theGODleeBarnes Review

Release Date: 1-1-10

*Download link available in previous post*

As you may or may not know, Blu is a talented MC hailing from Cali that is best known for his debut album with producer Exile titled Below the Heavens. Since then he has released other material such as Johnson&Jonson and The Piece Talks. But surprisingly, Blu is also a dope producer and is increasingly letting his production be heard in the public. On his Myspace he released a free instrumental tape and has even produced a whole project for rapper Sene titled A Day Late and A Dollar Short.

Besides releasing the instrumental tape and producing Sene’s whole project, Blu was very quiet on the mic in 09. Listed as a freshmen by XXL earlier in 09, it was somewhat disappointing to see other freshmen such as Wale, Kid Cudi, and Asher Roth all release new material and gain mainstream recognition while Blu chose to grow more as a producer. However, to start off the new year, Blu has unexpectedly released a new lp, theGODleeBarnes.

Old material that resurfaces include “GloryUSDelux”, “Grandma’sKitchen”, and CityOfLos(t)Angel(e)s”. These songs were previously released in higher quality and can be found on the Soul Amazing mixtapes. However, some of the lyrics are slightly different on this version and have features from people. Nonetheless, the songs fit well into the project instead of hindering it.

Though some of the material on the lp is old (Blu stated the project was 3 years in the making via Twitter), there are a reasonable amount of unreleased material that shows his growth as MC. Tracks such as “SpanishWinter” or “theGOD’s&Me” shine and provide a feeling of freshness. Sharp lyrics match the smooth, vibrant production showing how talented the rapper his become. Those wanting more from Blu with Exile won’t be disappointed when listening to “NeverDream.” The collaboration sounds like it would’ve been included on BTH and further illustrates how the two connect and flourish almost effortlessly.

As usual you can expect some intriguing, reflective lyrics that are sure to catch your attention. The only flaw that’s discouraging is the low quality of the lp. As he stated on his Twitter, most of the songs are rough draft copies that were lost. Thus, they can’t be fixed quality wise. Despite this, the quality isn’t unbearable and most of the tracks are clear. The main issue is obviously the volume being somewhat muffled. Nonetheless, this is a refreshing piece of work that should hold you until Blu’s upcoming projects this year. He’s expected to release an album through Warner Bros, working on a project with Flying Lotus, and will be doing more material with Exile, Ta’Raach, and Mainframe through his new label New World Color.

GloryUsDelux(Feat.LsOfABandCalledGlory)


NeverDream


SpanishWinter