Blu is definitely a leader in the new school of Los Angeles emcees. His pre… Read Full Bio ↴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. His delivery flows flawlessly, while his content reflects the joy and pain of working class youth everywhere. Exile is a producer, DJ and occasional emcee previously known for being a member of the duo Emanon, along with Aloe Blacc. His style of production is known for its "laid back soulful vibes" and is influenced by such producers as J Dilla and Madlib.

Blu & Exile's first album as a duo, 2007's "Below the Heavens", took LA hip hop back to the place where Freestyle Fellowship, Jurassic 5, and The Pharcyde left off. The album received much critical acclaim, with many considering it one of the best releases of the year.

In 2011, with surprisingly little publicity, the duo released the long-awaited sequel, "Give Me Flowers While I Can Smell Them". Recording sessions took place over the course of 2009, however the duo decided to keep the release on hold due to bad audio quality and officially re-released the album on September 4, 2012 with a new updated track listing. The album features guest contributions from Fashawn, Homeboy Sandman, Johaz of Dag Savage, Black Spade of Hawthorne Headhunters, and ADAD.

In 2020 the duo comeback with a new album called Miles.

Blue
Blu & Exile Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴

Yo I'm the first man standing upright holding a stone in my hand
After beating an ape claiming the land
Taking the stand and feeding my fam
Back when man ate they children
I'm killing other animals just to nurture them
I journey further from mine my people into another culture
Not knowin' my brothers 'bout to come and take over
We made it all the way to Asia and to Australia

Then made the passage to the America's after all behavior
Came home and they started makin' homes outta stone
Showin' tribes around 'em how much they've grown
Yo I'm Norma at the end of the of start of civilization
I'm shuttin' it down I'm settin' out to build a nation
I'm the son of Rah the son of Cah, father of Africa
King Kahfre, and King Khufu blood of the Zulu
Osiris Isis Horus Anbuis the Royal family
Akhenaten Tutankhamun and all the Ramesses
Amam and Hotep, mental Hotep, to Moses
Osmosis 'cause Moses etymology and Moses
I'm the kings of Egypt kings of Nubia Mesopotamia
Mediterranean Babylon Saudi Arabia
I'm Muhammad comin' outta the Middle East after the Romans
Reclaiming their gold homin' their throne 'cause they own it
I'm on the first boats to reach America
We all African we sold you to America we not coming back

Ayo I'm Adam the original man banned from the garden
I'm Noah pardon the flood after the revolution started
I'm, I'm Abraham Ozzy and Jacob in the motherland
I'm Moses posin' against the king freein' his people
I'm Babylon tryna reach God by buildin' a steeple
I'm the strongest man Samson
I'm the first king Samuel
The prestigious king Saul
Son of King David I'm Solomon
I'm preachin' to the choir like Elijah
Isaiah Jeremiah and not a king higher than King Hezekiah
I'm on fire like Chiraq
I'm Jonah and the whale
Daniel in the lion's den
I'm Job with just a little hope
I'm John The Baptist the messiah's comin'
God's son, Jesus Christ of Nazerath
Thank Matthew Mark Luke and John for the narrative
And Paul for all the passages
Apostolic, episcopal before Constantine
Constant persecution first century
Eventually revolution
Islam sixth century and on and on
Slavery where are you takin' me too huh America

Yo I'm Kunta Kinte 'fore he was enslaved by America
Picture the freedom before the terror
Who had to carry the black burners to Nat Turner
During a slave revolt we came before Columbus dumped us
Off the slavery boat, the underground railroad Harriet Tubman
Yeah we probably would still be slaves if it wasn't for Fredrick Douglas
I'm up in his government before all them like Booker Washington
With all his boys like, W.E.B. Dubois and Marcus Garvey
Takin' us to Africa like Chancellor Williams Chandler Owens
Master Muhammad the honorable Elijah Muhammed Louis Armstrong
Langston Hughes and Thurgood Marshall
Richard Wright Rosa Parks and Gordon Parks
Joe Lewis Jackie Robinson and John Henrik Clarke
Alex Haley James Baldwin
Malcom X Martin Luther King Jr Clarence 13X
Maya Angelou Ray Charles, Minister Farrakhan
John Cochran Stokely Carmichael, Emmett Till Eldridge Cleaver Bobby Seale
Huey Newton Muhammad Ali and even Gil Scott-Heron
Al Sharpton Fred Hampton Oprah Winfrey
Barack Obama Assata Shakur 2Pac Shakur Biggie
And everyone else creating black history
That lives with me everyday until I'm gone

Yo, I'm Duke Ellington Charlie Parker Dizzy Gillespie
Miles Davis John Coltrane Eric Dolphy
Sun-Ra orchestra, Charles Mingus, Ahmad Jamal
Milt Jack, Westmont, Herbie Han cannonball
Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters Screaming Jay, Howie Wolf
Chuck Berry Jimi Hendrix B.B King Sam Cooke
Billie Holiday Ella Fitz Nina Simone
Aretha Franklin Etta James Diana Ross
Chaka Khan Tina Turner and Roberta Flack
Al Green Marvin Gaye James Brown Michael Jack
Prince Sly Stone Curtis May
Roy Ayers Temptations 5th Dimension
OJ's Ohio Players
Earth Wind and Fire Funkadelic
Parliament Stevie Wonder Ray Charles
Otis Redding and all the shit from the nineties
Eighties seventies and sixties
The fifties forties thirties and all the twenties
All the armies the Black Panther party the nation
N double A C P organizations
All the black NBA NFL and MLB players

And we can't forget Shaka Zulu
We see you brother Mandela

Overall Meaning

The song "Blue" by Blu & Exile is a historical narrative of the human journey from the stone age to the present day, including significant events and personalities that shaped human history. The first verse describes the dawn of humanity, where the first man claimed the land against the apes, and how the humans evolved by killing other animals to nurture themselves. The verse also describes the human diaspora into other cultures that led to the takeover of land by brothers.

The second verse tells the story of major events and personalities in biblical history, from Adam to Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The verse also highlights figures like King David, Solomon, and influential writers like Mark, Luke and John, and their impact on Christianity. Then it describes the Islamic Revolution and how it shaped Arab history.

The third and last verse portrays black history, including slavery, the underground railroad, and significant figures that highlight African American history like Harriet Tubman, Fredrick Douglas, Langston Hughes, Malcolm X. It also illustrates significant music personalities and genres, from jazz pioneers like Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane, to soul and funk stars like James Brown, Prince, Stevie Wonder, and Parliament Funkadelic. The mention of organizations like the Black Panther Party and NBA, NFL, and MLB players put the focus on the enduring struggle of black Americans against racism.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Aleksander Manfredi, John Barnes III

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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