Aloe Blacc facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aloe Blacc
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Aloe Blacc in 2025
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III |
| Born | January 7, 1979 Laguna Hills, California, U.S. |
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| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1995–present |
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Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III (born January 7, 1979), known professionally as Aloe Blacc, is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. He is famous for his vocals on Avicii's 2013 hit song "Wake Me Up". This song became number one in many countries around the world.
Aloe Blacc is also well-known for his own songs like "I Need a Dollar" and "The Man". "The Man" even reached the top of the music charts in the UK. Besides his solo music, Aloe Blacc is part of a hip-hop group called Emanon with producer Exile.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III was born on January 7, 1979, in Orange County, California. His parents were from Panama. He grew up in Laguna Hills.
Aloe Blacc started playing the trumpet when he was in third grade. He said that buying his own trumpet later made him take music seriously. He also discovered hip-hop music in fourth grade, which was another big moment for him.
He attended the University of Southern California and studied linguistics and psychology. He graduated in 2001.
Music Career Highlights
Starting Out: Emanon (1995–2002)
In 1995, Aloe Blacc teamed up with hip-hop producer Exile. They formed a group called Emanon, which means "no name" spelled backward. They made music using jazz samples and breakbeat loops.
Emanon became popular in the underground hip-hop scene. They released their first mixtape in 1996 and an EP called Acid 9 in 1999. They released several other projects, including albums like The Waiting Room (2005) and Dystopia (2016).
Solo Journey: Shine Through (2003–2009)
Aloe Blacc began his solo music career in 2003. He signed with Stones Throw Records in 2006. The head of the label, Chris Manak, heard him sing and offered him a contract.
His first full album, Shine Through, was released in 2006. It got a lot of attention from music critics. Aloe Blacc started focusing more on songwriting during this time. He wanted his songs to express more than just ego and style.
Big Success: Good Things (2010–2011)
In 2010, Aloe Blacc released his album Good Things. This album was a huge success! It sold millions of copies and became certified gold in many countries.
The song "I Need A Dollar" from the album became 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 popular in Europe.
Aloe Blacc performed at major music festivals like Glastonbury in the UK and Lollapalooza in Chicago.
Global Hits: Lift Your Spirit (2012–Present)
In 2013, Aloe Blacc co-wrote the song "Wake Me Up" with Swedish DJ Avicii. Aloe Blacc sang the vocals on the track. This song became a massive global hit, reaching number one in over 100 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." Later that year, Aloe Blacc signed with Interscope Records. He released an EP called Wake Me Up, which included an acoustic version of the hit song.
His song "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.
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Aloe Blacc's album Lift Your Spirit was released in November 2013. It featured production from famous artists like Pharrell. In 2014, he sang "The World Is Ours" for the official album of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
He was also a guest advisor for Adam Levine's team on season 6 of the TV show The Voice.
Aloe Blacc has continued to collaborate with many artists. In 2015, he was featured on Owl City's song "Verge." In 2016, he contributed a song called "Let the Games Begin" to the film Race. He also released another Emanon album, Dystopia, with Exile.
In 2017, he sang on Tiësto's song "Carry You Home." He performed "Wake Me Up" with Tiësto in 2018 as a tribute to Avicii.
A song with Avicii called "SOS" was released after Avicii's passing in 2019. Aloe Blacc was also featured on a song with Gryffin called "Hurt People."
In 2020, Aloe Blacc competed on The Masked Singer as "Mushroom" and finished in second place.
In 2024, he was featured on a remix of Ben E. King's "Stand By Me" by DJ Shimza. He also announced a two-part series of EPs called Rock My Soul, featuring soul covers of rock songs. The first part was released in June 2024.
Giving Back: Philanthropy
Aloe Blacc is involved with Malaria No More. This charity works to end deaths from malaria. They do this by getting leaders involved, rallying the public, and providing life-saving 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: a daughter born in 2013 and a son born in 2016.
Awards and Recognition
Aloe Blacc has been nominated for several awards for his music.
Brit Award
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
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| 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 |
TV and Film Appearances
Aloe Blacc has appeared in several TV shows and films:
- 2013 – Dancing with the Stars – season 17, episode 5
- 2014 – Dancing with the Stars – season 19, episode 2
- 2014 – Get On Up as Nafloyd Scott
- 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
