There aren’t many better than Blu & Exile when it comes to underground hip-hop tandems. Or is there really any above them? That is a question that you may want to pose to yourself after listening to their newest project. That’s right, this weekend, Blu & Exile are here with Love (the) Ominous World, their latest collaborative record as a group. This is their fourth one to be exact, and it’s their first since 2020’s Miles. Heading into this Friday, the multi-hyphenates had given fans two songs to chew on before dropping off the other 10.
The grand and celebratory closer “Love Is Blu”, and the head-nodding West Coast bop that is “Gold” led things off terrifically. Some of the songs on this album really see Blu at his most braggadocious. “Undisputed” is perhaps the most obvious one of the bunch, and it’s also one of the best here. On top of great rapping, Exile is also giving you quality in the instrumental department. From great disc scratching to bumping drum patterns and everything in between, he’s really giving you his peak self. Overall, it’s a fantastic return for Blu & Exile as a pairing and we highly encourage you give it a try.
Blu and Exile (Blu & Exile) are one of the most underrated hip-hop duos of all-time. When it comes to the underground scene in particular, we wouldn’t be mad if you had them ranked at number one. The Los Angeles, California kids just have that special recipe that no one else will truly be able to unearth or replicate. It’s rare when they miss a step and it’s why we are thrilled for their upcoming collaborative project, Love (the) Ominous World. According to a currently unreviewed annotation on Genius, they are expecting it to drop on September 20, so just a couple of weeks from now. We got our first taste of what appears to be a 12-song outing with “Love Is Blu”.
Frequent collaborator and singer/rapper Aloe Blacc appeared on it and as usual, the song bangs. It felt triumphant but it had some serious undertones to it thanks to the spirited and lyrically conscious performances. You normally don’t go to them for catchy tunes. But “Love Is Blu” also had that going for it too. The same rings true for “Gold”, the second single from Blu & Exile. The instrumental and melodies from Exile paired with the chorus give it tremendous replay value. Typically, when a song is sticky, it tends to not change up. However, Exile throws in some instrumental switch-ups to keep the listener engaged. Disc scratches, vocal samples, and ghostly and twinkly tones are things you’ll catch here and there. Overall, we think that him and Blu went two for two with “Gold”. However, we want to know what you think, so check it out below.
After just a handful days being out, Blu and Exile’s new single “Love Is Blu” is quickly gaining a lot of traction with listeners. It’s easy to see why because this longtime underground duo is still drawing in ears given their great track record. Both constantly and consistently deliver sound conscious and lyrical hip-hop tracks and projects, including their magnum opus in 2007, Below the Heavens. However, it’s been quite a bit since they’ve collaborated, with 2020’s Miles. However, they will be ending that drought in just about a month with their fourth album, Love (the) Ominous World.
According to Genius, it should be available on September 20 and it will feature 12 songs. Features will include Georgia Anne Muldrow, Fashawn, Cashus King, Pistol McFly, and more. Aloe Blacc is another one of those names to mention and he’s also on this “Love Is Blu” single. It’s the official lead-off track for what will be Blu’s fifth record this year which is simply impressive. Exile lays down a head-nodding instrumental with inspirational horns and thick drums. Blu and Aloe harmonize well on the chorus and the former’s verses are socially conscious and cleverly written. It’s very honest about the current social state of the world and why more love needs to be spread every day.
Stop giving up sections of this world off to Satan, leave the world contemplating About the world we facing, that’ll be amazing, rattle free the cages If I was on top they would battle me for ages But I’m from the bottom, that’ll be the basement rappers be adjacent Only at the placement at the placement And after they spend everything that they make to society
When you conjure up a list of some of the best rappers when it comes to writing, you have to include Blu in those conversations. The underground California MC always delivers quality, and it is hard to find any flaws in the things this man does. However, he is no one-trick pony, as he is also a fantastic producer. Over this weekend, Blu is here to prove any possible doubters by coming through with a full tape of beats on a project called abc.
This is not just any regular instrumental hip-hop record either though. For this abc project, Blu partnered with affiliated record label EveryDejaVu to work on a poetry book. According to their Instagram, this project has been in the making for about eight years now. “After many years and many versions, LETTER, a poetry book finally gets to see the light!” LETTER was so highly anticipated that all of the first edition copies were scooped up in the first two hours.
Luckily though, the label announced that a second wave of the title will be coming with some extra goodies as well. For now, the album can be streamed or purchased digitally on Bandcamp. The accompanying abc album spans just under a half an hour, which in this culminates into 15 tracks. The instrumentals seem to fit a poetry book. The beats are colorful and include creative sample flips, as well as a glitchy and carefree presentation.
What are your thoughts on this brand-new album abc by Blu? Which songs are you gravitating toward the most right now? Where do you rank this project amongst the rest in his discography? What instrumental do you think is the best and why? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Blu. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.
Blu, one of the most talented rappers when it comes to both flow and writing, is back with a new trio of cuts for us. 2024 has proven to be a busy one already, as the Los Angeles California artist has dropped a single, an EP, and a collaborative album. Going back to that EP for a second, that was also a team effort. He worked with producer Shafiq Husayn to bring along We Bang. Similar to Blu and Shafiq’s newest set of tracks, Roll Up, We Bang included three recordings as well.
According to Blu and Nature Sounds’ Instagram accounts, both of these small care packages will be a part of something larger. “Blu and Shafiq Husayn are now announcing Out Of The Blue, a new album set for release on March 29th.” This will mark their second tape together, going back to the 2018 mixtape The Blueprint. While “We Bang” was the lead single, that drop also had its instrumental and “Brains Blue” paired with it.
