Class Is In Session: An interview with the innovators behind Spitcam University

In recent years, a new form of platforming performances has emerged. Audience members can now watch their favorite artists and be introduced to new artists by watching them perform in studio with no loss of quality in audio. If music videos are used to market and promote an artist’s music, these platforms serve in almost the same way by providing a creative uniform backdrop for all of its guests. Baltimore’s unique version of this, Spitcam University, has become a sought-after checklist for upcoming and well-known artists in Baltimore and beyond.

A casual scroll through the Spitcam TikTok and IG you’ll find energetic and frenetic Baltimore club and juke sets from Tromac and DJ-Sun, Ty Alexander blending R&B and hip hop, and Teturnah spinning Baltimore and Jersey club remixes. 

“At Spitcam you can get a Baltimore club DJ set, an R&B performance, and a trap freestyle in one place,” Mighty Mark says. “We’re experimenting with new forms of content daily.” 

The level of experience and talent and skill and intention that the Spitcam team employs through their strengths as directors, videographers, producers,and artists mean that the series is equally visually, sonically, and aesthetically excellent in its impact. It is a platform that is never boring and is always fresh. 

Viewing a “Class Is In Session” it is hard not to smile, and even harder not to dance. I’ve lamented before about the closure of clubs and spaces for folks to congregate. Spitcam provides this as a unique two-way channel between viewer/audience at home, and artist and those present during the filming. 

Founded by videographer Maggie Rudisill in 2014, Spitcam began as a loose series of freestyle videos filmed among friends. 

“When I first started shooting videos I was constantly taking my camera around with me everywhere,” Rudisill recalls. “We’d put on beats and start to freestyle, so I decided to make a series of videos highlighting people’s live performance skills.” 

The first official Spitcam was shot at her desk while she was attending Pennsylvania College of Art and Design — a nod to the “classroom” concept that still defines the platform today.

In the years since, Spitcam has evolved into Spitcam University, with Maggie’s assistant, rapper Deeq, coming on board to help expand its reach. “I’m born and raised in East Baltimore,” Deeq says. “I’ve lived here all my life.” The growing multimedia platform is dedicated to showcasing rap artists, DJs, and the creative energy that powers Baltimore’s music scene.

Marquis Gasque, also known as Mighty Mark, joined later to help produce DJ sets and strengthen the platform’s live audio work. The three form a small, tight-knit team that handles everything from booking artists to editing videos, giving each project what Rudisill calls “a personal touch in every part of the process.”

That attention to detail shows in the work. The platform’s hallmark “Class Is In Session” series pairs small performances with well produced high-quality visuals and live audio. Imagine an extremely lit hybrid version of NPR’s Tiny Desk series mixed with your favorite house party, where familiar faces from various sections of Baltimore’s music scene dance ebulliently with red solo cups.

You might be familiar with other platforms for DJ streaming shows (where some Spitcam alumni have also performed) like The Lot Radio, NTS, Twitch, Mixcloud, and Instagram. 

These allow regional talents to reach global audiences, and listeners and dancers can tap in and find their new favorite tracks. Spitcam is so brilliant because it is so Baltimore, as it elevates the live DJ sets that us club kids clung to like a veritable lifeline during the 2020 lockdown, when we could not be in third spaces together and were unable to experience the radical of live music being DJed and performed.

The impact on featured artists has been tangible.

For some, the exposure has brought new bookings, online traction, and even a spike in streaming numbers. DJ Shannell B credits Spitcam with “raising the bar to promoting media from artists around the globe, especially from Baltimore.” Producer and DJ Tip12lve — twice certified RIAA Gold — says the experience was “a milestone” that changed his DJ career.

For others, it’s the intangibles that they take away from performing on Spitcam — DJ Supreme says it “gave me a space to be my 100% creative self,” while artist Caushan calls it “literally hands down the best platform I’ve went on.” 

Building the Spitcam classroom has been a labor of love behind the camera. Rudisill describes hours spent hunting for props, experimenting with lighting, and learning new audio techniques to raise production value. “We take what we learn from each artist and apply it to the platform as a whole so we can keep elevating,” she says. 

That ethos extends to the platform’s visual identity — the “red desk” and classroom backdrop that has become, in Gasques’s words, “a staple or a logo.” (At Baltimore Beat, we always love seeing our issues on display.)

Rudisill points to Baltimore club dancers as an ongoing source of inspiration. “The style of dance is so unique to Baltimore that we continue to try and come up with ways to incorporate them,” she says. Gasque adds that Baltimore’s rawness and authenticity shape the platform’s vibe. “Baltimore hip-hop and club music is heavily included in our DJ videos,” he says. “Some of the top artists in Baltimore have come through and performed, and artists have chosen to freestyle over classic Baltimore beats.”

During shoots, the studio often fills with DJs, dancers, photographers, producers, and other artists — many meeting for the first time. For Rudisill, those moments of spontaneous networking are as rewarding as the finished videos. “Seeing everyone get to connect, network, and just experience a safe and inviting space is always fun for me,” she says. “I learn a lot and get to meet some really cool people, while also doing something I love.”

Like any creative venture, Spitcam University has faced challenges, especially in an oversaturated online music market. Building an audience takes persistence, and Rudisill says there’s been “a lot of trial and error.” But the team remains committed to consistency and adaptability. “We want to be people’s go-to platform to be introduced to new artists, learn more about ones they already enjoy, and highlight people with talent in general,” she says.

The team envisions adding new segments for producers, songwriters, and comedians, and even taking the show on the road for special events. Less than a year into operating out of their current studio, they’re still in what Rudisill calls “the era of trying new things and seeing what works best.”

For now, Spitcam University continues to grow one performance at a time — driven by an innovative and creative crew with shared belief in Baltimore’s music scene. “When one person in the city wins, we all win,” Rudisill told Baltimore Beat. “By helping us bring traction to our platform, we’re able to create a space that brings exposure and light to other creatives.”