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
Doin' Nothin'
Blu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Uh huh...
Ayo feat Planet...
(Verse 1: Blu)
Extraordinary banda individual
Standin' at the manda that's the dismissable
Peace to the nation, got patience to sing to you
In the booth with glass orange juice to the lime
Ballin' must play hoops all the time, spot it bounce put the boost
In her spine, had to give her a reason to rewind
So you ain't got to... Tell her slide through
Pop bottles with models and hit the drive through
Kama sutra for kamasutras, spanish models with the sombre movements
One two like I stomped to it and uncut like without condom usage
Are-A-W n what the fuck is you doin'? (Nothin)
Selling them lines to the kids
[Hook:]
A nigga gotta live
A nigga gotta live
A nigga gotta live
A nigga gotta live
A nigga gotta live
[Verse 2: Blu)
Ayo hot low, asshole, on my own shit
Been back but no one smokin' on the cig
Gotti flow got little shawty blow clips
Snotty nosed kid, now the crop since kickin rowdy rhymes
Young ridin' hypha got the party loud like a twenty five to lifer
Fresh out the cypha surfin' line like slung coke
So came by the ocean on the coast or open on a dope overdose
It's over dosage, so sleep, no sweat techniques, no joke
One toke smoking on the best trees, floatin' in the sea
Back strokin', ‘till the river runs dried up, spill a loogy young blu-ey
Got the fire, he provide every came your supplier
Liars hangin' on telephone wires, the B-L-you in the...
What the fuck is you doin'? (Nothin) Sellin 'em lines to the kid
[Hook:]
A nigga gotta live
A nigga gotta live
A nigga gotta live
A nigga gotta live
(The world is ours)
A nigga gotta live
(The world is ours)
A nigga gotta live
(Say it louder)
A nigga gotta live
(Fight the power)
A nigga gotta live
(The world is ours)
In "Doin' Nothin'" by Blu, the artist starts off by introducing himself as an extraordinary band individual. He speaks of putting truth in his lines and having patience to sing to the nation. He goes on to talk about having a ball and playing hoops all the time as he spots a girl with a boost in her spine. He states that he had to give her a reason to rewind, meaning he had to give her something worth listening to again.
In the next verse, Blu goes on talking about being on his own shit and smoking a cigar. He mentions having a Gotti flow and how it got little shawty to start blowing clips. He talks about his experience and how he has been through it all, from being a snotty-nosed kid to now kicking rowdy rhymes. He mentions his ability to surf through life’s highs and lows and float like a tree in the sea. He reinforces the idea of being a provider, someone who always delivers, unlike liars hanging on telephone wires. In the end, he asks the question "What the fuck is you doin'?" indicating that he is busy doing something, unlike others who are missing out on living life.
Overall, this song is about living life to the fullest and not just sitting in one spot doing nothing. Blu is issuing a wake-up call to individuals who seem to think that living life doing nothing is acceptable, which is why he repeats the line "A nigga gotta live" throughout the chorus.
Line by Line Meaning
Extraordinary banda individual
Blu considers himself to be a unique and special individual
Standin' at the manda that's the dismissable
He stands at a place where he is overlooked and not given the credit he deserves
Peace to the nation, got patience to sing to you
Blu wants to spread positivity and encourage peace, even if it takes time to get his message across
To the two one puttin' truth in the lines
He aims to put genuine and authentic lyrics in his music
In the booth with glass orange juice to the lime
Blu is in the studio enjoying himself while working
Ballin' must play hoops all the time, spot it bounce put the boost
He compares his ability to create music to playing basketball at a high level - it comes naturally to him
In her spine, had to give her a reason to rewind
Blu is proud of his music and wants his listeners to appreciate it, making them want to listen again and again
So you ain't got to... Tell her slide through
He doesn't have to persuade people to come see him because they already want to
Pop bottles with models and hit the drive through
He enjoys the party scene and hanging out with attractive people
Kama sutra for kamasutras, spanish models with the sombre movements
Blu is attracted to Spanish models and their sensual moves
One two like I stomped to it and uncut like without condom usage
His rhymes have a natural rhythm like music and they are raw and uncensored
Are-A-W n what the fuck is you doin'? (Nothin)
Blu is questioning what others are doing with their lives while he is busy creating music
Selling them lines to the kids
He is aware that people might be using his lyrics to promote negative behavior, such as selling drugs to minors
A nigga gotta live
The hook emphasizes the importance of living life to the fullest, regardless of societal norms or expectations
Ayo hot low, asshole, on my own shit
Blu is confident in his abilities and doesn't need anyone else to succeed
Been back but no one smokin' on the cig
He is back in the music scene, but he is doing things differently than others
Gotti flow got little shawty blow clips
His flow is impressive and attracts a lot of attention from those around him
Snotty nosed kid, now the crop since kickin rowdy rhymes
Blu was once seen as a young and inexperienced kid, but now he has matured and become a respected lyricist
Young ridin' hypha got the party loud like a twenty five to lifer
Blu knows how to get the party going and make it lively like someone who got a 25-to-life sentence and is celebrating their release
Fresh out the cypha surfin' line like slung coke
He recently came out of the cypher (a freestyle rap battle) and is continuing to ride the wave of success
So came by the ocean on the coast or open on a dope overdose
He is embracing his creative energy and enjoying his surroundings - whether it's a beautiful ocean or a mind-altering drug
It's over dosage, so sleep, no sweat techniques, no joke
His music is so powerful that it can be overwhelming, but he tries to make it sound effortless and easygoing
One toke smoking on the best trees, floatin' in the sea
Blu enjoys smoking high-quality marijuana and relaxing in a carefree manner
Back strokin', ‘till the river runs dried up, spill a loogy young blu-ey
He is carelessly floating on his back, enjoying his time and making the most of it
Got the fire, he provide every came your supplier
Blu is the source for great music and is proud of what he provides to others
Liars hangin' on telephone wires, the B-L-you in the...
He sees through the fake people and knows who his true friends are
What the fuck is you doin'? (Nothin) Sellin 'em lines to the kid
He is still questioning what others are doing and thinks some might be negatively influencing young people
The world is ours
The hook emphasizes that everyone should feel empowered to live their life to the fullest and enjoy every moment of it
Say it louder
He wants his message to be heard and spread throughout the world
Fight the power
He wants people to resist societal pressures and live life on their own terms
Contributed by Tristan C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@attackthewack262
I'd love to hear a Blu & FLyLo album
@melatoninlad
There's one called York
@yehor_ivanov
@@melatoninlad actually, there R lots of underground/semi-underground LA producers there as well, so..
@Vinyl6Monster
"u-god came into the studio like a baby leopard" - Blu
@M0stBlunt3d
Blu one of the illest MCs ever.
@jonathanbarnes7641
Factz!
@lukeboyea4947
Unreal. Two of my all time favorite MCs . Never thought I would see these two on a track together. Thank you for this.
Would of been great if Golden Arms had a verse though….
@Sh8peshifter934
This album was so ahead of its time , super underrated
@NoahBility
Absolutely
From the production decisions and the collaborators
Wish Warner Bros followed through on an official release for this album, but everything works out the way it's meant to
Bought a copy off the man himself at Rock The Bells, that shit was in rotation heavy
@forevershampoo
@@NoahBility what is the album