Blu is a West Coast rapper that has been active for over 20 years. While not having gained wide mainstream success, Blu is a staple of the underground rap scene, boasting collaborations with Madlib, J Dilla, KRS-One, Flying Lotus, Alchemist and MF DOOM, just to name a few.
He is comparable to artists like Roc Marciano who has just never stopped putting out music, usually releasing two to three albums a year since 2020 and dropping every year since 2009. Throughout all these releases, fans and critics alike have praised the consistency of Blu’s pure raps and production of his many collaborators. Now, for his first album of 2025, Blu has collaborated with August Fanon on “Forty.”
On this new project, Blu reflects on his age, his legacy, love and his family. Looking at the tracklist, you might also notice that every song on the album has a guest feature from other underground artists. In this way, we see that not only is Blu delivering some classic raps but also acting as a sort of curator, which I personally think is really cool for a veteran like him to feature relatively unknown underground artists. It’s similar to what Kendrick Lamar did on “GNX.”
The title track sees Blu fully embrace his age in a boastful fashion with lyrics reflecting on his successful past and his undeniable consistency as a rapper, “Think we over 400 features and over 20 albums deep / 500,000 monthly means 8 more billion I gotta reach.”
On “Worthy,” August Fanon delivers another simple but delightful soul sample, while Blu, Cashius and Scienze deliver masterclass storytelling. The lyrical content captures the moments in all of these rappers’ lives when numerous struggles got in the way of their artistry, and why it makes them truly worthy of their position now.
“Simple” is where August Fanon’s production takes a huge step. The beat is based on a beautiful soul chop that loops the same lyrics throughout, serving as a substitute for a hook. Blu, Sene and Chester Watson go back-to-back-to-back delivering heavy hitting raps about the current state of the world, with mentions of school shootings, gang violence and billionaires. Without being overly preachy, the track delivers truths and asks a simple question: “Could it be that it was all so simple then?”
“Love (1-4)” is the most ambitious and conceptual track on the project, and it’s executed flawlessly. As the title implies, the track is split up into four parts, each differentiated by a new beat. Further highlighting his skills as a curator, Blu employs three female vocalists and two underground rappers.
Diving into the lyrical content, the first part sees Blu describe his love as expansive and aspirational. His love is for everything in his life: like his family, his career and God.
In the second part, Blu describes his passion and love towards a singular person, which gets beautifully bookended by Geminelle’s sung outro and playful harmonization with the horns in the instrumental.
The third part sees Blu rap about the darker parts of love and how it can turn into something evil when conflated with modern materialism, “How does love become a villain? Is it when someone gets addicted or is it when love gets conflicted? … Is it love if it can be bought by Benjamins?”
In the fourth and final part, Noveliss picks up the mic and talks on how valuable love is becoming ever-important in our more divided world: “Give flowers / While they can be smelled, it’s pollination / Love is love until the day ends / The only thing pure in the real world in the matrix.”
“Forty” ironically enough, proves that Blu’s style of pure raps has not aged a bit.
Rating: 40/50
At Themaeva Store, we’re passionate about bringing elegance and sophistication to your living space. Our mission is to provide unique, high-quality home decor products that reflect the perfect blend of traditional art and contemporary design.
Website: https://www.themaevastore.com/blogs/rangoli-mats/floral-rangoli-mats-unique-contemporary-art-gadgets