Blu

Born in Inglewood, California, and active in the Los Angeles orbit since the early 2000s, Blu—real name Johnson Barnes III—has developed an independent rap style marked by introspective writing, soul and jazz references, and a frequently lo-fi West Coast aesthetic. His career took a decisive shape through his collaboration with Exile in the duo Blu & Exile; their albums Below the Heavens (2007), Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them (2012), Miles (2020) and Love (the) Ominous World (2024) are key entries in his discography. Blu also works in more collective or side projects, notably with Ta’Raach on The Piece Talks (2008) under the name C.R.A.C., and with Mainframe on Johnson&Jonson (2008). As a solo artist he explores freer, more fragmented forms on theGODleeBarnesLP (2010), Her Favorite Colo(u)r (2011), York (2013) and The Color Blu(e) (2021). Associated with the Dirty Science collective, Blu has also released projects with Bombay, Nottz, Oh No, Damu the Fudgemunk, Real Bad Man and Evidence, placing him at the crossroads of boom bap, alternative hip-hop and Los Angeles’s independent scenes.