Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them

AlbumSep 04 / 201217 songs, 54m 26s
West Coast Hip Hop Jazz Rap
Popular

A much-loved emcee from Los Angeles, Blu has been in the game since the early \'00s, starting his career as a hypeman for likeminded acts such as Slum Village and Platinum Pied Pipers. He has released well over a dozen projects (mixtapes, EPs, and full-lengths) but is best known for his critically acclaimed 2007 release *Below the Heavens*, produced entirely by Exile. *Give Me My Flowers...*, recorded the following year, finds the two reuniting for another collection of soulful beats and deeply personal lyricism. It\'s a much cleaner-sounding version than the original leak, but they still sound fantastic together, with Blu\'s introspective, normal-guy wordplay effortlessly riding Exile\'s jazz-soaked soundscapes, overflowing with thick bass lines, breezy chops, and subdued drums. While it\'s debatable if this will make as much of a splash as *Heavens*, it\'s an eminently enjoyable release from one of hip-hop\'s most reliable modern duos. Guests include Fashawn, Black Spade, Homeboy Sandman, and ADAD, with standout joints like \"Berries and Juice,\" \"Seasons,\" and the Mr. Rogers–sampling \"Good Morning Neighbor.\"

6.8 / 10

Originally released as a murky collection on Bandcamp last year, Exile's newly mixed and mastered take on Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them imbues the kinetic, syllable-twisting rapper Blu's LP with a sweet, contemplative sound.

8 / 10

Blu is a difficult artist, as I've danced around before.