Aloe Blacc

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More About

• Aloe Blacc
• Bill Withers
• Al Green
• Underground Hip-Hop
• Hip-Hop and Rap

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Though Aloe Blacc's musical debut came as the emcee half of indie hip-hop duo Emanon, the music of his recent record Good Things instead channels the timeless soul of Bill Withers and Al Green--comparisons not to be made lightly. Coating gritty lyrics of lost love and everyday tribulations with honeyed vocals strong enough to push back against the instrumentation, songs like lead single "I Need A Dollar" (which debuted as the theme song to HBO series How To Make It In America) and "Politican" exhibit Blacc’s undeniable charisma and introspective confidence. Hell, you get bonus points for reshaping Velvet Underground’s “Femme Fatale” into a soul hit. It’s obvious that Aloe Blacc studied the masters and sounds as though he time-traveled straight from the ‘60s or ‘70s without recycling -- or ignoring -- the modern implications of hip-hop. With The Grand Scheme, Maya Jupiter, DJ 100proof. NICK FELDMAN
Fri., Nov. 5, 8 p.m., 2010