The ability to multi-task and also be the best of them is a great gift and several celebrities and artists have been able to slip into multiple shoes at the same time without suffering either side. British pop singer James Blake is one such talented and gifted celebrities; Besides being a pop singer, he is a songwriter and record producer.
Blake rose to prominence in 2010 after releasing two albums which became major hits in the US and UK. Klavierwerke and CMYK, he dropped his (self-titled) debut album the following year, and it was also a huge success.
He has released several more Eps, singles and three additional albums including the latest, his fourth, to be released in January 2019. In 2014 James Blake was nominated for the Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and in 2018 he starred in Black Panther: The album and on the album “Bloody Waters”, which he co-wrote with Kendrick Lamar, Herbert Anthony Stevens IV, Robin Braun and Mark Spears.
Biography of James Blake
The singer was born on September 26, 1988 in London with the birth name James Blake Litherland. For his primary education, he attended Grange Park Primary School, Winchmore Hill, then The Latymer School, Edmonton, and Goldsmiths, University of London, where he graduated with a degree in popular music.
His discography and professional achievements
While at Goldsmiths, James Blake, alongside a few friends, organized musical evenings known as the Bass Society and invited British artists like Benga, Skream and Distance.
James Blake started his musical career in 2009, recording songs in his bedroom. In July of the same year he made his UK debut – a 12″ record, titled The Air and the Lack under the imprint label, Hemlock . The recording soon became BBC Radio 1 favorite DJ Gilles Peterson and he invited Blake to do a special mix for his international show.
For his sophomore composition work, James submitted the Klavierwerke EP for which he received high marks. He soon released a third EP titled CMYK under R&S Records. The track was not only chosen by BBC Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw as Record of the Week, but also became a favorite of other DJs who played it on the air. In September 2010, the cover version of Blake Limite à ton amour was chosen by Zane Lowe as his “World’s Hottest Record”.
It was nominated for the BBC’s Sound of 2011 and came second. After the successes of the EPs, in 2011 he dropped his eleven-track self-titled debut album. Later that year, the BBC released an exclusive mix of James Blake, which included ten of his previously unreleased tracks.
In 2012, Blake spent a lot of time with US rapper Kanye West who described him as his favorite artist. He also spent a lot of time with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and after months of speculation he announced a new collaborative non-single release under the moniker Harmonimix and in April of the same year he dropped his second album. Invaded. The album was released under the ATLAS, A&M and Polydor Records labels and featured guests from notable producers (electronic music) like Brian Eno and RZA of Wu-Tang Clan.
The album charted eighth in the UK and on the US Dance/Electronic chart it was ranked first. Overgrown James Blake’s most prestigious album to date; He beat albums by David Bowie and Laura Mvula to win the 2013 Mercury Prize, earning him a nomination for the 56th Grammy Awards for Best New Artist.
He released his third album titled Color in Anything in May 2016 under Polydor Records with contributions from Frank Ocean and Justin Vernon. In January 2019, he dropped his fourth album Suppose Form ; Ahead of the January 18 release, Amazon.com accidentally leaked details of the album online, including information about collaborations with Metro Boomin, Travis Scott and André 3000 and its track listing.
James Blake has also worked with notable artists such as Beyonce, Jay Z, Vince Staples, Jay Rock, Mount Kimbie among others. In 2018, he starred in Black Panther: The Album and on the album “Bloody Waters”.
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Family life
James was named after his father James Litherland is also a singer and guitarist best known for co-founding English progressive jazz-rock band Colosseum. Little is known about his mother and siblings – if any.
With a father who loves music, Blake developed a love for music almost from birth. He not only showed a keen interest and aptitude for music from an early age, but he also showed interest in following in his father’s footsteps. Thus, as a child, he received classical piano training.