Although Exile had already made a name for himself in the left coast hip-hop scene, both as part of the duo Emanon (with Aloe Blacc) and by producing tracks for Jurassic 5, Kardinal Offishall, and Mobb Deep, among others, it wasn't until the release of his 2007 album with rapper Blu, called Below the Heavens, that the Los Angeles-based producer began receiving attention and praise outside the West Coast community. Born Aleksander Manfredi in the late '70s, Exile grew up listening to both the traditional Italian music his grandfather played and bands like the Sex Pistols and LL Cool J. It was, in fact, with the gift of LL Cool J's 1985 debut, Radio, that he first set his sights on hip-hop, and soon he was delving into beatmaking himself, using a cassette player until he was able to save enough money for a primitive sampler and a four-track. When he was 18, he met then 16-year-old Aloe Blacc, a fellow Angeleno, and the two started the group Eman...