There are 2 artists with the name Blu:
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

cat let go
Blu Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Why don't you just keep it real,
Let her know just how you feel,
If you love her let her go, her go.
When you met her it was good,
You did everything you could.
If you love her let her go, her go
Ooh

You out there every night
Living your secret life
While you keep her at home
All locked down so she's all alone.
One day your at the crib
Next day you start to trip
I know it gets old,
Why can't you just stay home,
You need to just let her go.

All of this time, you played with her mind
She gave you her love and you threw it away.
Why don't you just keep it real,
Let her know just how you feel,
If you love her let her go, her go (yeah)
When you met her it was good,
You did everything you could.
If you love her let her go, her go
Ooh.

The girl don't need to know,
How you do her wrong.
She don't need to know
That you are here out of control.
She thinks your all in love,
She thinks your so caught up.
Damn it your shame
The way you play these games
You need to just let her go.

All of this time, you played with her mind
She gave you her love and you threw it away.
Why don't you just keep it real, (keep it real)
Let her know just how you feel, (let her know)
If you love her let her go, her go
When you met her it was good, (it was good)
You did everything you could. (ooh)
If you love her let her go, (yeah) her go
Ooh.

That's why you show show her you love her
If its for real. (if it's for real, yeah)
That's why you show her you need her
That's what she needs. (yeah)

Why don't you just keep it real,
Let her know just how you feel.
If you love her let her go, her go (her go der der di der)
When you met her it was good,
You did everything you could.
If you love her let her go her go (let her go, yeah)
Ooh

You show love (show love)
Show you love
You show love (YEAH)
You show love

She'll give love (give love)
(repeat)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Let Her Go" by Blu Cantrell are written from the perspective of a woman who is tired of being with a man who plays with her mind and heart. She urges him to be honest with her and let her go if he doesn't truly love her. The song begins with an opening verse that asks why the man can't be real with the woman and let her know how he feels. The lyrics go on to describe how the man is out every night living a secret life, while keeping the woman locked down and alone at home. The chorus is a repeated call to action, asking the man to let the woman go if he truly loves her.

The second verse describes how the woman is unaware of the man's infidelity and how he is playing games with her heart. The woman thinks he's in love with her and caught up in their relationship. The lyrics are a plea for the man to stop playing games and be honest with the woman he's with. The song finishes with a repeated refrain of "show love," which urges the man to show his love if it's real, and to show the woman that he needs her.

Overall, "Let Her Go" is a song that speaks to the importance of honesty and truthfulness in a relationship. The lyrics are a call to action for men to be real with the women they are with and to let them go if they don't truly love them.

Line by Line Meaning

Why don't you just keep it real,
Be honest with her

Let her know just how you feel,
Express yourself to her

If you love her let her go, her go.
If you truly love her, set her free

When you met her it was good,
Things were great in the beginning

You did everything you could.
You put in effort and tried your best

Ooh
Sigh of frustration/despair

You out there every night
You're always away from home

Living your secret life
You're keeping secrets from her

While you keep her at home
She's stuck at home while you're out having fun

All locked down so she's all alone.
You're controlling her and isolating her

One day your at the crib
One day you're home

Next day you start to trip
The next day you start acting crazy

I know it gets old,
Your behavior is becoming tiresome

Why can't you just stay home,
Why can't you be there for her?

You need to just let her go.
You need to give her the freedom to live her life

The girl don't need to know,
She doesn't need to know the truth

How you do her wrong.
She doesn't need to know about your infidelity

She thinks your all in love,
She thinks you're devoted to her

She thinks your so caught up.
She thinks you're busy

Damn it your shame
Your behavior is shameful

The way you play these games
You're treating her unfairly

That's why you show show her you love her
That's why you need to prove your love to her

If its for real. (if it's for real, yeah)
If your love is genuine

That's why you show her you need her
That's why you need to express your dependence on her

That's what she needs. (yeah)
She needs your affection and attention

You show love (show love)
You need to demonstrate your love

Show you love
Show your love

You show love (YEAH)
You show love

She'll give love (give love)
She'll reciprocate with her love

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: CHRISTOPHER A. STEWART, THABISO NKHEREANYE, TIFFANY COBB

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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