Kel Spencer facts for kids

Kel Spencer, whose real name is Lennie De Juan Bennett (born in 1978), is an American hip hop artist, producer, songwriter, actor, and film director. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. Kel Spencer is well-known for helping to write over 20 songs for the famous artist Will Smith. He has been nominated for major awards like the Grammy, Soul Train, and MTV Video Music Awards. He even won an American Music Award for the very popular song "Switch".

As a solo artist, Kel Spencer's music has been featured on movie soundtracks. These include "Wild Wild West" and "American Pie: The Naked Mile". He has also appeared on albums by artists like Will Smith, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and Grandmaster Flash.

Early Life and Education

Kel Spencer was born in 1978 in Landstuhl, which was then in West Germany. His father was stationed there while serving in the Air Force. When he was young, Spencer moved to Brooklyn, New York City, New York.

He was a talented athlete in high school, earning "All-star" honors as a quarterback. At just 16 years old, he went on to study at the Earl G. Graves School of Business at Morgan State University.

Music Journey and Success

Kel Spencer started performing in hip-hop talent shows in 1992. In 2000, the famous Hollywood star Will Smith discovered him. Spencer then signed with Overbrook Entertainment and Interscope Records.

His first big appearance was in 1999 on two songs from the "Wild Wild West" movie soundtrack. This soundtrack became very popular, reaching high spots on music charts. In the same year, he helped write 7 of the 15 songs on Will Smith's very successful album, Willennium. Spencer co-wrote "Will 2K", which was nominated for Grammy and Soul Train awards. He also helped write the hit song "Freakin' It" and was a guest artist on the song "Uuhhh".

Working with Big Stars

Kel Spencer has written songs for many other artists. These include MC Lyte, Lil J, Teddy Riley, Wyclef Jean, Nick Cannon, and Mary J. Blige. He also co-wrote hit singles like "Freak Freak" by The Product G&B and "It Ain't My Fault" by So Plush.

In 2003, Spencer worked with Will Smith again on his album "Born to Reign". He helped write 7 songs, including the main single "Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head)", which was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award. Their collaboration continued on Smith's 2005 album "Lost and Found". Spencer co-wrote 5 songs on this album, including the chart-topping single "Switch". This song reached number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and won an American Music Award.

Spencer also gained more recognition by contributing to albums by DJ Jazzy Jeff and Grandmaster Flash. He had a song featured on the soundtrack for the movie "American Pie: The Naked Mile". He has also written music for commercials, jingles, and theme songs.

Solo Music and Own Label

Kel Spencer started his own music company called 3rd Power Music Group. In 2005, he released a popular mixtape called "Who is Kel Spencer". He followed this with an EP (a shorter album) called "Streets Know That" in 2006. In 2007, he released another mixtape, "Brooklyn Spartans". In 2009, he put out a fun album about relationships called "Salon Stories". This album was hosted by MC Lyte and featured artists like Q-Tip.

Acting and Directing

In the 2010s, Kel Spencer began an acting career. He has acted, written, and directed in different independent films, online shows, and theatre productions. He also does voice-over work for various projects.

In 2015, he produced and directed his first independent movie, "Date 'N Game: The Movie". He co-wrote this film with his wife, Quana BelleVoix, and Lisa Harris.