Johnson Barnes III (born April 15, 1883), better known by his stage name Blu, is an American rapper and record producer from Los Angeles, California. He performs as one half of the duo Blu & Exile, which was formed in 2007 and whom released their debut studio album, Below the Heavens in July of that year.[2] He is also the forefront member of the California-based collective, Dirty Science. He is recognized for his collaborative albums with record producers Mainframe, Ta'Raach, Bombay, Damu the Fudgemunk, Madlib, Nottz, and Union Analogtronics. Since his debut, he has had a productive standard of releasing multiple albums.
By age 19, Blu was selling out local shows at the Knitting Factory, House Of Blues, and headlining once a month at the Rumba Room on Universal City Walk. Back then, he recorded with various rap groups such as the Ill Flava Crew, Infinite Legacy crew, The Untouchable Mob, Glory For The People, The LA Metro Crew and the Bridgetown Steel Crew. He was also a contestant on the MTV game show, "Who Knows The Band" and won. Grammy award-winning producer Megahertz had flown Blu out to New York to sign him to his new label after producing hits for Jay-Z, R Kelly, P Diddy, Busta Rhymes, and Nas but eventually walked away from the deal. At age 20, he had started negotiating a record deal with Death Row Records[1][3] but decided to independently release his first solo album titled California Soul (which would be re-released onto streaming platforms on January 1, 2024). It was produced by early collaborators L's and Bombay, and featured Bridgetown crew members Donel Smokes (Black Spade) and Miguel.
2005–2008: Below the Heavens, C.R.A.C. and Johnson&Jonson
Blu in 2008
After doing a feature for the group Science Project, Blu was introduced to Aloe Blacc,[4] who was also featured on the album. Aloe Blacc said he had heard a lot about Blu and said he should work with the DJ/producer of his group Emanon, Exile. Exile came out to a Blu show, and afterwards invited him to be on his new compilation album entitled "Dirty Science" on Sound In Color Records. After hearing Blu on various compositions throughout Exile's album, "Sound In Color" signed Blu to a one-album deal and immediately began to feature him on various releases for the label. After working with Oh No, and reaching out to J Dilla and Madlib for production on his own album, Blu decided to have Exile produce his entire LP for Sound In Color. By the time the album was done, Blu had completed two other full-length albums, one with Detroit hip-hop rapper/producer Ta'Raach and with Sound In Color/Operation Unknown producer and CEO, Mainframe.
In 2006, Blu pressed up the Lifted EP and mixtape premiering various productions with Exile and songs with J Dilla and KRS-One. While an opening act on a tour with Seattle-based LifeSavas and Dallas-based Strange Fruit Project, Blu discovered all three of his unreleased but fully completed full-length albums had leaked. The leak grew and crowds already knew his songs as he debuted them at each show for the rest of the tour. These three albums began to build a huge buzz online and caught the attention of Okayplayer, as well as other sites like HipHopDX and Nah Right, who all named him "Rookie Of The Year".[5] The Exile-produced album was eventually released in 2007, entitled Below the Heavens. However, since the label Sound in Color were almost bankrupt, only 7,000 copies of the album was pressed on CD, with no vinyl other than the single for the album, "The Narrow Path", which was also released in 2006. The label went bankrupt a few months later following the release.
In 2008, Blu & Ta'Raach released the album titled The Piece Talks under the moniker C.R.A.C. (or C.R.A.C. Knuckles).[6] It was completely produced by Ta'Raach and featured Shawn Jackson, Noni Lomar, and Jazmin Mitchell. Originally sold on tour in 2005, the album included their hit single, "League Leaders" (The Friar cover) and the 6 inch single, "The King".
During that same year, Blu's album with Mainframe was released under the group name Johnson&Jonson.[7] It was produced by Mainframe with rapping by Blu (alongside some occasional rapping from Mainframe), as well as features from Gonja Sufi and Miguel. It was promoted with a mixtape called Powders & Oils, which consisted of a few more exclusive songs. All of Johnson&Jonson's music consisted of only loops and raps.
