Blu: Her Favorite Colo(u)r

What is it with rappers dedicating whole projects to women who broke their hearts this past year? Is that the latest fad? I’ve had my heart broken in the last year too, but I ain’t go and write a whole novel about it. Is it the tight pants and manicured nails that got dudes more emotional than Carl Thomas and Faith nowadays? What happened to the days when rappers made joints like Ghost Face’s “Wildflower” or even Emon’s “F*ck It”??

Anyway, unlike Kanye West who was already an established artist and could have committed career suicide (He ain’t dead. He can still make a full recovery) with 808s & Heartbreak, Blu is an up-and-coming artist and “Her Favorite Colo(u)r” can only help or hurt his campaign to be recognized as one of the elite MCs from the left coast. What with a new crop of West Coast kush like Jay Rock, Nipsey Hussle, Omar Cruz and Glasses Malone all competing for their time to burn, such a risk could prove to be costly for the Cali rapper.

Her Favorite Colo(u)r was a definite attempt to use the feelings pouring out his heart for creativity, and I must say I was definitely feeling the soft melodic and soulful beats that were used on songs like “Wind(terlude),” and “Untitled(Loved U)2” which allowed Blu to rap the blues. At times it was like I was listening to the missing member from Digable Planets, so you know he was on some next sh*t with his.

If a love gone sour has proved anything it’s that it will either break a man or make him strive to become better. Blu is obviously choosing the higher road and uses the art of hip-hop as a canvas to paint his feelings using creative flows and vivid lyrics like “I used to have peace and serenity/teaching divinity/break bread, sippin’ the blood, eating with enemies/blind, pearl on my mind thinking we meant to be/this, that and a third/boy did I learn – tables turn… used to speak sweet with sympathy/tees to mimic me/sunshine every line you ever sent to me/heaven sent, heavenly sent the later crippled me…” on “Amnesia.”

As creative as most of the songs were, the skits were OD. What was with “When(terlude)” and “Beggars/Black Gold”?? OK, a shorty broke your heart, we get it. But tracks like that and 3 minute skits like “Morning” where audio from that flick, “Closer” where dude is asking shorty if the next man’s a “good f*ck” and all other kinds of questions that a man would not want answered by a woman with a cheating heart? Damn, Blu! Was it that deep? My condolences, dunny.

Though I can feel a man or woman’s pain when they’ve invested their love in someone who walks out on them (been there done that), I still can’t completely comprehend why one would think that it would lead to good hip-hop music. It’s just not the right genre for that. Lucky for Blu he’s a unique talent and an eclectic enough MC to make the most of his situation. So for that alone, Her Favorite Colo(u)r gets brownie points.-The Infamous O

Hottest Joint: “Since”

Weakest Joint: “Beggars/Black Gold”