Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them
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.\"
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.