2008 Innovators: Blu

When Johnson Barnes was growing up in Southern California, he could have never imagined a career in hip-hop, mostly because hip-hop was more or less a total mystery to him. Raised in a strict, religious household, Barnes spent most of his time in church, hoping his mother and reverend stepfather wouldn’t find and destroy his hidden stash of rap tapes. (His foundational texts: DMX, Timbaland and Magoo and Ma$e.)

Now, Blu is making up for all that lost time. Over the past few years, after dues-paying stints with Platinum Pied Pipers and Spacek, he has emerged as one of Los Angeles ‘most promising young rappers. Over the past year he’s released three deeply personal, playful and future-minded solo albums with three different producers. We talked to Blu and some of his favorite producers about his very busy 2008.

I read somewhere that you were prohibited from listening to rap as a child. What did hip-hop represent to you growing up, and do you think this relationship with it has informed how you write or view your craft now?

Hip-hop represented “devil music” in my household. But how I viewed kids in school enjoying it was like a form of liberation. It was a trip to see who liked what; you could see their personality peeking out through the entertainers they played. What happened when I finally dove into it without limitations was just that – I dove in, learned and soaked up as much as I could. I would hate on an MC one day and love them the next. I was a writer before I wrote raps so it was a natural transition. I just had to learn how to flow.

You’ve been quite busy over the past few years. How did you decide to partner up with Exile, Ta’Raach and Mainframe for three different records, rather than doing solo Blu records with a mix of producers?

Well, Below the Heavens was always intended to be my solo, even after I worked with Ex (Exile) exclusively on it. It wasn’t until I started the other two projects that I decided to theme my career with this decision. I met Exile through Aloe (Aloe Blacc), and Ex had the hardest beats I had heard, so I really wanted to work with him. I learned tremendously from Ta’Raach as a person, before that he was my favorite MC, so it was more like an honor to do a record with him. With Mainframe, it was more like our friendship through music developed into an album.

The “Bout it Bout it” video and the Johnson and Jonson guest spots really offer a nice glimpse into the community out in Los Angeles. How has the city shaped your music?

Man, I’m still recovering from the cameras – it’s really Hollywood out here. But you meet people who know how to endure through the bull. It’s inspiring because each person had to find their own way and I’m trying to do the same.

We also talked to some of Blu’s favorite collaborators for their thoughts on what makes him such a special talent.

Mainframe, producer of Johnson&Jonson (Tres, 2008) For me the experience is always unforgettable and ultra! Just imagine how you would feel being in the studio with one of your favorite MCs recording over your own beats. While working with Blu, sky’s the limit. I’m able to share and bounce ideas and concepts that I would never fathom pitching to other, “in the box” rappers that come to me for production. I’m very much into B’s movement and art, so I always put an extra effort into creating something special, but I can only do so because he allows me to reach a sense of freedom that I sometimes can’t reach with other artists. Blu is like Baby Obama in this bitch – his speech is rap, and his message is timeless!

Ta’Raach, producer of The Piece Talks(Tres, 2008)

Blu is a fabulous artist. It is always a pleasure working with him mainly because other than a quality product, we never know what to expect. He is as open as his name suggests, with a new millennium Blue Note cool. No pun Intended. I respect and admire Below the Heavens, The Piece Talks and Johnson & Johnson but a .wav file isn’t enough to capture the full brilliance of Blu.

Exile, producer of Below the Heavens (Sound in Color, 2007)

I had a great time working with Blu; developing his style and my style together was a challenge. We experimented and worked hard knowing we wanted to make a classic record but at the same time, we were not sure if it was gonna happen. A lot of financial uncertainty (we were broke) a lot of cigarettes (for me) and a lot of hard work and talking about the record and where it could go. We would stay up ’til the sun came up most nights.

What makes Blu a great artist is his work ethic and his willingness to try anything. Blu wants to change the game by being different, and if you hear all the music he has been making it is just that: different. He is not scared; I would say he is more scared of conforming to what the masses think is hip-hop. And that is why Blu is the artist he is today. And I say “artist” because a lot of these so-called rappers are just executing formulas and are not artists – rather they are a work force.