Music Review: Blu (@HerFavColor) – Good To Be Home

Blu is the hip hop anomaly. After creating the virtual underground classic which is Below The Heavens, things have been pretty much a pendulum swing. He would still release good music. However, with questionable interviews, unmixed/unofficial music releases, and lackluster live performances, there seemed to be plenty to worry about. Now, it seems that Blu “got is act together”. For proof, the release of the double album Good To Be Home is out with a purely mastered sound.

Blu did note that this album would be “an unapologetic celebration of Los Angeles music and culture” and I would agree. Bombay (the sole producer) make this album sound like a soul/funk infused sunny day rolling through the hood in a drop top Cadillac with the roof missing. For example, the use of the Kool & The Gang sample lifts the “Summertime” track to atmospheric heights. Listeners can also hear these influences in tracks like “50z”, “Red & Gold”, and any other track on this album. With that said, this album is the epitome of LA living.

To match the LA theme being made on this album, Blu comprised a guest list that oozes the aesthetic of the City of Angels. The track “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop” has a lineup of Alchemist, Evidence, Tristate, Planet Asia, Donel Smokes, Chace Infinite, and Krondon. With “Angel Dust”, unexpected guests LMNO and 2Mex of The Visionaries and Imani of The Pharcyde drop by to drop rhymes about a dangerous drug of choice on the West Coast. Even younger class acts like Pac Div and Casey Veggies found themselves featured on this album. With Prodigy being the only non-West Coast artists featured on this album, this album was crafted to sound like sunshine showering pistols and palm trees.

With the thematic approach of the album, Blu was sharp with his “hood talk”. “Boyz N The Hood” is a “day in the life” track that allows the emcees to document their respective understandings of the hood. “Well Fare” takes note of the female perspective towards men and getting them to be with them/support them. “Dre Day” is a loosely fit dedication to West Coast music. With direct references and indirect influences abound, even the topics on this album will have you wearing Dodgers hats in no time.

On “Red and Gold”, Blu noted that he is “on the west where the realest rest”. With the construction of Good To Be Home, it is hard to even question his sentiment. The sound of the album is Los Angeles. The lyrics and subject matter is also mainly about Los Angeles. Still, the music is universal enough to be enjoyed by all. In the end, this album will serve as a viable composition that rejoices an emcee’s hometown.