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
The 50z
Blu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The light-skin with the nice trim
400 spokes riding the stroll by the white folks
The rare bones get the bare Jones
If it's the caddy, it's gotta be Weston, when he head home
Young Burgundy with the purple leaf
Purposely serve the streets
Murk the beat, when the verse complete
Burn my AC up, foreign chick, forgot who Jay Z was
Ladies love em like he cool James
Big body, when I role through the hood, I use 2 lanes
Showed her a few things, before we do things
Cause there's is rules to the games, with Blu Haines
Yup, shoe string for the victims
The 50z, The 50z, The 50z, The 50z, The 50z, The 50z crush!
Uh the high yella, with the acapella
She say it ain't about the cheese
It's the way we chop the mozzarella
Old school with the gold juice, the gold tooth
I never had the rope, and the bowl shoes
No love for the home of thugs
Cause it ain't a what she do
It's the shit you tell her don't do
Be L, get the females
The models just to nosel [?]
They call me lucky like a silver dollar
Silver collar poppin, 'til I'm pealing piles with my partners
The veals hopping
Young Slausen, with the chill flossing
What are soldiers be bossin'
Cause we don't listen to the drill sergeants
Marching through the 50z
The 50z, The 50z, The 50z, The 50z, The 50z, The 50z crush!
Yup, the Philly cap with the Philly rap
Blow the biddy, through the diddy, through the city 'til they give me that
Young royal, got the ones for you
At the titty bar, trying to make stars out these silly broads
Lexus' for exes, the Escalades for escapades
L.A. is the set we aim
I got the pass from the Mexicans
Just so I could flag through the Aves, for them green bag blesses
You could see the whole city from the hilltops
Take 'em down to the coast to get your wheels washed
And we still bang parliament
Hit the store by the park, when I'm parched for them parliaments
Park the bands off Arlington
Spark the flint, right before I told her what part we in
Pardon me, we in the
The 50z, The 50z, The 50z, The 50z, The 50z, The 50z crush!
The opening lines of Blu’s The 50z focus on his car, with its nice trim, 400 spokes, and a location on the stroll by white folks. He asserts that if he’s driving a Cadillac, it’s got to be a Weston, and his bare bones get the bare Jones. This opening verse could be interpreted as a nod to the significance of luxury goods and vehicles among the American upper classes, as well as the ways in which these symbols of wealth are endowed with racial and social meanings.
As the song progresses, Blu moves away from his car and instead focuses on his smooth talk and connections with women. He raps about his experience in love and the game, revealing that he shows women “a few things” before proceeding to a romantic encounter, due to the rules of the game with Blu Haines. The rest of the song’s lyrics expand on other aspects of his life, including the way he handles his status as a musician in the industry, his place in society as a black man, and his experiences living in Los Angeles.
Overall, through The 50z, Blu presents a layered portrait of his life in Los Angeles, exploring the different aspects of his identity and experiences as a musician and a man of color in America.
Line by Line Meaning
Uh
Introduction
The light-skin with the nice trim
Describing physical appearance
400 spokes riding the stroll by the white folks
Boasting about the car's wheels while passing by white people
The rare bones get the bare Jones
People who have unique qualities get all the attention
If it's the caddy, it's gotta be Weston, when he head home
Referring to a Cadillac car specifically made in Weston and how he intends to go home in that car
Young Burgundy with the purple leaf
Describing his style which involves burgundy attire and purple weed
Purposely serve the streets
Serving his music for the people on the streets
Murk the beat, when the verse complete
Dominating over the beat once the verse is completed
Turkish leaves, when I work for cheap
Smoking cheap Turkish cigarettes while working
Burn my AC up, foreign chick, forgot who Jay Z was
Turning up the AC while with a foreign girl who isn't familiar with Jay Z as he enjoys the moment
Ladies love em like he cool James
Women like him because he's cool like James Bond
Big body, when I role through the hood, I use 2 lanes
Rolling through the neighborhood in his big car taking up two lanes
Showed her a few things, before we do things
Teaching her something before getting involved intimately
Cause there's is rules to the games, with Blu Haines
Implying that he has his own set of rules when it comes to women and relationships
Yup, shoe string for the victims
Using a shoe string to appeal to those in need
The 50z, The 50z, The 50z, The 50z, The 50z, The 50z crush!
Repeating the chorus line: success in the music industry and domination.
Uh the high yella, with the acapella
Describing another woman with a light complexion who can sing acapella
She say it ain't about the cheese, It's the way we chop the mozzarella
It's not just about the money but how you use it counts as well
Old school with the gold juice, the gold tooth
Having an old school vibe with gold accessories like a tooth made of gold
I never had the rope, and the bowl shoes
Not having high-end clothing and shoes
No love for the home of thugs
Not respecting the ideology of gang culture
Cause it ain't a what she do, It's the shit you tell her don't do
It's not only about what she does but the things he advises her not to do is also important
Be L, get the females
Getting female attention by being himself
The models just to nosel
Enjoying the company of beautiful models
They call me lucky like a silver dollar
People think of him as being lucky in the industry
Silver collar poppin, 'til I'm peiling piles with my partners
Having a silver collar and enjoying success with his group partners
The veals hopping
Enjoying the moment as he jumps in his old car
Young Slausen, with the chill flossing
Proudly flossing his statement, taking it easy all the time
What are soldiers be bossin
Soldiers like him lead the group charging towards the chosen objective
Cause we don't listen to the drill sergeants
Not listening to the military's drills and callouts
Marching through the 50z
Dominating and enjoying success in the music industry
The 50z, The 50z, The 50z, The 50z, The 50z, The 50z crush!
Repeating the chorus line: success in the music industry and domination.
Yup, the Philly cap with the Philly rap
Representing where he comes from and his music style
Blow the biddy, through the diddy, through the city 'til they give me that
Driving through the city without worry until he reaches his destination
Young royal, got the ones for you
Being the leader, he sees the ones that matter and addresses them.
At the titty bar, trying to make stars out these silly broads
Finding foolish women in a strip club and trying to make them superstars
Lexus' for exes, the Escalades for escapades
Using luxurious cars to escape and forget about previous relationships
L.A. is the set we aim
Focusing on making it big in the LA area
I got the pass from the Mexicans
Having permission to do something from a powerful group
Just so I could flag through the Aves, for them green bag blesses
Doing something to receive a blessing from a certain group of people
You could see the whole city from the hilltops
He lives in a location with a great view of the whole city
Take 'em down to the coast to get your wheels washed
Going to the coast to get cars cleaned
And we still bang parliament
Continuing to listen to Parliament Funkadelic
Hit the store by the park when I'm parched for them parliaments
Going to the store near the park to buy Parliament cigarettes when thirsty
Park the bands off Arlington
Parking his car in a specific area in LA
Spark the flint, right before I told her what part we in
Lighting a lighter just as he explains the location that they are in
Pardon me, we in the
Cutting off the statement before he reveals the location
The 50z, The 50z, The 50z, The 50z, The 50z, The 50z crush!
Repeating the chorus line: success in the music industry and domination.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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