“Roll Up” does the same thing, as Blu and Shafiq have given us “Very Amazing” too. The first of the two is very chill with excellent rhymes from Blu over a bassy beat. “Very Amazing” is a different vibe, as the instrumental is more scattered and unorthodox. Be sure to check out the tracks above.
What are your thoughts on this brand-new EP, Roll Up, by Blu and Shafiq Husayn? Is this their best set of tracks together, why or why not? What was your favorite track in this three-pack and why? Who had the strongest verse and why? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Blu and Shafiq Husayn. Finally, stay with us for everything the most informative project posts throughout the week.
Roll Up Tracklist:
Roll Up with Shafiq Husayn, Jimetta Rose, Donel Smokes, & Tiron
Blu has been a prolific fixture in hip hop’s underground for over two decades now, with landmark records such as 2007’s Below The Heavens alongside Exile making waves with fans across the globe. Though he may not have millions of monthly Spotify streamers, the 40-year-old spitter has a dedicated and loyal fan base excited to see where his career takes him next. Conversely, producer Roy Royal is an emerging newcomer to the boom-bap hip-hop scene, also hailing from the heart of Los Angeles.
Blu and Roy Royal have teamed up for a brief but exciting LP, aptly titled Royal Blu, which showcases the “Knock Knock” vocalist’s lyrical versatility over Royal’s old-school instrumentation, complete with several well-placed sample scratches and pitched vocal passages. Royal Blu marks the third consecutive release from Blu which showcases the rapper locking in with a single producer to craft a full-length project, following efforts such as Bad News with Real Bad Man and Afrika with Nottz. The latest project is one of the most exciting collaborative efforts in years. Here’s a brief look at Royal Blu, and a review of the material within.
Blu & Roy Royal Are In Rare Form On This Brief But Effective Release
Despite the album containing only 8 tracks spread across 19 minutes of material, Royal Blu features some of the best work from either of the musical duo thus far. Blu glides over the boom-bap production provided by Roy Royal with the control and experience reserved for veterans, while still showcasing his hunger to take his career to the next level. Though the project is quintessentially Californian, the razor-sharp drum and piano-heavy beats, accompanied by powerful scratches and interspersed vocal samples have a clear Wu-Tang influence.
Blu confirms this East Coast influence on the track “The Royal” when he raps “My favorite album is Nas’ Illmatic/ It’s almost been 30 years since it dropped and the God is still at it.” This lyric serves as something of a thesis statement for the record, as Blu explores the future and past of his career, and pontificates about the possibility of becoming a revered legacy artist like Nas has with his King’s Disease and Magic album trilogies. It should also be noted that Nas found major success with these 6 recent albums in large part due to the close collaborative relationship he formed with producer Hit-Boy.
The Album’s Influences Showcase Some Of Hip Hop’s Finest Artists
The following tracks on the Blu and Roy Royal collaboration show clear Kanye West influences as well. Songs like “The Same OG” and “The Priceless” each provide a backdrop composed of pitched-up soul samples, chopped in the style of College Dropout-era Kanye. This is especially clear in the latter track, as Blu takes a specific lyrical focus on praising God for the professional heights and personally blessings he’s seen in his life. The album’s lone feature, Cashus King, joins in on “The Priceless” to echo these sentiments, rapping, “Hood wars set up kids for early graves and pearly gates/ Hell on earth is heavenless, yet I win/ God or Satan, I’m a travel agent/ These rhymes took me to some places that I never been.”
The best track on Royal Blu is the penultimate song, “Before I Go.” The track offers sparse production with plucky piano tones and stabbing vocal samples, as Blu raps about accomplishing his goals and passing the torch to his children before his eventual death. The track also highlights the highs and lows of his life, from dropping out of high school to mastering the rap game. Lyrics such as “I gotta put my children on before I’m gone” prove that the rapper has a deep desire to continue pushing his sound to the next level for the foreseeable future.
While the album’s very brief run time offers listeners little time to ruminate on the themes and topics provided in the body of work, Royal Blu serves as a showcase of some of Blu and Roy Royal’s finest work. While comparing the duo to the likes of MF DOOM and Madlib would certainly be overselling it, future collaborations between the rapper and producer could certainly yield a bonafide classic. This project is probably the best rapper and producer duo project since Joell Ortiz and L’Orange locked in for Signature last Summer. Blu has made it a habit to collaborate with several producers in the last year or so, but fans would certainly welcome a second joint venture with Roy Royal in the future.
Underground hip-hop has produced some of the greatest lyrical talents in the 50-year history of the genre. Blu, the sure-fire MC from California has been dropping some of the best material from the West Coast since the early 2000 decade. In fact, his 2007 record, Below The Heavens, is widely seen as one of the best rap records from that time period. Blu’s prowess lies in his lyricism and good ear for production, both of which are blatantly obvious on his newest record.
The 40-year-old prolific spitter is following up a duo of projects in 2023. Bad News was the first of the two releases and that went down in August. That was a venture with Real Bad Man, a production and streetwear company that is on the rise. Then, in early December in 2023 Blu linked with Nottz for another concise listen called Afrika.
Now, he is back with another producer, this time with a fellow Californian Roy Royal. This is their first project together and it an entertaining listen. Roy brings some great soul chops and disc scratching into the fold and Blu raps with conviction. It feels as if they are repping L.A. like their lives depend on it. If you want passionate performances check this out.
What are your thoughts on this brand-new album, Royal Blu, by Blu and Roy Royal? Which songs are you gravitating toward the most so far? What song has the best beat and why? Is this Blu’s best album to date, why or why not? Do they need to work together more often, why or why not? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to tell us in the comments below. Additionally, keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Blu and Roy Royal. Finally, stay with us for the most informative project posts throughout the week.
