Lift Your Spirit

Hailing from Orange County, Calif., Aloe Blacc got his start in the mid-'90s working with Exile in the hip-hop group Emanon. They released three albums and were fairly well-known in the underground, leading to a solo deal with Peanut Butter Wolf's Stones Throw Records in 2003. Disillusioned with rap music, Aloe morphed into a straight soul singer and released two quality albums, Shine Through and Good Things in 2006 and 2010, respectively. His single "I Need a Dollar" was a huge hit internationally and became the theme song of HBO's How to Make It in America. In 2013 he dropped the EP Wake Me Up; the title track (with DJ Avicii) topped the charts in several countries and made Aloe Blacc a legitimate global superstar. On Lift Your Spirit, he joins forces with L.A. producer DJ Khalil, who cooks up most of the tracks, fusing big drums and slinky basslines with bright horns, mellow pianos, and soulful guitars, creating a multi-genre backdrop in which Aloe's vocals can shine. Pharrell provides the throwback party vibe of "Love Is the Answer," while Elton John and Bernie Taupin cowrite the single "The Man."