Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III (born January 7, 1979), known professionally as Aloe Blacc (/ˈæloʊ ˈblæk/), is an American musician, singer, composer, record producer, and philanthropist. He is best known for his singles "I Need a Dollar", "The Man", which topped the charts in the United Kingdom, and for writing and performing vocals on Avicii's "Wake Me Up", which topped the charts in 22 countries, including Australia and the United Kingdom. Aside from his solo career, Blacc is also a member of hip hop duo Emanon, alongside American record producer Exile.
Blacc was born Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III in Southern California's Orange County to Panamanian parents. Growing up in Laguna Hills, he began playing a broken trumpet in third grade. When it made more sense to fix the instrument, Blacc had what he later described as a "very specific moment" in his evolution as a musician. "It forced me to be serious about it. I couldn’t just do it to annoy and get out of the class room," he said in a 2010 interview. His exposure to LL Cool J in fourth grade was equally significant. "It wasn’t too far off from the trumpet moment...I had a hip hop moment and a musician moment."