Biography
Drawing from Prince and J Dilla alongside Radiohead and the fusion period of Miles Davis, St. Louis MC/producer/vocalist Black Spade steers clear of the pop-rap style associated with fellow Gateway City natives Nelly and the St. Lunatics. Warm, trippy synths, gritty hip-hop beats, and falsetto-infused downtempo neo-soul define his sound, aligning more closely with the left-field soul/funk circles found in underground Detroit and L.A. Born and raised in St. Louis, MO, under the name Veto Lamar Money, he sharpened his skills within the local indie rap/soul collective Soul Tyde, which first came together in 1998. The group released its sole album, Hip-Hop & Soulful...Ish, in 2003, moving only a few hundred copies before disbanding soon after. Striking out alone to build a solo career, Spade caught the attention of an A&R representative from the downtempo/deep house-focused label Om Records during a 2004 Bay Area performance. Signed to Om by 2007, he delivered the digital four-song EP Loves Right Here later that same year, followed by his first full-length project with the label, To Serve With Love, in 2008.
Albums
