Blu Takes Everyone on an Evidence-Produced Journey through “Los Angeles” (Album Review)
I believe this is the 12th proper full-length solo LP from Los Angeles veteran Blu. Becoming notorious in the underground in 2007 when he & Exile dropped their debut album Below the Heavens: In Hell Happy with Your New Imaginary Friend, he’s managed to put out a handful of collab projects & solo efforts of his own. The most notable being: Her Favorite Colo(u)r, the M.E.D.-assisted Bad Neighbor produced by Madlib, the Gods in the Spirit/Titans in the Flesh duology, the Oh No-produced A Long Red Hot Los Angeles Summer Night, the Damu the Fudgemunk-produced Ground & Water, The Color Blu(e), the Fatlip-assisted Live from the End of the World & the Real Bad Man-produced Bad News. Afrika & Out of the Blue produced by Nottz & Shafiq Husayn respectively were both disappointing due to the overabundance of guests, so I went into Los Angeles hoping it would be better. Especially since Evidencewould be behind the boards for it.
“54th” strips the drums to properly begin shouting out everyone in the section whereas “The Land” works in a boom bap instrumental so he can describe what it’s like where he & Ev are both from. The title track keeps the kicks & snares in tact further explaining what goes down in the City of Angels leading into “3 Wheel Motion” featuring Kokane on the hook coastin’ over a syrupy beat & one I can find myself calming down to after smoking of the finest weed the state has.
“L.A. Tourists” featuring M.E.D. is this piano/boom bap crossover with a psychedelic switchup during the 2nd half talking about taking tourists on a ride through Los Angeles just before “L.A. Traffic” feat. Cashus King & Self Jupiter finds the trio acknowledging the crazy traffic that the city is known for over horns. “The Cold” hooks up woodwinds as Blu sums up where it blows rather than ever raining or snowing, but then grittily “Hell” talks about residents not letting you live.
The gospel sample throughout the boom bap-laced “Heaven” makes perfect sense recalling a letter he got from someone he knew who’s up in the pearly gates now explaining what it’s like while the crooning “Wish You Were Here” featuring Evidence himself passionately talks about standing tall for every hour you’re supposed to. “Lights at Night” featuring Domo Genesis & Navy Blue lavishly unites the trio to describe the city view during the evening while “Wild Wild West” soulfully speaks of his upbringings. “The LA” ends Los Angeles by mixing soul & jazz continuing the introspective lyricism.
In contrast to some of Blu’s latest stuff in the last few years, Los Angeles surpasses The Color Blu(e) as his strongest body of work in this current decade & even one of the best solo albums he’s ever done. Evidence’s production teeters between drumless, boom bap, jazz rap & chipmunk soul serving as the excellent backdrop for the man who Vince Staples gave props to on the highly track “Radio” off his latest album Dark Times to conceptually open up more around the part of the west coast they’re all from.
Score: 9/10
