1. An American rapper and produce… Read Full Bio ↴There are 2 artists with the name Blu:
1. An American rapper and producer from Los Angeles, California.
2. An ambient drum and bass musician located in the United Kingdom.
(1) Johnson Barnes (born April 15, 1983 in Inglewood, California), better known by the stage name Blu, is an American rapper and producer. In 2007 he released his debut album, "Below the Heavens", which was produced entirely by Exile, one half of Emanon. Since then he has collaborated with Mainframe under the name Johnson&Jonson, and with Ta'Raach under the name C.R.A.C. Knuckles. He has also released several solo albums, most notably "HerFavoriteColo(u)r" (2009), "j e s u s" (2011) and "No York!" (2011). Furthermore, in 2009 he produced the Sene & Blu album "ADayLate&ADollarShort" and in 2011 he released a second album with Exile, "Give Me Flowers While I Can Smell Them".
Blu is definitely a leader in the new school of Los Angeles emcees. His presence is undeniable, while his music captivates audiences regardless of race, class, and gender. He has been credited with taking LA hip hop back to the place where Freestyle Fellowship, Jurassic 5, and The Pharcyde left off.
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 very 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 onward, Blu abandoned his schoolyard freestyle frame of mind and dedicated his abilities to crafting well-written songs. As he started doing live performances, he paid 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, particularly, 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 2013. ~ Cyril Cordor, Rovi
The underground Los Angeles-based duo of MC Blu (b. Johnson Barnes) and DJ/producer Exile (b. Aleksander Manfredi) earned widespread acclaim right out of the gate with their debut album, Below the Heavens (2007), which critics crowned as the seemingly perfect marriage of Blu's everyday-struggle raps and Exile's Pete Rock- and J Dilla-inspired production. Blu, struggling to make ends meet at the time, first crossed paths with Exile in the early to mid-2000s, while the rapper earned gigs as a hype man for various soul/hip-hop outfits like Slum Village, Platinum Pied Pipers, and Exile's own duo, Emanon. In fact, Blu knew the other half of Emanon, MC/singer Aloe Blacc, who then introduced the two to each other. Deciding to sign to L.A. independent label Sound in Color, Exile's label home, in 2004, Blu began cutting a few records with the DJ/producer and assisted him with his solo LP, Dirty Science (2006). Blu was still trying to break into the industry, but Exile was enjoying production credits for the likes of Jurassic 5, Kardinal Offishall, and Mobb Deep. The release of the soul-entrenched collaborative effort, Below the Heavens in August 2007, put them both in the limelight and had fans of the alternative rap scene buzzing; however, it specifically garnered Blu many "Artist to Watch" features in various magazine and online publications throughout the year and into 2008. During subsequent years, they worked apart more than together; nevertheless, 2012 brought another co-billed LP, Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them. ~ Cyril Cordor, Rovi
Another Day
Blu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just another day around the way
Feelin' good today
Check it out, look
They say rap is like a trap
So I'm lookin' for the map to the back door
So many cats more talented and never had a chance at it
Not to mention niggas tryna damage it
Cold hearted vandalists, fuckin up the culture
They acting like its cosher to rap for the advantages
Making the game scandalous
Straying so far from the art
You start to wonder if they ever was a fan of it
I'm digging in the crates with the candles lit
Lookin for a record to describe my anger so I can sample it
Condense my feelings into sixteen bars
And try to sugarcoat my quotes or they won't seem raw
And I can tell what all your folk's dreams are
Cause all the video shows is hoes jockin' niggas knockin' they cars
Now the youngins want a piece of the pie
So the devil let some starve n start feeding em' lies
Now try to digest that
And you wonder why we buy stress sacks
The shit out when niggas dish out without exlax
We tryna get out the west coast black
It's a bad place to raise fam and I'll be damned if I ever get back
Where shit's at now
It'd make martin luther shake his head and sit back down
Like "Did y'all niggas have the same dream"
And malcom x would wonder "are y'all on the same team"
The way these fiends keep drowning off in the mainstream
The lame thing about it is the same teams that bought it
Are probably skippin' this song
