Spectre, born Skiz Fernando in 1968 in Texas, the United States of America, emerged as a rapper and record producer after a formative period as a music critic and journalist. His entry into music production began in the early 1990s when he founded the label WordSound with a loan from Bill Laswell, and he adopted the moniker Spectre to channel a darker artistic persona. Spectre’s debut studio album, The Illness, was released in 1995, followed by The Second Coming in 1997, The End in 2000, Psychic Wars in 2003, Transcendent in 2006, Internal Dynasty in 2008, Death Before Dying in 2010, The True & Living in 2012, Brand New Second Hand in 2014, and The Last Shall Be First in 2016; each release expanded his catalogue of experimental rap and dub‑infused tracks. Throughout the decade, Spectre collaborated with artists such as Sensational, Prince Paul, and members of the Crooklyn Dub Consortium, and he contributed to the soundtrack of the 2002 film Crooked. His 2012 album The True & Living was funded via Kickstarter.
