Blu & Exile celebrate April 20th with the release of their fifth studio LP. As one of the most beloved duos on the entire West Coast, their 2007 album Below the Heavens: In Hell Happy with Your New Imaginary Friend is rightly considered by many to be one of the best hip-hop albums of the past 20 years. They released a follow-up album, Give Me My Flowers While I Can Smell Them, in 2011, and the 2017 rarities compilation In the Beginning: Before the Heavens & Miles: From an Interlude Called Life, the final album from Fat Beats Records. Exile, whose independent label Dirty Science Records signed a publishing deal with Soulspazm Records a few years ago, follows “Love (the) Ominous World” explaining how time heals all.
“Soul Unusual” begins with a soulful Bap intro, reframing the themes of “Soul Provider” and “Soul Amazing” with a newfound perspective, while “Shoe Laces” touches on every road he knew growing up on the West Coast. “Crumbs,” starring ICECOLDBISHOP and Rome Streetz, details a system that seeks to poison young people by providing them with guns and leading them into “The Bag,” hooking up with a sassy little guy to talk money to.
Fashawn appears on “Hard Times” to help close out the first verse of “Time Heals Everything”, bouncing over a booming piano-driven rhythm section so they can confidently say that no one can take this away from either of them; after “I Don’t Rhyme” continues with a dusty opening for the two vocals, Afternozy’s rap comes out the next day after the next beat’s intro steps into jazz.
“In My Window” comes towards the end, replacing jazz elements with soul elements, talking about closing your eyes and seeing the whole world, while Black-Hommy’s “TSOD (Triple Stages of Darkness)” saves the best single for the end, using the organ to flip everyone’s rap circle. The title track featuring Saba wraps things up with this gospel-filled outro that pretty much sums up the album’s biggest takeaway.
Taking a different direction while still staying true to the culture that Blu & Exile’s music and their fanbase have built, Time Heals Everything is the most unique offering in their entire discography, proving once again that soul and adventure can coexist uncompromisingly by respecting their foundations and moving forward. They continue to develop their chemistry, whether it’s Exile’s soulful jazz production or Blu’s sharp writing style, and I like that they’ve toned it down in their guest appearances compared to last time.
Rating: 9/10
