How USC Dornsife helped shape acclaimed singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc’s career

Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc has built a career that spans music, philanthropy and entrepreneurship. The lessons that shaped his work began long before international hits like “The Man” and “I Need a Dollar.”

Blacc, who graduated with interdisciplinary degrees in linguistics and psychology from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences in 2001, says the ideas he encountered as a student still influence his creative process. Studying language and consciousness gave him a deeper understanding of how people communicate, and these insights still find their way into his songwriting decades later.

Research opportunities he found at USC also left a lasting impression. Working alongside a neuroscience researcher introduced Blacc to the scientific process, sparking an appreciation for evidence-based thinking that extends beyond music into his work as an investor and biotech entrepreneur.

Today, Blacc also uses his platform to champion social good, an effort he says was partly inspired by the civic engagement he saw modeled by USC professors and programs.

His latest album, Stand Together, pairs each of its 12 songs with a nonprofit organization and has taken him to national television, including performances on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Good Morning America. The project reflects his longstanding belief that music can serve to tell the stories of people working to help their communities.