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🤟🏼YEE

#a gentle gigg #seji oda #Jake chapman #bay area #yay area #giggin #gentle #music #soundcloud #underrated fire #hip hop #everything music #rap #r&b #deep #alternative #edm #indie

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🤘🏽🤘🏽🤘🏽

#kill eva #encassator #psycho dreams #music #soundcloud #underrated fire #everything music #hip hop #rap #deep #r&b #quotes #alternative #indie #EDM

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#letter to ur ex #mahalia #music #soundcloud #underrated fire #everything music #hip hop #rap #deep #r&b #quotes #alternative #indie

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Right in the feels…

#letter to ur next #mahalia #music #soundcloud #underrated fire #hip hop #everything music #rap #r&b #deep #alternative #edm #indie

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#63

Oof, this one’s kinda hard loll, but here goes 😅

5 songs that would play in my club:

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Below The Heavens: A Young Man's Story Of Survival Through God

Below The Heavens (2007)

I remember the very day I first discovered Blu & Exile's Below The Heavens.

It's not often that I can say this about an album, or honestly, even a song. With this album, the impression it made upon me was unforgettable.

It was 2008. Mid July.

I had been home, sitting in my room chatting with this guy on AOL instant messenger (shut up) about music. I had mentioned to him, my love for hip hop.

He sent me a link. It was to a Youtube video, and I earnestly clicked. Since that moment, my ears have been blessed.

Below The Heavens is the collaborative project by California rapper Blu (born Johnson Barnes III) and producer Exile, known for his previous albums which included Dirty Science, and his work with group Emanon.

The album itself would be described as soulful.

Not just because of the wonderfully throwback-ish beats that Exile used for this project, but because the album awakens something in your soul.

Over the years, my perspective on this album has changed. What seemed like the angry outlets of a young black man from the hood actually turns out to be the story of a man who survived by having faith in God-even in the ugly times.

In Dancing In The Rain, a track on the album, Blu discusses not being willing to sell drugs, even while under the pressure of others. He talks of the stresses of being without a job, sometimes, and also struggling as an emcee in this harsh world.

The album itself isn't all doom and gloom. One thing I love about Blu's rapping style here, is his ability to do both serious and playful songs, even regarding love.

In Blu Colla Workers, Blu discusses how dating can be challenging while being an underground rapper. It's charming, cute, and relatable.

For me, as a young woman coming up, it was nice to hear examples of working class men trying the best they could in the age of bling, bling.

Like the perfect topping upon a cake, the perfect ending tracks of the album, The World Is (Below the Heavens..) and You Are Now in the Clouds With (The Koochie Monstas) take us right to church.

I (embarrassingly) admit that I can rap The World Is non-stop without any mistakes. But, it's less of an admission, and more of a testimony as to how powerful this album is.

In The World Is (Below The Heavens) Blu reminds us about God, his glory, remembering the challenges of life, but not falling into the pits of them.

It's SUCH an inspiring track, that it's permanently logged into my brain.

I highly recommend you listen to this album. It's personally gotten me through some of the darkest times of my life, and helped me celebrate some of the greatest.

God, Blu and Exile, thank you for this beautiful and much needed gift to humanity.

Below The Heavens (2007) Full Album

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2Pac & Thug Life: Pour Out A Little Liquor

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she needs me (rmx) (feat. dom kennedy & murs) // kendrick lamar

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Fav 🤍

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whenever I discover a song or artist that I like