10 years ago today... Below The Heavens...

[Shield & Sword]

​

One of my favourite albums ever. Blu's rhyming and Exile's chops make for some of the best hip hop I've ever heard. They put their whole life in this project.

I can remember having The Narrow Path on repeat daily like it was yesterday ... 10 years ago. Damn. This album has been present in my life since the release .. a song like Cold Hearted is my whole life ... the rhyming on that song, abstract storyline, Miguel's vocals, the hook, the line "pain comes and it goes" reoccurring throughout is so special...

I'm taking this album to my grave.

How do you feel about this album? Favourite songs and verses? Favourite beat?

 

[Chip Skylark]

Definitely in my top 5 rap albums. This CD is damn near perfect. Blu was definitely the best new lyricist.

 

[Shield & Sword]

I was cold hearted and young, a dumb kid with a gun
Cuz fun days don't last, the last nikka to laugh
So rap fell on my tongue, numb feelings remain
And pain comes and it goes
But my wounds shows the room where my pops beat my moms
Moms screamin' for help, myself hot as the sun
Cold hearted and young, a dumb kid with a gun
That I got from my pops top drawer
When he left my momma twice in a week
My momma lifeless and weak, spendin' her nights in the sheets
With seed killer number (one)
Seed killer number (two)
Seed killer number (three)
Got heat from the newborns scorned brother
Blu black hearted and young
Raps fell off his tongue
Numb feelings remain
The pain comes and it goes
But my wounds show the tomb that now shelters my boy
My boy needed my help, myself not in the game
The game heartless and young
Dumb nikkas with guns cause fun days don't last
The last nikka to blast got shots all in his back
Wrath fell on his soul but in my soul he remains
Pain comes and it goes
But my wounds show the moon shining off of his blood
His blood ran through his moms
His moms ran outside
5 nikkas with guns
Seed killer number (one)
Seed killer number (two)
Seed killer number (three)
Pulled the heat and he was through
Threw dirt on his casket his mom wore a mask and
Still couldn't hide tears years pass her son
Numb feelings remain
Pain comes and it goes
But my wounds show the groom that still married my mom
My mom still had a son
Dumb kid with a gun, that I got from my pops
Top drawer when he left
My momma fightin' for years
My momma fightin' her tears
Now she gotta explain the game of her life to her son
But the sun still shines
Nine children and a newborn scorn brother two
Blu, life isn't young
Dumb kid with a tongue, that I got from Hip Hop
But she left me for you, so I'mma give her to you
Cold hearted and young




​

 

[Shield & Sword]

Definitely in my top 5 rap albums. This CD is damn near perfect. Blu was definitely the best new lyricist.

Blu was in a DIFFERENT zone this album. Below The Heavens is probably my favourite project in the last 10 years, ahead of his class for me.

Favourite song(s)?

 

[UpAndComing]

@Yoda

 

[Chip Skylark]

Blu was in a DIFFERENT zone this album. Below The Heavens is probably my favourite project in the last 10 years, ahead of his class for me.

Favourite song(s)?

Blu collar worker, no greater love, and cold hearted.

I played cold hearted so much as teenager. It almost brought me to tears when I first heard it. I relate so much to that song.

 

[Chip Skylark]

Had to go back and listen.. Blu is the reason I started listening to Joni Mitchell

 

[Nostalgic]

10 years already?

Dayum time flies.

 

[CHERUB]

Mannn this body of work here. This was during the new Golden age..Section 80 was on fire..Abel was poppin beans and sniffin coke off glass tables..Cudi was ragin...wattba

 

[Yoda]

Mannn this body of work here. This wss during the new Golden age..Section 80 was on fire..Abel was poppin beans and sniffin coke off glass tables..Cudi was ragin...wattba

:

 

[Doomsday]

Blu birthed the new LA alternate rap movement that's present to this day. Kendrick Lamar sharked his whole style and used it to mainstream success.

With that said, Below the Heavens is one of the greatest hip hop albums ever made and one of the most sonically cohesive albums ever made. IMO Blu is one of the best ever from Cali when it comes to rap.

My favorite song: No Greater Love

 

[Chip Skylark]

Blu birthed the new LA alternate rap movement that's present to this day. Kendrick Lamar sharked his whole style and used it to mainstream success.

With that said, Below the Heavens is one of the greatest hip hop albums ever made and one of the most sonically cohesive albums ever made. IMO Blu is one of the best ever from Cali when it comes to rap.

My favorite song: No Greater Love

BTH is definitely the most overlooked debut in history IMO.

Kendrick sharked him elaborate

 

[Kenny West]

One of the GOAT albums to drop in my lifetime.

I remember doing roadwork to this entire album...shyt inspirational

 

[flipn50]

Love this album. This was like the West Coast's Illmatic to me. My favorite west coast hip hop album of all time. The album just take you to an adolescence coming of age trip through Blu's life.

 

[Insensitive]

Blu birthed the new LA alternate rap movement that's present to this day. Kendrick Lamar sharked his whole style and used it to mainstream success.

With that said, Below the Heavens is one of the greatest hip hop albums ever made and one of the most sonically cohesive albums ever made. IMO Blu is one of the best ever from Cali when it comes to rap.

My favorite song: No Greater Love

Blu definitely didn't birth that whatsoever.

He's a follower in a long line of West Coast alternative Hip-Hop.
If there is no Pharcyde, Aceyalone, Myka Nyne, Murs etc. there is no Blu, Fashawn, Kenrick and so on
to follow in their footsteps.. The west coast's Hip-Hop scene and the movements that happened
within it are a little more extensive than Blu or his admittedly fantastic album.