about. “We feel like we have a responsibility to lead a new generation of young people—along with our own peers. Our music is timeless and through it we become the same”, said Spectac. Amiri says, “Music is simply a tool that we use to capture the hearts and souls of our listeners.”

In a time where some might argue Hip Hop is Dead (or at least on its deathbed), regardless of the odds, it seems like the boys are here once again to save the day. Old fans will unite with the new to celebrate the return of Spectac & Amiri; after all they truly “Are Almost Famous”.