After Blu’s supposed Warner Bros. debut, NoYork!, appeared out of nowhere earlier this week — word has it he was tossing out copies at Rock the Bells – I started seeing plenty of folks discussing their feelings on the album. Some loved it, others shunned the shit out of it, and others, well, they didn’t know what to think. So I figured it would be best to leave it up to those of you who peep our Facebook page to give an assessment. I can’t say I’m too shocked about the results, haha.
Hit the skip to see what y’all thought about NoYork!.
And the winning opinion is…
MEH
That’s right. Meh. M-e-h, which isn’t even a word but I thought it worked better than so-so. Most of you weren’t really too down with the album, though none of you hated it or gave a resounding “WTF?!” upon hearing NoYork!. And, you know what, it was pretty damn close between you guys being indifferent and actually liking it — and some of you even loved it! But, by one measly vote, NoYork! is…meh. (Personally, I really liked it.) Where’s Gedi at with those Sean Price and Jay-Z .gifs?!
You can stream the album via the YouTube playlist below if you haven’t yet.
THANK YOU, GEDI!
YES! We have a new Electric Circus on our hands. A great emcees falls from the graces and supposedly goes too left. This album is incredible. A feat in ambition and layered impression. “Spring Summer Winter Fall” is easily the best written song of the year Blu gettin his Jack Kerouac-Bob Dylan-Saul Williams introspective urban westside spiritual environmental revelation Poetics on. “Above Crenshaw”, “SLNGBNGRS!” and “Never Be The Same” are just fuzzed out gritty rap bangers. Blu gives us the soulfull with “My Sunshine”, “Down to Earth” and “Keep Pushin'”. “Annie Hall” is comedy. It’s just an experiment gone great with range of mood and tone. He’s an artist in the truest sense. Top 5 of the year no doubt
For me this album is a grower, been playing it alot recently on the train, and once you give it time to really sink and and the tracks to become familiar, it really stands out as a great album. Everyone obviously looks for different things in music, but im glad blu is moving in multipul directions within Hip-hop, I do think hes a step ahead of nearly all other MC’s.
Im a big fan of his work with Exile, but this is a refreshing change in Blu’s catalogue, all im saying is before you decide what side of the fence your going to land, give it another listen.
Listen to Keep pushinn, think thats classic blu imo.
It was not bad, not at all, but it wasn’t amazing. I personally loved My Sunshine among a few other songs, but it just didn’t have the depth you’d expect from Blu when he puts out stuff like Amnesia, the whole BTH album. It definitely took me a few plays to start feeling the album though.
I’d give it a 3.5/5
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Guess I’m in the very small minority that straight-up loved this album, precisely because it was experimental and abrasive. At the risk of completely ostracizing myself from this discussion, I wasn’t all that into “Below the Heavens.” The talent was there, but it sounded too self-consciously “golden age” for my taste. This one actually took me by surprise. The production is consistently fantastic (half XL Recordings, half Stones Throw), and even though Blu uses a “blunted” flow for the majority of the album, it works. It’s no lazier than what Curren$y and DOOM have been doing for years now. Besides, when Blu really wants to put on a lyrical display, he fucking kills it (See “Spring Winter Summer Fall,” “Ronald Morgan,” “Keep Pushinn”). Really good, possibly my favorite hip-hop album of the year next to “Black Up.”
I’ll also say that Edan’s verse on “Ronald Morgan” is the most electrifying guest appearance I’ve heard all year. Dude really needs to get his ass back in the studio and start working on a follow-up to “Beauty and the Beat.”
I enjoyed the production more then i did a lot of the rhyming. But over all i agree with the verdict.
agreed.
Quite simply, I really didn’t enjoy the first half of the album, though really enjoyed the second half of the album. More “Ronald Morgan” and less “Everything Ok” please.
Totally agree, J E S U S was waaay better!
at the end of the day the styles just didn’t mix well together and even in the genre in it’s self the beats weren’t that good. Not to just rag on the production Blu’s lyrics weren’t anything mind blowing either and lacked that trademark storytelling. So imo a very mediocre album at best
what it lacked were really good songs. i mean these songs were good for just reagular drops, but Blu needs to go back and find a way to make some joints that have more “meat” on them, if you understand what I mean. I feel like the songs are like unfinished thoughts. If i had to tell Blu to learn to improve his song writing ability I would recommend he look how Kendrick Lamar or maybe J. Cole or Murs weaves songs together. Blu can def rap, I think he should worry less about developing different kinds of sound of his music and more about the content lyrically
I thought it would be waaaaay too experimental. I had no hope for the album but Blu surprised me and I actually liked it.
we run new ones every wednesday
damn i missed this poll too. NoYork! was good but I liked J e s u s more.
I think this album is dope. If you’re a listener that don’t really follow Blu, then I can understand how a listener can not really care for it. I was anticipating it to be “too experimental”, but it’s surprisingly a good, balanced, experimental/electro/hip hop album.
Not too bad of an album. I think it’s more experimental than the “Below The Heavens” joint. It’s more in the same vein as “C.R.A.C.”, which he did with Ta’Raach. Which I think is slept on!