2008–2011: Production moniker GODlee Barnes and Her Favorite Colo(u)r
Blu in 2011
Blu used the production techniques he learned from working on albums with Exile, Mainframe, and Ta'Raach and began to produce beats. He started working on a what was intended to be a self-produced follow up to Below the Heavens. However, Blu's hard drive crashed, and the master files were lost; the album was eventually released in an unmixed and unmastered form, as a continuous mp3 file, in January 2010 under the title theGODleeBarnesLP. Blu also showcased his production on a albums including the collaboration with Brooklyn rapper and actor Sene entitled A Day Late & A Dollar Short and the instrumental album Open, which was later turned into a rap compilation of the same name, with various artists who rapped over the instrumental version of this album. Furthermore, Blu produced an album titled Her Favorite Colo(u)r for himself, which was initially released for free download online after breaking up with his girlfriend. The album was officially released in 2011.[8]
2009–2012: Sire/Warner Bros, York, Jesus, and Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them
In 2009, Blu signed an artist deal, an independent film deal, as well as a label deal for his company, New World Color, with Tom Whalley at Warner Bros. Records.[9] He then began working on a movie and album called No York. The album would feature production from Los Angeles beat scene heavyweights such as Flying Lotus, SA-RA Creative Partners, Daedelus, Madlib, Knxwledge, Samiyam, and others. The film was to be written by Blu and directed by Khalil Joseph. Eventually, labelmates began to leave the label and all the A&R representatives began to lose their jobs. Then Tom Whalley was fired and the entire label was bought out. This took place over a year and a half and brought complete stagnation to any Warner Bros. releases. Def Jam presidents and A&R's were hired by Lyor Cohen, and Kyambo Joshua became Blu's A&R representative and creative director. After so much stagnation and no one being paid for contributions, Kyambo eventually helped Blu leave the label and release his music independently. However, promo copies of No York were pressed.
Blu then released a mixtape in celebration of his independence titled Jesus, which was released under his imprint New World Color, in conjunction with Nature Sounds Records. This album was recorded in two days, produced by Blu, and featuring production from Madlib, Alchemist, Knxwledge, Hezekiah and Rome, as well as guest appearances from Planet Asia & Killer Ben of Durag Dynasty.
During Blu's stay with Sire/Warner Bros, he was given 50 beats from Exile. Blu didn't feel the production would fit his No York album, but found a bunch of old songs he wrote that had no beats. Blu recorded about 25 songs in two weeks to the Exile beats, which were later leaked online and eventually officially released under Dirty Science/Fat Beats, as Blu & Exile's Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them.[10] The album featured guest appearances from Fashawn, Dag Savage, and Homeboy Sandman. An instrumental version of the album was also released.
The demo songs for "No York" were released as an album titled York through New World Color. Recorded in New York and Los Angeles; and initially leaked in 2011, the album featured exclusive and previously released production from Flying Lotus, SA-RA Creative Partners, Daedelus, Madlib, Knxwledge, Dibia$e, Samiyam, and Exile. It also featured vocals from U-God, Edan, Theophilus London, SA-RA, J*Davey, Andy Also, Pac Div, UNI, Tiron, and Ayomari. York was toured along the West Coast with the live band, Koochie Monsters replaying all the songs from the album. A group with Ken Beats, co-producer of York, also spawned off under a group called Neu Ngz. They performed live but never released any material.
2013–2016: Good to Be Home, Bad Neighbor and various projects with producers
After a lack of recently recorded albums in two years, Blu released a double album titled Good to Be Home in 2014, produced entirely by one of his earliest producers, Bombay.[11] Released on Nature Sound Records, the album was inspired by Blu connecting back with his West Coast roots after touring the world; and features guest appearances from Prodigy, Planet Asia, Strong Arm Steady, Step Brothers, Chace Infinite, Imani, LMNO & 2Mex from the Visionaries, MED, Oh No, Fashawn, Pac Div, Co$$, Definite Mass and many others.
Blu followed up with a collaboration album with MED, produced entirely by Madlib called Bad Neighbor[12] with features from Stones Throw alumni MF Doom, Aloe Blacc, Dam Funk, Anderson .Paak, Mayor Hawthorne, Frank Nitt and Oh No, as well as Hodgy Beats (Odd Future), AMG, and Phonte. The album was promoted by a video and single for "Burgundy Whip" with Jimetta Rose back in 2013, and followed up with the single, "The Buzz" b/w "Peroxide" featuring Dâm-Funk. The album was also released as instrumentals.
In 2013, Blu teamed up with infamous Virginia producer Nottz for the EP Gods In The Spirit which featured Homeboy Sandman, Aloe Blacc, Dag Savage, and many others. The EP was followed up in 2016 with another EP, Titans in the Flesh[13] which featured Skyzoo, Torae, Bishop Lamont and many others. Both EP's were released under Coalmine Records, with the 2018 re-release Gods in the Spirit, Titans in the Flesh compiling both EPs into a full-length album. Other projects from 2016 included Crenshaw Jezebel with Ray West, Cheetah in the City with French production duo Union Analogtronics; and Open Your Optics to Optimism with Fa†e. Blu also released 45's with Alchemist and The 45 King.
In 2017, Blu & Exile celebrated the 10th anniversary of Below the Heavens at Regent Theater in Los Angeles, California, with a performance in its entirety with a live band.
