Blu & Exile

Blu & Exile

Blu & Exile are a Los Angeles hip hop duo made up of rapper Blu and producer, DJ and occasional emcee Exile. Active since 2007, they work across alternative hip hop, boom bap, chipmunk soul, conscious hip hop, hip hop and jazz rap.

Members

Blu is a Los Angeles emcee known for his fluent delivery and writing that reflects the experiences of working-class youth. Exile is previously a member of the duo Emanon, alongside Aloe Blacc, and his production style is marked by laid-back, soulful textures influenced by J Dilla and Madlib.

Albums

The duo's first album, Below the Heavens, arrives in 2007 and becomes closely associated with a continuation of Los Angeles hip hop traditions linked to groups such as Freestyle Fellowship, Jurassic 5 and The Pharcyde. It receives strong critical acclaim and is widely regarded as one of the year’s standout releases.

Their second album, Give Me Flowers While I Can Smell Them, is recorded in 2009 but held back because of audio quality concerns before being officially reissued in 2012 with an updated track listing. The album includes guest appearances from Fashawn, Homeboy Sandman, Johaz of Dag Savage, Black Spade of Hawthorne Headhunters and ADAD.

After that, the duo releases Miles in 2020 and Love (the) Ominous World in 2024.