Foremost a soul-rooted artist whose smooth, heartfelt vocals recall giants of the past — especially Marvin Gaye — October London is a versatile artist who also raps and is equally comfortable with R&B throwbacks, slick house productions, and organic contemporary country ballads. A longtime associate of Snoop Dogg, London has been featured on numerous tracks by the rapper and has recorded for his Cadillacc Music, Doggy Style, and revived Death Row labels. London’s many notable projects include Please Leave a Message (2022), The Rebirth of Marvin (2023), and October Nights (2024).
The South Bend, Indiana native (born Jared Samuel Erskine) began making music under the name Sam London. He appeared in 2013 with a cover of Juicy’s slow jam “Sugar Free,” coincidentally a hit the year of his birth (1986). Near the end of 2013, London released The Introduction, an EP that ranged from Motown-style R&B to folk-pop. The Latin pop-flavored “Baila Conmigo” followed in 2014. Two years later, he returned under the alias October London and signed with Cadillacc Music, operated by Jazze Pha and Snoop Dogg.
Color Blind: Love, his label debut, was issued in October 2016 and featured “Black Man in America,” a fiery protest anthem, as well as a bluesier title song that put his falsetto on display. Color Blind: Hate & Happiness landed the following April with “Top Down,” including a guest verse from Snoop Dogg. London had made the first of many appearances on Snoop’s own records with the hook to “Revolution,” the finale of Coolaid. Though Cadillacc Music later shuttered, London continued with independent singles like “Delorean” and “Quarantina” in 2020.
In 2021, Snoop’s Doggy Style imprint backed the contrasting releases “LSD,” “Lime Squeeze,” and “Tennessee Whiskey,” while Def Jam issued the Caribbean-flavored “I Want You.” The year 2022 marked the start of a longer phase with the reactivated Death Row Records, owned by Snoop. London began his Death Row era with “I Don’t Give a Damn” before briefly returning to Doggy Style for the progressive R&B EP Please Leave a Message. He then offered Crypto Winter, subtitled “The Dubstep/House Album,” showcasing yet another dimension of his artistry.
In 2023, he leaned fully into his classic soul inspirations with The Rebirth of Marvin, channeling the spirit of Marvin Gaye while maintaining a modern polish. That same year, he delivered more club-ready tracks on the Technicolor EP and released the Christmas album The Greatest Gift. He also recorded the ballad “Eternity” for the soundtrack to The Color Purple. His 2024 album October Nights — previewed by the Stylistics-referencing “She Keeps Calling” and the elegant “A Beautiful Woman” — further cemented his identity as a contemporary torchbearer for classic R&B.
In 2025, his single “Touch On Me” found new life on TikTok, sparking a viral resurgence that generated more than 20,000 creates and introduced the record to an entirely new generation of listeners. The momentum carried into 2026, when “Touch On Me” climbed to #1 at R&B radio, further cementing October’s standing as one of the format’s most reliable hitmakers. He also delivered a powerful performance at the Grammy Awards alongside Lauryn Hill in tribute to the late legends D’Angelo and Roberta Flack — a defining moment that reflected the lineage of soul he represents and the legacy he continues to build.