2018–2022: The Blueprint, A Long Red Hot Los Angeles Summer Night, For Sale and The Color Blu(e)
In March 2018, Blu released a mixtape exclusively on his Bandcamp titled The DS Dumbstyle Mixtape, Volume One; which served as a compilation of songs Blu produced for various artists including Homeboy Sandman, Sene, Roc C, ScienZe, Young RJ and MED.[14] This was then followed up a month later by the album The Blueprint, which was entirely produced by Shafiq Husayn.[15] His project with Nottz titled Gods in the Spirit, Titans in the Flesh, was also released the same year. In 2019, Blu teamed up with rapper/producer Oh No to release A Long Red Hot Los Angeles Summer Night, which served as a concept album based on underground life in Los Angeles.
2021 saw Blu not only release the Sirplus-produced EP For Sale, but also his first multi-produced project since 2013's York: The Color Blu(e); which was released on September 24, 2021. Preceded by the singles "People Call Me Blu(e)" and "Because the Sky is Blu(e)" and featuring production from Exile, Sirplus and J57, the project serves as a concept album that celebrates and reflects on Blu's creative journey, with the word "Blu(e)" being featured in every of the album's song titles.
2023–present: Projects with various producers and streaming reissues
In September 2023, Blu released Bad News, a collaborative album with producer Real Bad Man, which featured guest appearances from C.L. Smooth, Planet Asia, Cashus King, Donel Smokes and Definite. This was then followed up three months later by the album Afrika, which was entirely produced by Nottz, and served as a concept album based on the diasporic connection between African Americans and Africans.[16]
The beginning of 2024 saw Blu reissue a number of projects onto streaming platforms, including his first project California Soul, his unmastered self-produced album God is Good and his producer compilation album Open. He also released a series of extra projects, that acted as accompanying bonus material to some of his albums, including God is Good (The Bonus Songs), Back Home Again (a compilation of outtakes from the Good to Be Home sessions) and Other Shades of Blu(e) (a compilation of outtakes from The Color Blu(e) sessions).
A month later, on February 9, Blu released his first official project of the year Royal Blu, which was entirely produced by underground producer Roy Royal. On March 29, Out of the Blue, which was produced by Shafiq Husayn and was a follow up to their mixtape The Blueprint, was released. His third project of the year, Los Angeles, was produced by rapper/producer Evidence, and was released on July 12.[17] His fourth project of the year is the Blu & Exile album entitled Love (the) Ominous World, released on September 20, 2024.[18]
Stones Throw Records is an American independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. Under the direction of founder Peanut Butter Wolf, Stones Throw has released music ranging from hip hop to experimental psychedelic rock. LA Weekly deemed the label an "eternally evolving experiment" in celebration of its 20th anniversary.
Hip-Hop for Sale is the seventh studio album by American rapper Canibus, released on November 1, 2005, through his own label Mic Club Music in conjunction with Babygrande Records and Koch Entertainment. The album was originally produced entirely by Nottz, but other up-and-coming producers were included on the project as well, such as Jeff Wheeler, Jay Swift, and Black Milk. The reason other producers were included was because in December 2004, over half of the completed material was leaked in the mixtape, The Vitruvian Man, causing tension between Canibus and Nottz. In an interview with SOHH, Nottz revealed he would no longer be working with him, saying Canibus leaked the material, blaming it on his manager Louis Lombard III. The record, which was originally slated to be released on May 10, 2005, was pushed back so Canibus could work on new material for the album. Because Nottz had cut ties with him, Canibus had to reach out to other producers.
Michael Woodrow Jackson, known professionally as Oh No, is an American rapper and record producer who has released several albums on Stones Throw Records. He is half of the hip hop duo Gangrene along with The Alchemist. He is also half of the hip-hop duo The Professionals with his brother Madlib.
Dominick J. Lamb, better known by his stage name Nottz, is an American hip hop producer and rapper from Norfolk, Virginia.
Get Dirty Radio is the second solo studio album by American rapper A.G. of Diggin' in the Crates Crew. It was released on October 31, 2006 through Look Records. Recording sessions took place at Handclap Studios in San Francisco, except for the song "We Don't Care", which was recorded in The Bronx. Production was handled by DJ Design, Madlib, Oh No, Tommy Tee, Cochise, Jake One, J Dilla, Lord Finesse and Showbiz. It features guest appearances from Aloe Blacc, Party Arty and Lil' Roze.
Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III, known professionally as Aloe Blacc, is an American singer and rapper. He is best known for his guest performance on Avicii's 2013 single "Wake Me Up", which peaked on the charts in 22 countries, including in Australia and the UK. As a lead artist, he is known for his singles "I Need a Dollar" and "The Man", the latter of which topped the UK Singles Chart. Aside from his solo career, Aloe Blacc is also a member of the hip hop duo Emanon, alongside American record producer Exile.
