Blu&Exile/ 15 years “Below The Heavens” anniversary tour
Am: Do.20.10.
Ab: 19:30
Genre: U.S. Live Rap/ Hip Hop
Vvk.: 16,-€ (zzgl.Gebühren/ außer bei Underpressure und Groove City, da ist geiler!)
AK.: 20,-€
Einer der besten Live Acts, die wir je machen durften, feiert eine 15 Jahre Geburtstags Album Tour der Kult LP „Below the Heavens“! Blu ist und bleibt ein doper MC und nicht bloß ein Studio Rapper und wenn Exile live in die MPC Tasten haut steht dort eine groovende Band auf der Bühne, die man im Hip Hop Genre nicht häufig zu Gesicht bekommt!
With his cool-headed SoCal demeanor and
everyman charisma, Blu was championed at the
onset of his recording career when he collaborated
with Emanon DJ/producer Exile for the highly
acclaimed LP Below the Heavens (2007).
Born Johnson Barnes in Inglewood, California, Blu, whose stepfather was a pastor, was
influenced by gospel and Christian rap when he was developing his MC skills in middle
and high school. His musical turning point came when he first heard the Common
classic „I Used to Love H.E.R.“ (1994), as well as the Chicago MC’s third album, One
Day It’ll All Make Sense (1997). From then on, Blu abandoned his schoolyard freestyle
frame of mind and dedicated his abilities to crafting well-written songs. As he started
doing live performances, he p20aid his dues working as a hype man for several
underground rap and soul artists, including Slum Village, Steve Spacek, Platinum Pied
Pipers, and, of course, Emanon. His relationship with Exile and newfound mindset in
making music pointed him toward signing with L.A. independent Sound in Color in 2004,
which for the young MC meant brushing off interest from Interscope and Death Row.
Subsequently, he cut a few records for Exile’s Sound in Color album, Dirty Science
(2006), recorded features for other L.A. artists, and self-pressed his Lifted EP in 2006.
When Below the Heavens first hit shelves in August 2007, Blu and Exile were virtual
unknowns in underground hip-hop, but Blu’s deft songwriting and Exile’s soul-drenched,
Jay Dee-influenced production quickly amassed them a national audience. Below the
Heavens ended up on many critics‘ year-end lists and launched Blu into the public hip-
hop eye. Remaining independent, Blu later turned to Sound in Color labelmate and L.A.-
via-Detroit MC/producer Ta’Raach (formerly known as Lacks) for the collaborative
project C.R.A.C. Knuckles. Over the next five years, Blu released a total of seven
albums and mixtapes, including 2011’s Open and Blu & Exile’s Give Me My Flowers
While I Can Still Smell Them in 2012. The previously unreleased albums Her Favorite
Colo(U)r and NoYork! also finally saw proper release in 2011 and 2013, respectively.
Blu’s solo album, Good to Be Home, was released by Nature Sounds in 2014, and Bad
Neighbor, a collaboration with MED and Madlib, appeared on Bang Ya Head in 2015.
The following year, Blu joined forces with Nottz for the myth-inspired EP Titans in the
Flesh. ~ Cyril Cordor.
2020 marks eight years since Blu & Exile’s last full length album
‚Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them‘. Now in an effort to make up for lost
time, the dynamic duo are back to drop the double album ‚Miles: From An Interlude
Called Life‘ (‚Miles‘ for short). Released through Dirty Science Records, the album
includes features from Blu‘s childhood friend and now platinum recording artist Miguel,
Exile’s childhood friend Aloe Blacc, Dirty Science alum Fashawn, along with several
emerging artists like The Last, Artful Dodger, Choosey, Iman Omari, and more! 2022 Blu
and Exile were Featured on platinum artist Logic’s latest album, as well as Blu’s 2022
release “The Color Blu” and more and more as these prolific dog never stop creating…
VorAct: NoTvRaps Radioshow
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Gefördert von NEUSTART KULTUR, INITIATIVE MUSIK, Beauftrage der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien