On April 15, 1983, California rapper and lyrical wizard Blu was born. Since stepping into hip-hop, he's been nothing short of extraordinary. In the underground scene, he's been absolutely dominant has largely been the best when at the top of his game.
He's worked with some of the best producers and writers in his space and has tons of classics under his belt. That's definitely a lot to celebrate, especially because he's been at it for decades now. He's doing so in a way with his latest offering, Forty.
While he isn't exactly 40 (actually 42), Blu is using this project to reflect on how he's gotten to where he is today. In a statement talking about Forty, he said, "This album is a celebration of me reaching 40 years of age. All the content is a reflection of where I am mentally at 40."
Fun fact: Underground Detroit rapper Danny Brown did a similar thing in 2023 with the release of Quaranta. However, Blu is going about it a lot differently, especially from a stylistic and thematic standpoint. Blu's record has a happier and upbeat feel, whereas Brown's had more shades of darkness overall.
That's helped by producer August Fanon (Armand Hammer, Westside Gunn, etc.). A lot of soulful loops are in the mix here. You can check out the project with the Spotify and Apple Music links below.
Blu & August Fanon Forty
Forty Tracklist:
- Forty with Chris Clarke, Mickey Factz
- Worthy with Cashus King, Scienze
- Simple with Sene, Chester Watson
- Love (1-4) with Wyldeflowher, Geminelle, YaH-Ra, Lexus, Noveliss
- Dance with Phoenix Cruz, Charles Hamilton
- Happy with Kota the Friend, R.A.P. Ferreira
- Knowledge with Triune, Tristate
- Bible with Propoganda, PCH
- Human with Homeboy Sandman, Asher Roth
- Loser with Cashus King, Stik Figa
- Joy with Fashawn, Choosey
