Aloe Blacc

Artist Image: Aloe Blacc
Attribution
Image Credit: Chris Hakkens (https://www.flickr.com/photos/chris_hakkens/5854133048/in/set-72157626883004843/), CC BY-SA 2.0

Biography

Aloe Blacc (born Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III; January 7, 1979 is an American soul singer, rapper and musician. He is married to Australian rapper Maya Jupiter. Blacc was born in Orange County, California to Panamanian parents. He began his music career in 1995 as a rapper in the hip hop duo Emanon with producer Exile. By the late 1990s, Blacc was part of the duo Emanon and joined the group Lootpack on tour in Europe. The duo released six albums. This led to Blacc working with the French Jazz group Jazz Liberatorz. He released an album at the end of the 1990s. In 2003, Blacc signed with Stones Throw Records and began a solo career. On July 11, 2006, he released his first LP album, Shine Through, on CD, vinyl record and online (on the Stones Throw website). He then toured across Europe and the U.S. with Emanon, while working on his second solo album. In 2009, Blacc collaborated with the Japanese hip hop producer Cradle. They called themselves Bee. In 2010, Blacc released his second album, Good Things, on Stones Throw records. The album was produced by Jeff Dynamite and Leon Michels for Truth & Soul Productions. Blacc was signed by Matthew Larkin for the charity album Red Hot + Rio 2, a follow-up to the 1996 Red Hot + Rio. Proceeds from the sales were donated to raise awareness and money to fight AIDS/HIV and related health and social issues. In 2011, Kenneth Bager used Aloe Blacc on "The Sound of Swing, Pt. 2 (Oh Na Na)" co-written by Thomas Troelsen. In summer 2011, Blacc performed on the main stages at major festivals such as Glastonbury and The Falls Festival in Australia with his primary touring band The Grand Scheme. "I Need a Dollar" was the opening title track on the HBO series, How to Make It in America. In 2012 he appeared at the renowned North Sea Jazz festival in Rotterdam, Lollapalooza in Chicago, and Osheaga in Montreal. In March 2013, Aloe Blacc was named one of Fuse TV's 30 must-see artists at SXSW.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 2003
Number of Albums 70
Record Label
Website aloeblacc.com
Wikipedia Aloe Blacc on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

When did Blacc start writing rap songs?

nine

...l in love with hiphop as a kid and started writing rap songs when he was nine . With his lyrics drawing influence from socially conscious artists like ...
When did he release his first hiphop mixtape?

17

...conscious artists like KRSOne, he put out his first hiphop mixtape at age 17 . Later developing a fierce admiration for such soul musicians as Donny Ha...
What was one of the most important factors in my transition from hiphop to being a singer?

listening to people like Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Kris Kristofferson, and Cat Stevens

...m hiphop to being a singer was listening to people like Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Kris Kristofferson, and Cat Stevens , Blacc says. Their songs are ...
What label did Blacc sign a deal with in 2006?

Stones Throw

...nd that had a big impact on me. After inking a deal with indie label Stones Throw , Blacc released his solo debut Shine Through in 2006 and sophomore a...
What was the name of his 2006 solo album?

Shine Through

... a deal with indie label Stones Throw, Blacc released his solo debut Shine Through in 2006 and sophomore album Good Things in 2010. Looking back on hi...
In what year did he release his sophomore album Good Things?

2010

... his solo debut Shine Through in 2006 and sophomore album Good Things in 2010 . Looking back on his musical path so far, Blacc notes that landing a dea...
Who was the record label that prompted a major moment of reckoning?

XIX RecordingsInterscope

... his musical path so far, Blacc notes that landing a deal with XIX RecordingsInterscope prompted a major moment of reckoning, and led him to reexamine...
Blacc says he promised himself that he would use his voice for what?

social change

...ng a larger audience, and I promised myself that Id use my voice for social change , he says. And in creating his upcoming album, Blacc has kept focuse...
What country was his parents from?

Panamanian

...Early life edit Blacc was born Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III to Panamanian parents in Southern California's Orange County. Growing up in Laguna Hills, ...
What did Blacc describe as a very specific moment in his evolution as musician?

When it made more sense to buy the instrument

...s, he began playing a rented trumpet in third grade. When it made more sense to buy the instrument , Blacc had what he later described as a very specif...
In what year did he graduate?

2001

...California, Blacc majored in linguistics and psychology and graduated in 2001 . He worked briefly in the corporate sector for Ernst & Young. Career edi...
For what company was he briefly employed?

