Aloe Blacc facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aloe Blacc
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Aloe Blacc performing in 2011
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Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III
January 7, 1979 Laguna Hills, California, U.S.
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| Years active | 1995–present |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2 |
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| Instruments | Vocals |
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Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III (born January 7, 1979), known as Aloe Blacc (pronounced AL-oh BLAK), is an American singer and rapper. He is famous for his powerful voice and meaningful songs.
He became very well known for his singing on Avicii's 2013 hit song "Wake Me Up". This song was a huge success, reaching number one in 22 countries. Aloe Blacc is also known for his own songs like "I Need a Dollar" and "The Man". "The Man" even topped the music charts in the UK. Besides his solo music, Aloe Blacc is part of a hip hop group called Emanon with his friend Exile.
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Early life
Aloe Blacc was born Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III in Orange County, California. His parents are from Panama. He grew up in Laguna Hills, California.
When he was in third grade, he started playing the trumpet. He later said that buying his own trumpet made him take music seriously. In fourth grade, he discovered hip hop music through LL Cool J. This was another important moment for him as a musician.
Aloe Blacc went to the University of Southern California. He studied linguistics (the study of language) and psychology (the study of the mind). He graduated in 2001 and worked briefly in a business job.
Career
1995–2002: Starting out in music
In 1995, Aloe Blacc teamed up with hip hop producer Exile. They formed a group called Emanon. The name "Emanon" is "no name" spelled backward. It was inspired by a song title.
Emanon became popular in the indie rap scene. They released their first mixtape in 1996. They also released several EPs and albums over the years. During this time, Emanon even appeared on a TV show called The Cut on MTV in 1998. Aloe Blacc also worked with other music groups like Lootpack and Jazz Liberatorz.
2003–2009: Becoming a solo artist
Aloe Blacc started his solo career in 2003. He released two EPs before signing with Stones Throw Records in 2006. The head of the label, Chris Manak, heard him sing and offered him a record deal.
Aloe Blacc began to focus more on writing songs. He wanted to write songs that expressed more than just showing off. He wanted to write about important social topics.
His first full album, Shine Through, came out in 2006. It got a lot of attention from music critics. Many praised its mix of old-school funk and soul with a modern feel. In 2009, while working on his next album, Aloe Blacc toured in Europe and the United States with Emanon. He also worked with a Japanese hip hop producer called Cradle.
2010–2011: Good Things and big success
In 2010, Aloe Blacc released his album Good Things. This album was a huge success. It sold millions of copies and became very popular in many countries.
The song "I Need A Dollar" from the album was used as the theme song for the HBO TV show How to Make It in America. It sold over a million copies. Other songs like "Loving You Is Killing Me" and "Green Lights" also became hits in Europe. Music magazines and newspapers gave Good Things great reviews.
In 2011, Aloe Blacc contributed a song to an album called Red Hot + Rio 2. The money from this album helped raise awareness and fight AIDS/HIV. He also performed at big music festivals like Glastonbury in the UK and Falls Festival in Australia. In 2012, he played at the North Sea Jazz festival, Lollapalooza, and Osheaga.
2012–present: Lift Your Spirit and global hits
In 2012, Aloe Blacc sang on an album by the French music project Roseaux.
A big moment came in 2013 when Aloe Blacc worked with Swedish DJ Avicii. They co-wrote the song "Wake Me Up". Aloe Blacc sang the vocals on the track. This song became a global phenomenon, reaching number one in 103 countries! It was also the fastest-selling single in the UK at the time. He also worked with Avicii on another song called "Liar Liar".
In September 2013, Aloe Blacc signed with Interscope Records. He released an EP (a short album) called Wake Me Up. This EP included the acoustic version of "Wake Me Up" and other songs like "Ticking Bomb" and "The Man". "Ticking Bomb" was used in a TV ad for the video game Battlefield 4. "The Man" was featured in commercials for Beats by Dr. Dre headphones.
In October 2013, Aloe Blacc released a music video for "Wake Me Up". He worked with an immigrant rights group for this video. It featured immigrant activists and had a powerful message.
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His first album with Interscope, Lift Your Spirit, came out in November 2013. Famous producers like Pharrell worked on it. He promoted the album by performing on TV shows in the UK.
In 2014, Aloe Blacc's song "The World Is Ours" was on the official album for the 2014 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament. He also became a guest advisor for singer Adam Levine's team on season 6 of The Voice TV show.
He continued to collaborate with other artists. In 2015, he was featured on Owl City's song "Verge". In 2016, he released the song "Let the Games Begin" for the film Race. That same year, he and Exile released a new Emanon album called Dystopia.
In 2017, he sang on the Tiësto song "Carry You Home". In 2018, he performed "Wake Me Up" with Tiësto as a tribute to Avicii.
After Avicii's passing, a new song with Aloe Blacc called "SOS" was released in 2019. He also appeared on a song with Gryffin called "Hurt People".
In 2020, Aloe Blacc competed on The Masked Singer TV show. He was disguised as "Mushroom" and finished in second place.
More recently, in March 2024, he was featured on a remix of Ben E. King's classic song "Stand By Me". In May 2024, he announced new music called Rock My Soul, which will feature his soul covers of rock songs.
Philanthropy
Aloe Blacc cares about helping others. He is involved with Malaria No More. This charity works to end deaths from malaria. They do this by getting leaders involved, getting the public excited, and providing tools and education to families in Africa.
Personal life
Aloe Blacc is married to Maya Jupiter, who is a rapper from Mexico and Australia. They have two children together. Their daughter was born in 2013, and their son was born in 2016.
Awards
Brit Award
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Aloe Blacc | Best International Breakthrough Act | Nominated |
| Best International Male Solo Artist | Nominated |
- 2011 Soul Train Awards – Centric Award (nomination)
- 2011 Worker's Voice Award
- 2014 BET Awards – Centric Award (nominated)
Grammy Award
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Lift Your Spirit | Best R&B Album | Nominated |
Selected television appearances
- 2013 – Dancing with the Stars – season 17, episode 5
- 2014 – Dancing with the Stars – season 19, episode 2
- 2016 – Beat Bugs as Boris the Frog, singing "Rain"
- 2017 – Black-ish
- 2019 – Songland – season 1, episode 6
- 2019 – Godfather of Harlem
- 2020 – The Masked Singer as "Mushroom" (runner-up) – season 4
- 2021 – The Bachelor – season 25, episode 7
Discography
Studio albums
- Shine Through (2006)
- Good Things (2010)
- Lift Your Spirit (2013)
- Christmas Funk (2018)
- All Love Everything (2020)
- Stand Together (2025)
See also
In Spanish: Aloe Blacc para niños