Building walls around their ignorance defending whats wrong
Instead of fighting for freedom
That's why I only write what I believe in
And nothing less
[Chorus 2x]
"Another" "1", "Another" "2", "Another "3" "Whatchu gon do"
"Another" "4", "Another" "5", "Another day" "Stayin alive was no jive"
I should have listened when my moms told my ass stay in class
Shoulda listened instead of ditching to get a little ass
Or maybe I shoulda listened to my pops
When he told me hip hop won't do shit but keep me on the block
Or maybe I should listen to my niggas pitchin' rocks
Cause they pushin' nice whips from cookin' white bricks
Or maybe I should be like my uncle
That nigga pimpin' white chicks
But none of them lead a life like this
It's like the right do right just to try to stay the fuck outa hell
But for me, I'm trying to stay the fuck out of jail
Cause I can smell trouble comin' my way
Plus there's so many reasons a nigga wanna keep a gun at his waist
And it don't take much to make them pull out
Cause niggas die for they rides, money and broads, or callin' the wrong hood out
And suckas still trippin' on colors like a mutha fuckin' racist
My cousin was bangin' at my aunt's cookout
It's a full out war and i don't know who to listen to
I thought rap was a positive gap that i could get into
But nowadays you gotta bust a cap if they dissin' you
Either that or be labled a bitch cause you didn't shoot
It's hard to pick and choose right from wrong
Like if you rap about freedom nobody likes your song
But do a track about cheating, bitches will play it all night long
See i don't get it why the rightous fall
Like my ex used to bump Xzibit
And her favorite line was "i be catchin' bitches while bitches be catchin' feelings"
Yet she don't want me trickin' around
See she idolize the lifestyle but don't want none of it goin' down
It's kinda like these phony clowns thinkin' they hood dwellers
Actin' mafioso cause they seen Good Fellas
Now they runnin' through the hood yellin' blu is buckin' round
Bet you givin' your attention to me now
In Blu's song "Another Day," he talks about the struggles of growing up and living in the hood, and the negative influences that surround him. He discusses the pressure to conform to stereotypes in hip-hop, such as violence and materialism, and how it perpetuates a culture that disregards the art form. He also touches on the difficulty of choosing between right and wrong, and how societal expectations can be hypocritical and confusing.
Blu's introspective lyrics provide a unique perspective on the impact of the music industry and cultural norms on marginalized communities. He highlights the importance of staying true to oneself and maintaining a sense of morality, even in an environment that promotes the opposite. Overall, "Another Day" serves as a commentary on the harsh realities of life in the inner city and calls for a greater sense of responsibility and accountability within the music industry.
Line by Line Meaning
Just another day living in the hood
Living in the hood feels ordinary and commonplace to me
Just another day around the way
I'm just going about my life in my hood
Feelin' good today
Today I feel good
Check it out, look
Hey, listen
They say rap is like a trap
Some people think rap is like a trap that's hard to escape from
So I'm lookin' for the map to the back door
I'm searching for a way out of the rap trap
Sometimes I sit and wonder what the fuck I'm rapping for
Sometimes I question why I'm even rapping
So many cats more talented and never had a chance at it
There are many talented people who never got the chance to make it in rap
Not to mention niggas tryna damage it
There are people who are trying to harm the rap industry
Cold hearted vandalists, fuckin up the culture
These people are destroying the culture of rap
They acting like its cosher to rap for the advantages
These people think it's okay to rap just for the money and fame
Making the game scandalous
Their actions are making rap look bad
Straying so far from the art
They are moving away from the true artistry of rap
You start to wonder if they ever was a fan of it
It makes you question if they even liked rap in the first place
I'm digging in the crates with the candles lit
I'm searching through old records with candles lit
Lookin for a record to describe my anger so I can sample it
I'm trying to find a record that captures my anger so I can use it in my music
Condense my feelings into sixteen bars
I need to fit my emotions into a 16-bar verse
And try to sugarcoat my quotes or they won't seem raw
If I don't make my lyrics sound nicer, people won't like them
And I can tell what all your folk's dreams are
I can guess what people want based on what they see in music videos
