Blu & Exile
Love (the) Ominous World
Dirty Science
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Read our interview with Blu & Exile here
This year has been one for the ages for John Barnes a.k.a. Blu. He has already released three different projects: Out of the Blue with Shafiq Husayn, Royal Blu with Roy Royal, and Los Angeles with Evidence. All of these are extremely dope and all three have been love letters to the City of Angels. He finishes the year by linking up again with producer and longtime collaborator Alec “Exile” Manfredi, to drop Love (the) Ominous World, his fourth album of the year and his fourth album with the producer. It’s his best release of the year, and one of the best projects he’s recorded with Exile.
Below the Heavens (2007), Blu’s first collaboration with Exile, put him on the proverbial map over a decade-and-a-half ago. Their partnership has been creatively fruitful, as their chemistry together is clearly special. Their last release, Miles (2020), was a sprawling and ambitious double album. In contrast, Love (the) Ominous World is a leaner 12 tracks and runs a little over 50 minutes in length.
It’s also a very focused effort. Below the Heavens introduced a wide-eyed and enthusiastic Blu to a wider audience, allowing him to speak as a young man coming to terms with his upbringing in Los Angeles. Love (the) Ominous World features a more wizened Blu, somewhat worse for wear, but still viewing his existence as a blessing. As always, Exile proves a more than capable partner behind the boards. Though the scope of the album is smaller, he stretches out of his production wings and further demonstrates his range. It functions as both the end of an existing chapter in both of their lives, and potentially the start of a new story.
The pair start Love (the) Ominous World with “Hello LA,” their most overt dedication to the city. Blu relays his experiences growing up in South Central in the era of “the Raiders and Ronald Reagan.” As Georgia Anne Muldrow croons powerful vocals on the song’s hook, Exile puts together a beat from chopped vocals and guitar licks, adding in some thumping drums.
Moreover, Love (the) Ominous World is Blu & Exile’s tribute to LA and West Coast hip-hop, and its evolution throughout the genre’s Golden Era. “Undisputed,” with its usage of a very recognizable breakbeat and heavy funk samples, is the pair’s version of a King T & DJ Pooh collaboration. Blu touts his lyrical dominance using boxing and other sports-related metaphors, delivering a “first-swing knockout” as he boasts, “Truth is I’m just a conscious kid knocking you unconscious, kid.”
“Smack” plays like a mid-1990s lyric heavy, jazz influenced track that might have been recorded by The Nonce or Souls of Mischief (right down to “That’s When Ya Lost” vocals scratches on the chorus). Blu and Fresno’s Fashawn, a longtime cohort, flow over smooth vibraphone and guitar, speak on the left coast, mostly focusing on California, where as Fashawn proclaims, they “make a riot out a rally / Make a scraper out of Caddies / Make a runner out your momma / Make a dealer out your daddy.”
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Blu & Exile also honor the more “street”-oriented side of Southern California hip-hop’s legacy. The dark and chaotic “Ominous World” plays like their version of Dr. Dre’s “The Day the N***z Took Over,” complete with narration by RBX, while Blu meditates on the actual and metaphorical end of the world.
“Chucks,” featuring Kurupt and KXNG Crooked, invokes the slumping gangsta hip-hop era of the mid-1990s, complete with a sample of “Funky Worm.” Crooked is in fine form, while Kurupt sounds sharper than he has in over 15 years. The song fittingly flows into “Suge,” which, for fairly obvious reasons, sounds like it could have dropped in the late 1990s/early ’00s. Blu recounts, in minute detail, his visit (circa 2001 or so) to Death Row Records’ offices and meeting with the nominal Mr. Knight, in hopes of getting signed to the label.
“Gold” centers on Blu’s drive to be successful and his commitment to the grind. On “Homies,” Blu, along with Cashius King and Pistol McFly, pay homage to those who have influenced their lives for the better, many of whom have passed on or they have lost contact with. The song ends with a big reunion in the studio, playing out like a 2020s LA version of the outro to Main Source’s “Just Hangin’ Out.”
Love (the) Ominous World ends with a strong run. “A Song Called Precipitation” is the informal sequel to Below the Heavens’ “Dance in the Rain,” featuring Blu speaking on the cleansing and transformative powers of condensation. The track features some of the album’s best production, as Exile puts together a delicate guitar sample with layers of otherworldly vocals.
The emcee gets poignant on “Valley of Kings,” where Blu lays out his odyssey as an artist, chronicling his first experiences writing verses to describing the difficulties he’s faced in recent years. He explains how his “life’s been hectic” since getting dropped by Warner Bros. Losing his deal sent him spiraling and forced him to grapple with serious mental health issues. He recounts how he got arrested five times and spent some time in jail, acknowledges that he had to “get on medics” to pull things together.
Blu further discusses his complex feelings after nearly two decades releasing music, going from hot young prospect to fearing obsolescence. “I’m not the man I used to when I look in the mirror / And my fear of falling off is getting deeper,” he laments. He explains struggling to find his spot in the new landscape, rapping, “The whole youth slid ahead of me, effortlessly / It was destiny, but they haven’t heard the best of me.”
The project ends with “Love Is Blu,” which reunites Blu & Exile with Aloe Blacc, who has now become a very successful vocalist. The song is inspiring, as Blu preaches the importance of maintaining positivity when the world seeks to grind you down. He stresses his commitment to delivering a positive message and speaking out for the downtrodden, which can be difficult in an industry that markets negativity.
In a year rife with Blu’s musical triumphs, Love (the) Ominous World is his crown jewel for 2024. And it’s another outstanding entry for the Blu and Exile partnership. By their own accounts, the album is a first step in what they envision being an even bigger project. As an inkling of what things may come, this project should leave every hip-hop fan eager to see them continue on their journey.
Notable Tracks: “Chucks” | “Precipitation” | “Smack” | “Undisputed” | “Valley of Kings”
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