STICKY Interview: Aloe Blacc

INFUSION MUSIC CONCERT: LIVE AT CONGA ROOM

Photos by
SK Photography

[In a James Brown voice] Drums, Horns, Keys, Bass, Strings… and of course two beautiful background singers. Now that the band is now in unison a man with a brass trumpet enters (stage left). [Hit me!] Commanding his band with James Brown like precision, he introduces himself as Aloe Blacc; and he has come to put the “Soul” back into our I-Pods. Being a man who has a million things going on at once, Blacc was kind enough to slow down and let me catch up with him briefly before having to kick it back into light speed and take the stage.

INTERVIEW BY J.P.

JP: Your song Houston has some hype around it, due to the fact you’re working with producer Exile. How do you feel about your time working with Exile?
Aloe Blacc: Well, little do people know that Exile and I have been working together since 1995; since high school basically. He’s been a really good producer since the day I’ve met him. The song that we have (Houston) was produced by me. It was just posted improperly up on the blogs. Exile can make much crazier beats than “Houston”; I can’t even hold a candle to Exile. When I put “Houston” out it was just extra music that I had not released that was clogging up my computer. At times I feel that people need to hear it; or at least I need to feel like I did something with it so I can move on to other music. I have HUNDREDS of songs just chillin’ and waiting for something.

JP: When I hear your music, at times I hear a bit of Latin soul in some of your songs. Can you elaborate on that?
Aloe Blacc: For a long time now, I had not incorporated that Latin sound into my music. For when I started making music with Exile, for ten years we were a group called Emanon. That was back when I was just rapping, and Exile was just making the beats I wasn’t putting any Spanish or Latin into any or my music. Later on when I started writing and producing my own songs, is when I started integrating the Latin side of my upbringing into my music. Now of days what I do is write a song in Spanish, or sometime I make a beat and I’ll throw in a Montuno (the rhythm that the keys will play sometimes played at a faster, brasher, semi-improvised instrumental section). What most people recognize as Latin, but it has that grove in there as well.

JP: As you become aged in the music bizz, do you feel your music evolving any?
Aloe Blacc: Yeah, I think definitely that my sound has evolved. I feel more aware of the songs that I’m writing, when I’m writing a song. I’m also less afraid of venturing into different territories. When I was younger I felt like if I did a cretin sound I would be shunned by my fans. But now…

JP: Oh! You mean like how black people are sometimes shunned for listening to music other than Rap, Hip-Hop, and R & B?
Aloe Blacc: Yeah… Something like that. But now I feel as a musician, I’m a part of a class of people who know no boundaries. So regardless of what the audience thinks, I have to uphold my integrity as a musician. And that means play music and write music that makes you feel good, and that you think is worthy of people hearing.

JP: Do you feel that working with Stones Throw Records has helped your solo career?
Aloe Blacc: Guaranteed!!! Stones Throw has a huge social capital as well as social capital. The Stones Throw emblem itself makes people by records. So as long as they continue to put out good music, people will trust the label. I’m just glad that I had the chance to magnify what I do, by being helped by the history that they have.


JP: What are you listening to right now?
Aloe Blacc: [Rubbing chin while thinking] One of my favorite songs is “Moody’s Mood for Love”, I also enjoy FleetWood Mac, but then I like listening to Kaitono Volozo (Brazilian music). Then I’m double back and listen to some Dudley Perkins, and Some Exile & Blu; the two of them together are ridiculous (in a good way of course). Then I’ll skip over to some Chicago, and some Steely Dan.

JP: Any Led Zeppelin in rotation?
Aloe Blacc: You know what? Someone told me about Zeppelin, but naw. Not so much Zeppelin; but I’m about to get IN it!

MORE PHOTOS FROM CONCERT COMING SOON
plus up next...
INTERVIEW WITH MARSHA AMBROSIUS