Cause all the video shows is hoes jockin' niggas knockin' they cars
Music videos only show women admiring men with nice cars, not much else
Now the youngins want a piece of the pie
Young people want to be successful in rap too
So the devil let some starve n start feeding em' lies
The industry only helps a few people and lies to the others to keep them in line
Now try to digest that
Think about that for a moment
And you wonder why we buy stress sacks
This is one of the reasons why we buy marijuana to cope
The shit out when niggas dish out without exlax
We need to vent our frustrations when people irritate us
We tryna get out the west coast black
We're trying to leave the bad parts of California behind us
It's a bad place to raise fam and I'll be damned if I ever get back
California is not a good place to raise a family and I don't want to go back there
Where shit's at now
The current state of things
It'd make martin luther shake his head and sit back down
Martin Luther King Jr. would be disappointed and discouraged by the state of things
Like "Did y'all niggas have the same dream"
He might ask if we all have the same dream or if we've lost sight of it
And malcom x would wonder "are y'all on the same team"
Malcolm X would question whether we are working together or divided
The way these fiends keep drowning off in the mainstream
People who only care about fame and money are taking over the industry
The lame thing about it is the same teams that bought it
The people who support this kind of rap are the same ones who made it popular
Are probably skippin' this song
They're likely not listening to this song because it's not about flashy things
Building walls around their ignorance defending whats wrong
They're ignoring the problems and defending the bad parts of rap
Instead of fighting for freedom
They're not trying to change anything or fight for better rap
That's why I only write what I believe in
I only write about what's important to me
[Chorus 2x]
The chorus is repeated twice
"Another" "1", "Another" "2", "Another "3" "Whatchu gon do"
Blu is counting another day, asking what are you going to do about your situation?
"Another" "4", "Another" "5", "Another day" "Stayin alive was no jive"
He's counting more days and saying how difficult it is to stay alive in the hood
I should have listened when my moms told my ass stay in class
I should have listened to my mother and stayed in school
Shoulda listened instead of ditching to get a little ass
I should have stayed in school instead of skipping to hang out with girls
Or maybe I shoulda listened to my pops
I should have listened to my father
When he told me hip hop won't do shit but keep me on the block
My father warned me that rap would not help me get out of the hood
Or maybe I should listen to my niggas pitchin' rocks
Maybe I should have listened to my friends who sell drugs
Cause they pushin' nice whips from cookin' white bricks
They make good money from selling drugs and can afford nice cars
Or maybe I should be like my uncle
Maybe I should be like my uncle who is a pimp
That nigga pimpin' white chicks
He pimped out white women
But none of them lead a life like this
None of these options lead to a good life
It's like the right do right just to try to stay the fuck outa hell
Some people do good things just to avoid going to hell
But for me, I'm trying to stay the fuck out of jail
I'm trying to stay out of jail
Cause I can smell trouble comin' my way
I can sense danger is coming
Plus there's so many reasons a nigga wanna keep a gun at his waist
There are many reasons why people feel the need to carry a gun
And it don't take much to make them pull out
People can pull out their guns easily
Cause niggas die for they rides, money and broads, or callin' the wrong hood out
People die for their cars, money, women, or making a mistake and being in the wrong neighborhood
And suckas still trippin' on colors like a mutha fuckin' racist
People are still fighting and being violent over colors, like racists
My cousin was bangin' at my aunt's cookout
My own family member was involved in gang activity at our family gathering
It's a full out war and i don't know who to listen to
There is a lot of conflict and I don't know who to trust
I thought rap was a positive gap that i could get into
I used to think rap was a positive outlet for me
But nowadays you gotta bust a cap if they dissin' you
Nowadays, people think you have to shoot people who disrespect you
Either that or be labled a bitch cause you didn't shoot
If you don't shoot them, people will call you a coward
It's hard to pick and choose right from wrong
It's difficult to make good choices
Like if you rap about freedom nobody likes your song
