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.
Cold Hearted
Blu & Exile Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cold is pain
Pain is growth
And every seed that grows, see's the rain
And the rain gon' come it ain't nothing new
But when its done the sun shining through
I was cold hearted and young, a dumb kid with a gun
So rap fell on my tongue, numb feelings remain
And pain comes and it goes
But my wounds shows the room where my pops beat my moms
Moms screamin' for help, myself hot as a sun
Cold hearted and young, a dumb kid with a gun
That I got from my pops top drawer
When he left my momma twice in a week
My momma lifeless and weak, spendin' her nights in the sheets
With seed killer number (one)
Seed killer number (two)
Seed killer number (three)
Got heat from the newborns scorned brother
Blu black hearted and young
Raps fell off his tongue
Numb feelings remain
The pain comes and it goes
But my wounds show the tomb that now shelters my boy
My boy needed my help, myself not in the game
The game heartless and young
Dumb niggas with guns cause fun days don't last
The last nigga that blast got shots all in his back
Wrath fell on his soul but in my soul he remains
Pain comes and it goes
But my wounds show the moon shining off of his blood
His blood ran through his moms
His moms ran outside
5 niggas with guns
Seed killer number (one)
Seed killer number (two)
Seed killer number (three)
Pulled the heat and he was through
Threw dirt on his casket his mom will re-mask it
Still couldn't hide tears years pass her son
Numb feelings remain
Pain comes and it goes
But my wounds show the groom that still married my mom
My mom still had a son
Dumb kid with a gun, that I got from my pops
Top drawer when he left
My momma fightin' for years
My momma fightin' her tears
Now she gotta explain the game of her life to her son
But the sun still shines
Nine children and a newborn scorn brother two
Blu, life isn't young
Dumb kid with a tongue, that I got from hip hop
But she left me for you, so I'mma give her to you
Cold hearted and young
Life is cold
Cold is pain
Pain is growth
And every seed that grows, see's the rain
And the rain gon' come it ain't nothing new
But when its done the sun shining through
The song “Cold Hearted” by Blu & Exile is a poignant commentary on the cycle of pain, growth, and healing in life, particularly in relation to family dynamics and the influence of hip hop culture. The rappers illustrate their personal experiences grappling with the heavy emotions of childhood trauma and loss, and how they have channeled those feelings into their artistry.
The song starts with the repeated lines “Life is cold, Cold is pain, Pain is growth” which sets the overall theme of the song. The following line “And every seed that grows, sees the rain” speaks to the idea that growth often comes with struggle and hardship. The rappers delve into their stories of young, misguided anger and the use of guns as a coping mechanism. Both Blu and Exile recount witnessing their mothers being physically abused which left them feeling helpless and enraged. They express a deep sense of guilt and regret for succumbing to the violence around them.
The lines “The pain comes and it goes, but my wounds show” are particularly impactful, as they highlight the lasting effects of trauma and the difficulty in letting go of the pain. However, there is a glimmer of hope in the refrain “But when its done the sun shining through”, suggesting that even though life can be cold and painful, there is still light at the end of the tunnel.
