Spencer X
Spencer X | |
|---|---|
 Knight in 2020 | |
| Born | Spencer Polanco Knight April 20, 1992 |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Instagram information | |
| Page | |
| Followers | 1 million |
| TikTok information | |
| Page | |
| Followers | 53.6 million |
| YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Genre |
|
| Subscribers | 2.61 million |
| Views | 170 million |
| Last updated: July 24, 2026 | |
Spencer Polanco Knight (born April 20, 1992), also known as Spencer X, is an American beatboxer and social media personality. Formerly a street performer, Knight gained popularity on TikTok in 2019 and has become one of the most-followed accounts on the app. He also voiced Sound Effects Smurf in the 2025 film Smurfs.
Early life
Spencer Polanco Knight was born on April 20, 1992, in Manhattan, New York City.[1] Both of his parents are first-generation immigrants; his father is Ecuadorian and his mother is Chinese.[2][3] They both did not approve of Knight's interest in beatboxing, which began during his sophomore year of high school, when one of his friends beatboxed for him at tennis. He then constantly watched YouTube videos on the topic and of 1980s hip-hop music.[4] He had previous experience in music, playing the trumpet, flute, and drums from middle school.[5] He aspired to become the first celebrity beatboxer, but his parents preferred that he went to college, which Knight did for a year and a half before dropping out. He had studied science at Purchase College and then math at the City University of New York. He began doing street performances in Union Square and taking performing gigs, including with grops such as a bluegrass group, an a cappella quintet, and a Russian rock band.[6]
Career
Knight started his YouTube channel in 2012 and used it as a way to practice his beatboxing skills.[4] That year, he also began competing competitively in beatboxing, reaching the Top 16 in the American Beatbox Championships and getting second in The Midwest Beatbox Battle.[3] He created his TikTok account in February 2019, quickly gaining ten million followers by that fall, when he moved to Los Angeles. Knight only had a few hundred dollars in his bank account at the time of the move and was couch surfing until he began receiving sponsorships from brands such as Uno, Oreo, and Sony.[6][7] He first thought that his career would work out in August of that year, when he gained thousands of dollars in one evening while using TikTok's livestream feature. In May 2020, he moved to a combination house and studio in Hollywood, where he binged recording over a hundred songs, promoting them on his social media.[2]
In 2021, Knight made a cameo in the film He's All That as the character Karaoke DJ Bryson.[8] By this time, he had also performed at the festivals Warped Tour, Bumbershoot, and the 116th Street Festival.[3] In 2025, Knight had a supporting role as Sound Effects Smurf in the film Smurfs.[9]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | He's All That | Karaoke DJ Bryson | |
| 2025 | Smurfs | Sound Effects Smurf | Voice role |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Streamy Awards | Breakout Creator | Nominated | [10] |
| 2022 | MTV MIAW Awards | Global Creator with Flow | [11] | |
| 2022 | Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Male Creator | [12] | |
| 2024 | [13] |
References
- ↑ Spangler, Todd (August 10, 2020). "David Dobrik, Spencer X Among First TikTok U.S. Creators to Receive Funding Under $1B Grant Program". Variety. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
- 1 2 Brown, Abram (August 14, 2020). "Top-Earning TikTok Stars: The Wild Dreams Of Spencer X, Million-Dollar Beatboxer". Forbes. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Colombo, Charlotte (August 23, 2021). "Meet Spencer X, the TikTok beatboxer who has 54 million followers and is the 8th-most-followed person on the platform". Business Insider. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
- 1 2 McCalman, Shameyka (July 19, 2021). "Spencer X TikToker - Hobby to Career". The Tilt. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
- ↑ Kangas, Chaz (April 10, 2014). "Watch Beatboxer Spencer Polanco Kill 14 Genres at Once!". The Village Voice. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
- 1 2 Brown, Abram (August 6, 2020). "TikTok's 7 Highest-Earning Stars: New Forbes List Led By Teen Queens Addison Rae And Charli D'Amelio". Forbes. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
- ↑ Trujillo, Jovita (March 22, 2022). "Meet TikTok star and professional beatboxer Spencer X". HOLA! USA. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
- ↑ Haasch, Palmer (August 30, 2021). "All the cameos you missed in 'He's All That,' from Spencer X to Addison Rae's ex Bryce Hall". Business Insider. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
- ↑ Hollett, Michael (July 19, 2025). "Review: Newest Smurfs movie a decent update » NEXT Magazine". Retrieved July 25, 2026.
- ↑ "10th Annual Streamy Nominees & Winners". The Streamy Awards. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ↑ "Premios MTV MIAW 2022: Conoce a los ganadores - Billboard | Billboard" (in Spanish). July 11, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
- ↑ Kimberly Nordyke (March 9, 2022). "Taylor Swift, Adele Lead Nominees for Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- ↑ Denise Petski (June 4, 2024). "Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Beyoncé, Timothée Chalamet, Ayo Edebiri Among 2024 Kids' Choice Awards Nominees – Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 22, 2025.