If you don't rap about materialistic things, people won't like your music
But do a track about cheating, bitches will play it all night long
If you make a song about cheating, women will still dance to it all night
See i don't get it why the rightous fall
I don't understand why good people suffer
Like my ex used to bump Xzibit
My ex-girlfriend used to listen to Xzibit
And her favorite line was "i be catchin' bitches while bitches be catchin' feelings"
Her favorite lyrics were about catching women while they fall in love
Yet she don't want me trickin' around
She doesn't want me to cheat on her
See she idolize the lifestyle but don't want none of it goin' down
She likes the idea of the lifestyle but doesn't want any of the negative consequences
It's kinda like these phony clowns thinkin' they hood dwellers
Some people pretend to be gangsters even though they're not
Actin' mafioso cause they seen Good Fellas
They try to act like they're in the mafia because they saw the movie Goodfellas
Now they runnin' through the hood yellin' blu is buckin' round
They're running around the hood saying that Blu is causing trouble
Bet you givin' your attention to me now
I bet you're paying attention to me now
Contributed by Alexis N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Alexis García
Lyrics:
They say rap's like a trap, so I'm looking for the map to the backdoor
Sometimes I sit and wonder what the fuck I'm rapping for
So many cats more talented, that never had a chance in it
Not to mention niggas tryna damage it
Cold hearted vandalists fucking up the culture
They acting like it's kosher to rap for the advantages
Making the game scandalous
Stranded so far from the art, you start to wonder if they ever was a fan of it
I'm digging in the crates with the candles lit
Looking for a record to describe my anger so I can sample it
Condense my feelings into sixteen bars
And try to sugarcoat my quotes so they won't seem raw
And I can tell what you folks' dreams are
Cus all the video shows is hoes jocking, niggas knocking on cars
Now the young'uns want a piece of the pie
So the devil let's them starve and start feeding em lies
Now try to digest that
And you wonder why we buy stress sacks
To shit out what niggas dish out without Ex-Lax
I'm trying to get outta the west coast, Blacc
It's a bad place to raise fam, and I'll be damned if I ever get back
Where shit's at now, it'll make Martin Luther shake his head
And sit back down, like "did y'all niggas had the same dream?"
And Malcolm X would wonder "all y'all are on the same team?"
The way these fiends keep droning on in the mainstream
The lame thing about it, it's the same teams that bought it
Probably skipping this song, Build the walls around the ignorance
Defending what's wrong, instead of fighting for freedom
That's why I only write in what I believe in and nothing less
Verse 2]
I shoulda listened when my Moms told my ass "stay in class"
Shoulda listened instead of ditching to get a little ass
Or maybe I shoulda listened to my Pops
When he told me hip-hop won't do shit, but keep me on the block
Or maybe I shoulda listened to my niggas pitching rocks
'Cause they pushing nice whips from cooking white bricks
Or maybe I should be like my uncle
That nigga pimping white chicks, but none of em lead a life like this
It's like the right do righteous to try to stay the fuck out of hell
But me, I'm tryna stay the fuck out of jail
Cause I can smell trouble coming my way
Plus there's so many reasons a nigga wanna keep a gun to his waist
It don't take much to make him pull out
Cause niggas die for their rides, money and broads or calling the wrong hood out
And suckers still tripping on colors like a motherfucking racist
My cousin was banging at my Aunt's cookout
It's a full-out war and I don't know who to listen to
I thought rap was a positive gap I could get in to
But nowadays you gotta bust a cap if they dissing you
Either that or be labeled a bitch cause you didn't shoot
It's hard to pick and choose right from wrong
Like if you rap about freedom, nobody likes your song
But do a track about cheating, bitches will play it all night long
I don't get it why the righteous fall
Like my ex used to bump Xzibit and her favorite line was
"I be catching bitches while bitches be catching feelings"
Yet she don't want me tricking around
See, she idolize the lifestyle but don't want none of it going down
It's kinda like these phony clowns thinking they hood dwellers
Acting Mafioso cause they seen Goodfellas
Now they running through the hood yelling Blu is bucking rounds
Bet you're giving your attention to me now
R C
One of the most under rated rappers ever. Peace and love from Queens, NYC.
