Spek

Spek didn’t just make music—he built a music industry. Before launching PopArabia and transforming music rights in the Middle East, Spek was already a shape-shifting force in the global hip-hop scene. His story starts in Montreal’s east end, a 14-year-old with a mic and a mission. By 17, he had a record deal with EMI and was touring the world, having joined legendary Canadian rap pioneers Dream Warriors thanks to a chance meeting at an autograph session. London called next. In the late ‘90s, Spek dove headfirst into the city’s cultural melting pot—touring with Us3, jamming with Jamiroquai’s inner circle, and helping shape the Asian Underground scene alongside Nitin Sawhney. His voice featured on Beyond Skin, a Mercury Prize-nominated album praised by the likes of Sting and Madonna. 

But Spek never stayed in one lane. He pivoted into a genre-bending solo career, releasing "Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff", an acoustic-hip-hop blend that critics called “like Prince and De La Soul in a mucky mud wrestle—exceptional.” He topped MTV UK charts, hosted the JUNOs, and proved he could play on any stage. Then, he did something unexpected. In 2006, he stepped away from the spotlight and moved to Dubai—not to retire, but to start something radical. The region had no real music infrastructure. So, Spek built one. He founded PopArabia in 2011, pioneering music rights management in the Middle East and opening doors that had never existed before. PopArabia didn’t just survive—it reshaped the game. By 2015, Spek’s expertise took him to New York as Senior VP of Creative and A&R at Reservoir Media, where he signed emerging artists like J.I.D and helped steer one of the world’s most forward-thinking indie music companies.

Still, the artist in him never faded. He reunited with Nitin Sawhney at Royal Albert Hall and contributed to Immigrants (2020) and Identity (2023). Now, with Voo Doo Kid, Spek comes full circle—channeling the spirit of his early hip-hop days with dusty breakbeats, acoustic textures, and a swirl of influences from Bowie to The Sundays. “Before Dream Warriors, I was Spek The Voo Doo Kid,” he says. “This album reflects that era. I wanted to honor hip-hop’s golden age but add my own DNA—ELO, Radiohead, all of it.” Voo Doo Kid isn’t just an album. It’s a love letter to the past, a vision for the future—and a reminder that Spek doesn’t follow trends. He builds them. 

PopArabia website - poparabia.com