G. Love: Hip Hop Blues Master & Grammy Nominee

Hip hop blues master and Grammy nominee

By Darcy Castro

If you haven’t listened to G. Love & Special Sauce, now’s the time. There’s something for everyone here. Come join the ranks of fans and save the playlist, subscribe to the channel or dial in however you consume music. Cue up the wireless speaker at your next backyard gathering and gain immediate cool factor.

Garrett Dutton – the G in G. Love – got his start performing on the streets, from his hometown in Philly then north to the sidewalks of Cambridge, Massachusetts. He came of age when hip hop was bursting into the mainstream, and along with his love for the Delta blues, influenced his sound that can only be described as a hip hop blues vibe. As a legit street artist, totally legal and encouraged in the Boston-area, this singer/rapper/guitarist began to make a mark, working his way up to larger venues and eventually joining forces with drummer Jeff Clemens and bassist Jim Prescott to become G. Love & Special Sauce.

The group was a hit, signing with a major record label shortly after. Their first album debuted in 1994 and features the fan-favorite “Baby’s Got Sauce.” (Haven’t heard it? Stream it now and enjoy. You’re welcome.) 17 albums and an ever-growing loyal fan base later, G earned his first Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album for his solo album The Juice that dropped in January 2020. The nod was a long time coming for this established artist with a huge heart and some serious soul.

“My mission is to bring love, to inspire and make people happy, especially right now. The more love, understanding and empathy that we can bring to any personal interaction, even at small local levels, leads to greater things in our community and our society.” ~ Garrett Dutton

The landscape of how we purchase and listen to music has changed significantly since the days G recorded his first studio album, and us music lovers rely more on our favorite streaming services than we do the bygone late-night trips to peruse the CDs and vinyl at Tower Records. Having an authentic connection with fans and maintaining creativity is crucial for artists to continue to successfully make music. Hard work abounds.

What remains the same for G, however, is his commitment to his fans. It’s harder for artists to make a living in the digital music era, but G still keeps a busy tour schedule, making stops around the country to bring his music live to the fans that dig his unique and relaxed sound. The pandemic made that extremely difficult over the past year, but he’s still creating music and delivering it to audiences, adapting to the limitations as they’ve been thrown at us.

Without a doubt, G works hard for each person that comes to his shows, stepping up to spread the love through his music, as well as to entertain. On stage with a guitar in hand, G exudes positive energy, bringing his mission to life for every person that spends their hard-earned dollar to be entertained and support his art. What a welcome respite in times like these.

Find G’s anthology, tour schedule and merch at Philadelphonic.com.

S can to watch the full TML TV Interv iew