TRILL THE GOD
Defs a top five track lyrically for me when it comes to subject matter. All three verses touchin. . Crazy. . Glad he re released it. . Slept on
CigNaGa The C.I.G.
Just heard this jewel on Apollo Brown Radio on Pandora...dope shyt! #Salute
QuesterMaxim
The last Rock the Bells I went too I saw Blu on the side stages and that foo was drunk AF signing shit for ungrateful fans that bounced without a thanks while I gave him a bump for blessing my shirt best experience the entire festival was making my boy blu smile B)
Alexis García
Lyrics:
They say rap's like a trap, so I'm looking for the map to the backdoor
Sometimes I sit and wonder what the fuck I'm rapping for
So many cats more talented, that never had a chance in it
Not to mention niggas tryna damage it
Cold hearted vandalists fucking up the culture
They acting like it's kosher to rap for the advantages
Making the game scandalous
Stranded so far from the art, you start to wonder if they ever was a fan of it
I'm digging in the crates with the candles lit
Looking for a record to describe my anger so I can sample it
Condense my feelings into sixteen bars
And try to sugarcoat my quotes so they won't seem raw
And I can tell what you folks' dreams are
Cus all the video shows is hoes jocking, niggas knocking on cars
Now the young'uns want a piece of the pie
So the devil let's them starve and start feeding em lies
Now try to digest that
And you wonder why we buy stress sacks
To shit out what niggas dish out without Ex-Lax
I'm trying to get outta the west coast, Blacc
It's a bad place to raise fam, and I'll be damned if I ever get back
Where shit's at now, it'll make Martin Luther shake his head
And sit back down, like "did y'all niggas had the same dream?"
And Malcolm X would wonder "all y'all are on the same team?"
The way these fiends keep droning on in the mainstream
The lame thing about it, it's the same teams that bought it
Probably skipping this song, Build the walls around the ignorance
Defending what's wrong, instead of fighting for freedom
That's why I only write in what I believe in and nothing less
Verse 2]
I shoulda listened when my Moms told my ass "stay in class"
Shoulda listened instead of ditching to get a little ass
Or maybe I shoulda listened to my Pops
When he told me hip-hop won't do shit, but keep me on the block
Or maybe I shoulda listened to my niggas pitching rocks
'Cause they pushing nice whips from cooking white bricks
Or maybe I should be like my uncle
That nigga pimping white chicks, but none of em lead a life like this
It's like the right do righteous to try to stay the fuck out of hell
But me, I'm tryna stay the fuck out of jail
Cause I can smell trouble coming my way
Plus there's so many reasons a nigga wanna keep a gun to his waist
It don't take much to make him pull out
Cause niggas die for their rides, money and broads or calling the wrong hood out
And suckers still tripping on colors like a motherfucking racist
My cousin was banging at my Aunt's cookout
It's a full-out war and I don't know who to listen to
I thought rap was a positive gap I could get in to
But nowadays you gotta bust a cap if they dissing you
Either that or be labeled a bitch cause you didn't shoot
It's hard to pick and choose right from wrong
Like if you rap about freedom, nobody likes your song
But do a track about cheating, bitches will play it all night long
I don't get it why the righteous fall
Like my ex used to bump Xzibit and her favorite line was
"I be catching bitches while bitches be catching feelings"
Yet she don't want me tricking around
See, she idolize the lifestyle but don't want none of it going down
It's kinda like these phony clowns thinking they hood dwellers
Acting Mafioso cause they seen Goodfellas
Now they running through the hood yelling Blu is bucking rounds
Bet you're giving your attention to me now
Raymond Jennings
So much wisdom in here..why it will never sell unfortunately :/
Jerome Taylor
Raw material is all I say
RSA29
Classic
Onescán
Nice track bros
Frank Wezee
WORK! WYA WE NEED MORE💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