Spencer Polanco Knight (Born: April 20, 1992) is a TikTok superstar who specializes in beatboxing. He has almost 30 million followers on TikTok and counting. His posts showcase his musical prowess, but he also has sketches and comedic content too.
Spencer X Early Beginnings
Becoming a famous entertainer seemed like destiny for a young Spencer Polanco Knight. After all, he was born in the city that never sleeps. The future Spencer X came into this world on 4/20 in Manhattan, New York. He also has a sister, whose name is Gigi Knight.
The Knight family consists of parents who are of Chinese and Ecuadorian descent. Spencer X’s parents were always very supportive of their child, encouraging him to follow his dreams.
His relationship with his family has always been on full display on Spencer’s social media. He truly appreciates their support. It allowed him to blindly follow his dreams without abandon, which, as we know, ended up paying off nicely.
He was a very active and playful kid, unafraid to be the center of attention or make new friends. It was pretty evident early on that he was going to be somebody big.
Spencer X Gets Into Music
Almost immediately, Spencer was drawn to music. He would find himself nodding along or tapping to songs on the radio or television. While lyrics and dancing captivated Spencer, he was really drawn to the beats and instrumentals.
Once he reached middle school, Spencer joined music programs for extracurricular activities. He experimented with different percussions.
Eventually, Spencer started gravitating more towards the trumpet and bass. No matter what, the rising star was transfixed. However, nothing quite like what he was going to be.
Spencer X Discovers Beatboxing
Just as Spencer was starting to find his way with instruments, he was introduced to the next chapter in his music journey. One day, Spencer and his good friend were playing a round of tennis. During the game, his friend randomly started beatboxing. Spencer was blown away.
As a person who plays an instrument, he couldn’t understand how the human body can make such noise. Immediately, Spencer started grilling his buddy about how he could do it. However, his tennis opponent wasn’t able to really explain the talent.
So, Spencer inquired what inspired his pal to try. His friend gave credit to the hip hop community. Spencer took it upon himself to study the art.
Spencer X Joins Hip Hop Club
Ever the student, Spencer X deep dove into old school hip hop videos. Spencer started mimicking their vocalizations. The future star was a little rough around the edges at first. However, Spencer had a good feeling he was going to catch on. No matter what, he was going to stop until he did it.
With this newfound appreciation for hip hop, Spencer supplemented his band extracurricular activities with the hip hop club. Spencer completely immersed himself in the experience. In time, he finally nailed it. Spencer started beatboxing and was becoming good at it quickly.
Spencer X Performs Live
To gain more exposure and experience, Spencer X took his act on the road, literally. He started performing for three to four hours at Union Square up to five times per week!
Spencer was dedicated to his craft, but Union Square wasn’t always so supportive. He would get kicked out numerous times and even levied with fines for loitering.
Obsessed with getting better and becoming addicted to the adoration of others, Spencer joined a Russian rock band. The group didn’t have a drummer. So, they used Spencer X’s beatboxing skills to provide the beat.
Spencer X Joins Midnight Ramblers
Spencer continued to expand his extracurricular activities. He joined the afterschool acapella group. They were known as the Midnight Ramblers.
With talented singers who made their instruments via their voices, Spencer was in good company. The team gelled wonderfully. They got so good that they even auditioned to be on NBC’s hit singing competition show, The Sing Off. While they did a good job, it wasn’t enough for the tandem to procure a spot on the telecast.
Dejected, Spencer felt like it was time to move on. He would leave his acapella group and hook up with another one called Backtrack.
Spencer X Beatboxes Competitively
Spencer decided to take his show on the road. This decision was a wise one, as it earned the star a lot of exposure. His first foray into competition saw Spencer enter the top 16 for the East Coast Beatbox Battle.
In 2012, Spencer traveled to Ohio to enter the Midwest Beatbox Battle. He earned the “Vice-Champion” title during the competition.
Spencer X Goes on Tour
Traveling to competitions gave Spencer X a taste of what touring would be like. He loved exploring new areas, making new fans, and networking with other artists.
Therefore, Spencer X started joining festivals, including:
- Van’s Warped Tour
- Bumbershoot Festival
- 116th Street Festival
These were very successful endeavors for the beatboxer. He started to gain followers on social media and subscribers to his YouTube channel. This uptick in supporters caught the eye of the mainstream. Spencer X was on the verge of becoming a big deal.
Spencer X Press Coverage
The world was falling in love with Spencer X. He had a unique talent that captivated audiences. Naturally, the press took notice of this rising star.
He became featured artists or The Purchase Beat, a SUNY Purchase publication. Spencer X was also covered in prestigious media outlets, such as The Village Voice and USA Today. Back in 2014, USA Today dubbed Spencer X an “up-and-coming artist.” Boy, they weren’t kidding.
Spencer X Goes Viral
With his Sing Off audition in the rearview mirror, Spencer X got a taste of fame. He didn’t want to give it up. So, he decided to launch a YouTube channel to showcase his talents.
His first viral video was called “One Beatboxer, 14 Genres.” This video got millions of views. Striking while the iron was hot, Spencer X released his follow-up video, “One Beatboxer, 20 Sound Effects.”
The new video toppled, “One Beatboxer, 14 Genres.” That’s when it hit Spencer. Spencer X was going to be an internet superstar.
Spencer X Collaborations
Spencer X launched his official TikTok account in 2019. This exposure caused the internet sensation to blow up even more. He would often collaborate with other TikTok stars, like the Lopez Brothers.
However, Spencer X has also worked with top talents, including:
- Alicia Keys
- Russ
- Marshmello
- Sean Kingston
Right before the pandemic, Spencer was averaging ten events per month. That was a record for him, and he was excited to add to that number. Unfortunately, he hasn’t the chance yet due to shelter-in-place orders.
