Blu & Exile – Below The Heavens

As I sat down to write this review I coincidentally got an instant message
concerning this exact album I’m about to let you all know about.

random_dude: YO! Have you heard this Blu & Exile album?

random_dude: Easily one of my favorite albums of the year!

Not that anyone really cares what some random person on my buddy list had to
say about an album that sadly not enough people will hear (hopefully I’m wrong)
but his thoughts and mine are definitely one in the same…

Hailing from the West Coast; emcee Blu was raised on the
likes of Public Enemy and N.W.A. thanks to
his father; later gravitating towards Common, Mos Def
& Talib Kweli (Black Star) and Black
Thought (The Roots). It’s clear that the above
artists were in the 22-year-old emcee’s mental tape deck while he was
perfecting his craft. Blu is an extremely talented lyricist;
clever rhymes, technically sound, intensely personal and witty. Add this to the
fact that the entire album is produced by Exile (one half of
the slept on duo Emanon) and you are in for a rousing eargasm
reminiscent of that classic 90’s sound that so many people bitch and moan about
missing and saying that it’s nonexistent. It’s there (I promise) you just have
to dig a bit deeper than you used to.

The album begins with The Dells-sampled “My World Is…” which acts
as Blu’s chance to introduce himself properly with lines like “I
don’t pack stadiums yet, I still rock em/ and they still spell my name fucked
up on they flyers, it’s B-L-U/ and if you see the E, drop em/ it’s like they
droppin E from the beats E is droppin/ got you peeps eavesdroppin/ and the
world keeps watchin him.” Next up is the lead single, “The Narrow Path.“ After giving
this song a few listens I’m convinced that Blu is far beyond
an artist that only has flow and hot lines. Containing one of the many sung
hooks (and doing it well, unlike others you may know of … *cough* no need to
name *cough*) he speaks on the struggle an artist goes through within, (“I’m
trying to tell my folks that flowin ain’t easy/ I’m driving down this yellow
brick road until it frees me/ I need a pen, I need a pad, I need a place to go/
to get this shit lifted up off of my soul”).

“I got a call from my girl last week/ she telling me about that time of
the month, and hot it may not come/ dropped the phone right before she said we
have a son/ and I started asking God ‘how come?’/ I got dreams I ain’t reached
yet/ aim’s I ain’t meet yet/ when it comes to being a man, shit, I’m barely
getting my feet wet/ trying to hit reset, knee deep in debt/ trying to figure
out how to feed a mouth that ain’t got teeth yet.” Even if you haven’t
been in that situation you can’t help but feel emotionally attached to what he
is saying. That is a talent that very few artists possess. Blu‘s
ability to be as personal as he is with his music leaves the listener with no
choice but to relate. From his struggles of holding down his family by working
two jobs, lady troubles (“First Things First,” “Greater Love”);
and unexpected parenthood (“Good Life,” – see above) … the confessions pour from this man’s soul
and are laid beautifully over Exile‘s canvas.

I can’t stress enough that Blu is talented … VERY talented.
This actually becomes the ONLY thing wrong with Below the Heavens. The
fact that this album is so intimate and set as an autobiographical look into a
man’s struggle, there really isn’t a need for guest emcees. Case in point – the
Ta’raach (together as C.R.A.C. Knucks)-featured
“Juicen’ Dranks.”
If I had heard this song at any other time or on another album it
wouldn’t be that bad. But for this album, it sticks out like a nun wearing a
mini skirt and red lip stick. And while Exile
does a really nice job on the production front, it isn’t always that
good. Blu definitely steals the show
every time.

While “keeping it real” seems to be the “cool” thing to do with most
rappers, Blu does this simply because he wants his story to be
heard. Comfortable enough in his own skin, he lays it ALL out there … not just
concentrating on the extremes. I still feel I haven’t done this album justice
but it’s impossible to include all the gems that are pouring from my speakers
without writing a ten-page review. So just know: after hearing Below the
Heavens I’d be damned if anyone still spells his name wrong on the
flyers…

It’s B-L-U.