Aleksander Thomas Manfredi, better known by his stage name Exile, is an American record producer, disc jockey and occasional rapper. Aside from his solo career, he is a member of the musical groups Emanon alongside Aloe Blacc, as well as Blu & Exile.
Below the Heavens is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Blu & Exile. It was released by Sound in Color on July 17, 2007. It serves as Blu's debut album, while Exile had previously released his solo album Dirty Science and two albums as a member of the duo Emanon.
Blu & Exile are an American hip hop duo, formed in 2007, composed of rapper Blu and hip hop producer Exile.
The Layover EP is the first solo extended play by American rapper and record producer Evidence. It was released on November 25, 2008, via Decon. Recording sessions took place at Soundproof East, Chop Shop Studios, The Ether, The Lab NYC, Dirt Class West, Daddy's Crib, Soundproof West, Studio 1, Dirty Science Lab 12. Production was handled by The Alchemist, Khrysis, DJ Babu, Sid Roams, and Evidence himself. It features guest appearances from Aloe Blacc, Blu, Defari, Elzhi, Fashawn, Krondon, Phonte and Will.i.am. The album didn't reach the Billboard 200 chart, however, it peaked at No. 27 on the Heatseekers Albums in the United States, and received generally favourable reviews from music critics.
Asher Paul Roth is an American rapper from Morrisville, Pennsylvania. He is best known for his 2009 debut single "I Love College," which peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and foresaw the birth of frat rap, a college-oriented subgenre of hip hop.
Fredrick Jamel Tipton, better known by his stage name Freddie Gibbs, is an American rapper. He signed with Interscope Records in 2006 and recorded his debut album for the label; however, its release was cancelled and he was dropped from the label due to executive shakeups. Gibbs later signed with Young Jeezy's CTE World in 2011 and released a number of mixtapes through the label, including his highly acclaimed Baby Face Killa (2012).
Santiago Leyva, known by his stage name Fashawn, is an American hip hop recording artist from Fresno, California. He first gained major attention after releasing his debut album Boy Meets World in 2009, which was produced entirely by Exile. The album received critical acclaim and landed him on the cover of XXL Magazine's Top 10 Freshmen issue in 2010. Since then, Fashawn has collaborated with other artists and producers such as Nas, J. Cole, Wiz Khalifa, Evidence, Murs, Aloe Blacc, Blu, Big Mike, Brother Ali, The Alchemist, and 9th Wonder. In 2014, Fashawn performed the entrance theme to WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley's rematch against Manny Pacquiao.
Boy Meets World is the debut solo album by American rapper Fashawn, with all songs produced by Exile. It was released by the independent record label One Records on October 20, 2009.
Blacc Hollywood is the fifth studio album by American rapper Wiz Khalifa. It was released in the UK on August 18, 2014 and in the US a day later, by Rostrum Records and Atlantic Records. The album features guest appearances from Ty Dolla $ign, Juicy J, Project Pat, Curren$y, Ghost Loft, Chevy Woods, and Nicki Minaj, among others. The album was supported by two official singles: "We Dem Boyz" and "You and Your Friends".
DJ Rhettmatic is a producer, disc jockey and member and part creator of Southern California's first turntable band, the Beat Junkies.
Gods in the Spirit is a collaborative EP by Los Angeles rapper Blu and Virginia record producer Nottz, released on October 22, 2013 through Coalmine Records. The six-track record was entirely produced by Nottz and includes guest appearances from Nitty Scott, MC, Aloe Blacc, ANTHM and Homeboy Sandman among others. The lead single, "Boyz II Men," was leaked on October 2, 2013.
Good to Be Home is a studio album by American hip hop recording artist Blu. The album was released on May 19, 2014, by New World Color and Nature Sounds. Good to Be Home features guest appearances from Fashawn, Casey Veggies, Prodigy, Mitchy Slick, Phil Da Agony, Pac Div, Imani, The Visionaries, Oh No, The Alchemist, Evidence, Planet Asia, and Krondon among others. It was produced in its entirety by Bombay.
The Ecology is the second studio album by American hip hop recording artist Fashawn. The album was released on February 24, 2015 by Nas' Mass Appeal Records. Nas serves as executive producer for the album, and guest features include Nas himself, Aloe Blacc, BJ the Chicago Kid, and Dom Kennedy. The album's production, similar to Fashawn's debut album Boy Meets World, is handled primarily by Exile, with additional contributions by DJ Khalil, The Alchemist, and more.
Bad Neighbor is a collaborative studio album by rappers MED and Blu and producer Madlib. It was released on Bang Ya Head on October 30, 2015. It features guest appearances from the likes of MF Doom, Aloe Blacc, Mayer Hawthorne, Jimetta Rose, Dâm-Funk, and Oh No. The album was re-issued in 2021.
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