Born into a family of music, Marley BloO is now making waves in the industry
Growing up surrounded by jazz legends and late-night sessions, Marley BloO has carved a gritty, soulful lane in South African hip-hop.
Marley BloO’s journey into music feels almost destined.
“My mom is a jazz singer, and my dad co-composed all her music. I was doing late nights and early mornings in the studio in Grade 3, and made my first song with my dad then. They actually put it on the album. I got to meet and chill with legends as a kid.”
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Despite trying to resist during her teenage years the bug hit her hard. “I studied sound engineering in 2012. It’s been late since then.”
Her influences run deep. “D’Angelo is definitely one of my biggest influences. He produced most of his own music, played all the instruments, handled harmonic arrangements, and wrote his own lyrics.”
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Bob Marley is just as important. “My dad told me he played me his music while I was still in my mom’s tummy. Bob Marley, and jazz, was my bread and butter growing up.”
These roots shine through in her work. “If you listen to Loner Boy from my project, Pieces, you’ll hear these influences come through very clearly.
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“My process is never the same. Each beat finds its own way of coming to life.”
Ideas hit her anywhere, sometimes fully formed, prompting voice notes of melodies or beatboxing. “Sometimes I hear fire chords on a show and record them to sample, or I’ll play random chords until something clicks. It’s always different.
“I have an old Mac from 2005 or 2007, running a cracked version of Ableton 9 Live. I swear by it!”
Recent releases highlight her collaborative spirit. The Jesus Wept EP, with Ta Longz, was super sporadic, born from daily beat-making fun in 2022/23. “I was just having fun, then he started recording on some tracks. He sent me flames. We kept working on it and finally dropped it.”
For Sotra Cyphers, a beat evolved when SPeeKa invited her as producer. “I asked if I could rap on it, and he said yes. I extended it and added the rest of the clip.”
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With NWO, she simply sent a batch of 15 beats, and rappers picked what they like. At her core, BloO creates for pure joy. “I make beats because I genuinely enjoy it. I vibe with these grimy, dungeon beats, rappers seem to like them too.”
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