He is known for his extensive collaborations with Spike Lee.

He has composed 18 of his films including Jungle Fever (1991), Malcolm X (1992), Crooklyn (1994), Clockers (1995), Summer of Sam (1999), Bamboozled (2000), 25th Hour (2002), She Hate Me (2004), Inside Man (2006), Miracle at St. Anna (2008), Chi-Raq (2015), BlacKkKlansman (2018), Da 5 Bloods (2020).

He has composed other films such as Eve's Bayou (1997), Red Tails (2012), Harriet (2019), One Night in Miami... (2020), The Woman King (2022).

Blanchard has received numerous accolades including five Grammy Awards.

He has also received two Academy Award for Best Original Score nominations for BlacKkKlansman (2018) and Da 5 Bloods (2020).