Ernst & Young

...and graduated in 2001. He worked briefly in the corporate sector for Ernst & Young . Career edit 19952002: Early career edit In 1995, Blacc teamed with...
What was the name of the hip hop producer that formed Emanon backwards?

Exile

... 19952002: Early career edit In 1995, Blacc teamed with hip hop producer Exile and formed Emanon 'no name' backwardswhich was inspired by the title of...
What was Emanon's first mixtape?

1996

...instay of the indie rap underground, and released their first mixtape in 1996 , followed by the EP Acid 9 in 1999. A fourth album, Bird's Eye View, was...
What was the name of Emanone's fourth album?

Bird's Eye View

...mixtape in 1996, followed by the EP Acid 9 in 1999. A fourth album, Bird's Eye View , was recorded but shelved, it is unknown if the material was rewor...
What was Blacc's primary project during this time period?

Emanon

...the material was reworked into their 2016 reunion album Dystopia. While Emanon was Blacc's primary project during this time period, he additionally to...
What jazz group did he join in France?

Jazz Liberatorz

...rs of the collective Lootpack and worked with the French jazz group Jazz Liberatorz . By then, he had become more focused on songwriting, a change insp...
What was Aloe Blaccs last album?

Lift Your Spirit

...In the years since Aloe Blaccs last album, Lift Your Spirit , the global superstar spent time working on an even dearer project: his family. All Love E...
What is the name of the album he's releasing?

All Love Everything

...perstar spent time working on an even dearer project: his family. All Love Everything , his upcoming album, is the singersongwriters first collection o...
Who was Blacc raised by?

Panamanian immigrants

...ts expanded Blaccs already heartfelt artistic palette. Raised by Panamanian immigrants in Southern California, Blacc grew up around the sounds of sals...
What are A.I.M. Beloved hits like I Need a Dollar, The Man, and Wake Me Up, with Avicii, united by?

how they make the listener feel

... fall under the same musical umbrella, but theyre united by how they make the listener feel . Thats Blaccs wheelhouse, the place where he excels. After...
What instrument did Aloe begin playing while in elementary school?

trumpet

...hiphop in his environment. While in elementary school, he began playing trumpet and started writing rhymes. These pursuits continued through high scho...
What was the name of the mixtape that Alone made his debut on as a teenager?

Imaginary Friends

...s simply Aloe, he made his recorded debut as a teenager in 1996 on Imaginary Friends , a mixtape by Exile (credited then as Eksile). Aloe and Exile con...
What was the name of Exile's 2004 album?

The Waiting Room

...through the 12 single format, and in 2004 released a proper album, The Waiting Room . By this time, Aloe had fallen hard for the works of classic soul ...
How many albums did the deal yield?

two

...iversity of Southern California had also pored over contemporaneous folkrock recordings. The deal yielded two albums of considerably different makeup....
In what year did he begin playing a broken trumpet?

third grade

...nts. Growing up in Laguna Hills, he began playing a broken trumpet in third grade . When it made more sense to fix the instrument, Blacc had what he la...
Where did Blacc major in linguistics and psychology?

University of Southern California

...on as a musician. A Renaissance and Trustee Scholar at the University of Southern California , Blacc majored in linguistics and psychology and graduate...
What was the name of the EP released in 1999?

Acid 9

...derground, and released their first mixtape in 1996, followed by the EP Acid 9 in 1999. They subsequently released three albums, Steps Through Time (2...
In what year was Imaginary Friends released?

2002

...tly released three albums, Steps Through Time (2001), Imaginary Friends ( 2002 ), and The Waiting Room (2005). A fourth album, Bird's Eye View, was reco...
When was Shine Through released?

2006

...cording artist and released his first full length album Shine Through in 2006 . It was off to a good start when releasing and received a considerable a...
What was the name of his sophomore album?

Good Things

...United States and Europe. His popularity grew when his sophomore set, Good Things , arrived four years later. He gained more fans as his single I Need ...
What song gained more fans?

I Need a Dollar

...Things, arrived four years later. He gained more fans as his single I Need a Dollar was climbing the singles chart. It peaked at No. 2 in the U.K. and...
What is the name of the HBO series based on I Need a Dollar?

How to Make It in America

... I Need a Dollar was climbing the singles chart. It peaked at No. 2 in the U.K. and serves as a soundtrack for HBO's series How to Make It in America ....
What song did I Need A Dollar peaked at in the UK?

No. 2

... his single I Need a Dollar was climbing the singles chart. It peaked at No. 2 in the U.K. and serves as a soundtrack for HBO's series How to Make It ...