Aloe Blacc

Southern California native Aloe Blacc began his recording career as an MC back in 1995, when he joined up with hip-hop producer Exile to form the mainstay indie rap group, Emanon. A few years later, Aloe would “stow away” on a Lootpack European tour and become fast friends with Oh No – a relationship which led to many fruitful collaborations as a solo artist. These days, Aloe Blacc has evolved into a true Renaissance man – dubbed “the indie R. Kelly” by online retailer Turntable Lab. Recordings like his Latin cover of John Legend’s “Ordinary People” prove that – not only can this multi-instrumentalist produce, rap and sing – but he can flip it in Spanish, too. With an amazingly broad set of influences ranging widely from the acoustic guitar stylings of folk artist Cat Stevens, to the soul-stirring sounds of the Negro Spirituals, Aloe prides himself on the spectrum of his musical roots. His sound often forays into the digital R&B realm, but always grooves with a tinge of Latin and the pulse of hip-hop. He recently released the solo album Shine Through on Stones Throw records.