Initially breaking into the music business as a hip-hop producer, Earl St. Clair set out on his own as a soul singer. Armed with a deep, bluesy voice, his songs channel the fervor of classic Southern soul and gospel singers like Al Green and Ray Charles, but with swagger and production techniques ensuring that St. Clair is up to date on contemporary rap, pop, and dance music. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, but he spent much of his childhood in Alabama, where his father was from.