Hailing from the golden halls of Los Angeles, the sunset mornings of some of the West Coast’s golden opportunities; Blu is the authenticity in a city full of actors. His 2013 release York is a collective of beautiful and futuristic boom-bap hip-hop that is able to coincide within the realm of artistic extensions. From the featuring production of Flying Lotus, Samiyam, Knxwledge, and some features of the hottest underground MC’s, York shapes up to hold twisted and crack works that warp around like the F Train.

It is the first impression that takes Blu into these spacious settings that shape behind him, becoming the formative backdrops of an intense boost of moon-esque bass. He dissolves behind the sound as the snaps and claps on “Doin’ Nothin’”, the records opening, which unfolds and spreads the wings of fate. “Fresh out the cypha surfin’ line like slung coke. So came by the ocean on the coast or open on a dope overdose, it’s over dosage. So sleep, no sweat techniques, no joke” Blu describes as the hook from Wu Tang’s own U-God speaks simply “A nigga gotta live (The world is ours).” With these cuts on York that come from the heavy production credits and the ambitious Blu who is hopeful behind his delivery as it flows through his unfazed voice

With the track list starting to work down, “Everbody Nose” suits up to be a quick crowd favorite for the booming percussion and Black Moth Super Rainbow styled synths that warmly embrace Blu as much as he does the beat. He rhymes almost effortlessly over the progressive stream illustrating, “Look up in the sky, it’s a bird it’s a plane. Y’all niggas know the name and ain’t a damn thing change. But I’m saying, the game needs to, get a make o’. everything they play is just that same ‘ol, same ‘ol.” Then as the hook of Sa-Ra collapses into the frame, her voice is a linguistic silk that slides perfectly to fit. “Some things will never be the same as they came. People changed, and everybody knows’ some things will never be the same” which quickly lets “Everybody Nose” becomes the hottest joint off of York.

Most of the sound coming from York is a strange, 70’s mix of synths that live among the beats of the 90’s hip-hop golden era’s. Blu is a unique specimen that falls under the light of an underground sensation that takes the formulas of music and flips them. York features some incredibly unscripted styles of what seems to be freeform experimentation that results in some of the better musical pieces on a hip-hop record. With “Tags”, Blu works to rhyme over these over-produced and almost melted bites of hip-hop functionality that are no easy task.

But he does so gloriously and accomplishes to create a standing monument of the abstract and underground within music. While it may have never seen the recognition that it deserves, Blu’s York saw some difficulty before finally reaching the public’s hands. Through that difficulty came one of the sunshine records that can warm an unforgiving winter day like a coat from Canal Street.

Listen To York Here!!! – Youtube/Spotify/Amazon/iTunes