Art forms have been created in order to communicate powerful messages to the world. Whether it be music, arts, painting, or dance, all art types have played a major role in inspiring people to think or act in a certain way. Nevertheless, portraying one’s feelings in the form of art is a unique quality that only a few people are capable of doing.
One of the great challenges faced today is the fact that people remain untouched by most world issues. The disconnection is solely because of the fact that people are not able to connect themselves to those topics. In order to make the audience feel a certain way, art forms have taken up the platform as an opportunity. As a result, the art world has been using entertainment as a chance to give out important messages to the audience.
Taking advantage of this opportunity is Jacob Alexander Spell, a rising hip-hop artist, rapper, songwriter, and fashion designer. Born on February 22, 2000, in New Haven, Jacob made his entry into the music world in 2018. Nevertheless, with a talented mind like his, he has been able to put down his feelings into the lyrics of the song that he creates, enabling him to create unique music masterpieces.
Exploring His Potential
Professionally known as J. Anomaly, Jacob uses what he learns in the classroom to help make his music unique from others. Being a Psychology major, Jacob studies the human mind as a way to help himself and others make more-informed decisions. Some people study the human mind as a means to better navigate their way through society; however, Jacob sees psychology as a tool to question society itself. Born into a capitalist society, individuals within Jacob’s age group often find themselves pursuing a fabricated idea of “success” as defined by the world around them. While this may have been the avenue Jacob pursued early on, this is no longer the case. Jacob sees more value in grappling with what it means to find satisfaction in life without using someone else’s version of success. In essence, he aims to parse the difference between what it means to be a kid born in the 2000’s living in a Western-civilized country versus what it means to be Jacob.
Starting during his school days at St. Aedan – St. Brendan, Jacob was curious about the human mind. As a result, he investigated psychological terms on his own time and tried incorporating them into the music he wrote.
Taking his education forward, Jacob entered the Dr. Cortlandt V.R Creed Health and Sports Sciences High School. With talented music inspirations such as J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar, Jacob found his true passion hidden under music. He marveled at how albums like “To Pimp a Butterfly” seemed to capture the essence of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and how songs like “Be Free” by J. Cole perfectly described the psychological effect of systemic oppression. Taking inspiration from his surroundings, his creative mind enabled him to create unique music that the world hadn’t experienced before.
Carving His Way to Success
Jacob launched his debut music album “A Moment Shared” in 2019, a treat to music lovers. The two songs from the album that were listened to far and wide in the world were “Michael Jawdin” and “Fo’ Sho,” helping Jacob create his mark in the music industry. The 11-track album, nevertheless, was just a trailer of the talent possessed by the phenomenal artist, sending a message that there is still a lot to come.
When asked Jacob how he would describe himself, he says: “I’m not a rapper, I’m not a musician, I’m not a designer… I’m a Creative. A Creative who desires to inspire, knowing that I can do anything I imagine as long as I keep Jesus Christ in my heart.”
Jacob is much more than a new artist in the industry. Through his hard-working skills and dedicated work ethic, Jacob has created his own label, “Elm to Ivy Records,” under which he releases all his songs.
With an aim to “embrace his real self,” Jacob is taking his Moment series forward, currently working on the second album known as the ‘A Moment Lost.’ He is taking the required time to perfect his upcoming album, which should be released in 2021. Jacob’s fans are looking forward to another musical creation of his, ready to be mesmerized by the young artist.
Popularly known as J. Anomaly, Jacob Spell has proved to be a great addition to the artist community. Unlike other young artists, he is exploring his creative side, making full use of his amazing ideas. Putting his creative mind to good use, the 20-year-old artist is further designing his own artist merchandise, creating a legacy for himself.