Line by Line Meaning
Life is cold
Life can be harsh and unforgiving
Cold is pain
When life is harsh, it often brings about pain
Pain is growth
Through the difficult times, we learn and grow
And every seed that grows, see's the rain
Just like plants need water to grow, we need challenges to become stronger
And the rain gon' come it ain't nothing new
Challenges are inevitable and we should expect them
But when its done the sun shining through
After the challenging times, there is hope for a brighter future
I was cold hearted and young, a dumb kid with a gun
The singer was once naive and foolish, getting involved in violence
Cause fun days don't last, the last nigga to laugh
The artist learned that life's pleasures are fleeting and often followed by hardship
So rap fell on my tongue, numb feelings remain
The artist turned to music as an outlet for their emotions
And pain comes and it goes
Pain is not a constant state and eventually subsides
But my wounds shows the room where my pops beat my moms
The singer's past experiences have left lasting scars and memories
Mom screamin' for help, myself hot as a sun
The artist witnessed domestic violence and felt powerless to help
That I got from my pops top drawer
The singer obtained their gun from their father
When he left my momma twice in a week
The father was absent and unreliable
My momma lifeless and weak, spendin' her nights in the sheets
The singer's mother was emotionally and physically drained
With seed killer number (one)
The mother had a child with another man who was abusive
Seed killer number (two)
The mother had another child who did not survive
Seed killer number (three)
The mother had yet another child who was also violent
Got heat from the newborns scorn brother
The singer faced retaliation from a family member of one of the children
Blu black hearted and young
The artist is still dealing with emotional pain
Raps fell off his tongue
The artist expresses their emotions through music
The pain comes and it goes
Emotions are temporary and eventually fade
But my wounds show the tomb that now shelters my boy
The singer lost a loved one and still feels the pain
My boy needed my help, myself not in the game
The artist was not in a good mental state to help their loved one
The game heartless and young
Life can be cruel and unforgiving
Dumb niggas with guns cause fun days don't last
Violence leads to more violence and is not a sustainable way to cope
The last nigga that blast got shots all in his back
Vengeance often leads to more violence and death
Wrath fell on his soul but in my soul he remains
The artist feels guilt and sorrow for their involvement in violence
His blood ran through his moms
The artist's loved one died and their family is grieving
His moms ran outside
The mother reacted to her child's death with distress
5 niggas with guns
More violence and retaliation follow the initial act of violence
Threw dirt on his casket his mom will re-mask it
The family is trying to cope with their loss and move on
Still couldn't hide tears years pass her son
The pain of losing a loved one never truly goes away
My mom still had a son
The artist is still here and trying to move forward
Dumb kid with a gun, that I got from my pops
The singer still struggles with emotions and trauma from their past
Top drawer when he left
The father was absent and did not fulfill his parental responsibilities
My momma fightin' for years
The singer's mother faced many challenges and struggles throughout her life
My momma fightin' her tears
The mother is trying to remain strong despite her emotional pain
Now she gotta explain the game of her life to her son
The mother has to share her life experiences and lessons with her child
But the sun still shines
There is still hope for a better future and brighter days
Nine children and a newborn scorn brother two
The artist has a large family and more loved ones to care for
Blu, life isn't young
The singer has learned and grown from past experiences
Dumb kid with a tongue, that I got from hip hop
The singer found an outlet for their emotions and experiences through music
But she left me for you, so I'mma give her to you
The artist is expressing pain and jealousy over a past relationship
Cold hearted and young
The artist is still dealing with emotional pain and trauma
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@doncaleb5695
Cast the message of the song aside! CAN Y'ALL HEAR HOW HE PLAYIN WITH WORDS!?
But my wounds show the tomb that now shelters my boy
My boy needed my help, myself not in the game
The game heartless and young
Dumb niggas with guns cause fun days don't last
The last nigga to blast got shots all in his back
Wrath fell on his soul but in my soul he remains
Pain comes and it goes
But my wounds show the moon shining off of his blood
His blood ran through his moms
His moms ran outside
WHAT!?
@Jon-Unger
I’d argue that this is the most well-written song I’ve ever heard. Blu is a hip hop legend
@zerozaku1468
Can u help me decode this one?
@Jon-Unger
@@zerozaku1468 what part needs decoding?
@ValorShincie
@@zerozaku1468 is English your first language because you may just be lost in what he’s saying culturally
@ValorShincie
I’d say lupe fiascos hurt me soul edges this one out.
@infintelyevolving4937
@@ValorShincieit’s close 🤔
Both great hip hop songs
@gregc7699
Maybe The greatest hip hop album ive heard since Black Star this is in my top 50 albums of all time
@Jon-Unger
Greg C top 50!? This is top 3 for me, easy. SO under rated.
@gregc7699
@@Jon-Unger top 50 of all genres
@301larussomusic
Lol that’s still pretty crazy to here someone say top 50