SoCal native Aloe Blacc, one half of mainstay indie rap duo Emanon, has evolved into a true Renaissance man with his solo debut, Shine Through. Dubbed the indie R. Kelly by online retailer Turntable Lab, Aloe integrates an amazingly broad spectrum of influences, which range widely from the music of his parents' native Panama, to the acoustic guitar stylings of folk artist Cat Stevens, to the soul-stirring sounds of the Negro Spirituals. His sound often forays into the digital R&B realm, but always grooves with a tinge of Latin and the pulse of hip-hop.