When it comes to modern day classics, Blu and Exile’s Below the Heavens is not up for debate. And now, 12 years after the album burrowed its way into the heart of hip hop history, the two are officially back with a brand new project called True & Livin, dropping on May 24th.
After celebrating the 10th anniversary in 2017 with a tour and In the Beginning–a collection of b-sides and rarities from the Below the Heavens recording sessions–the emcee/producer duo have finally got together to record something new. And today, they’re kicking off the campaign with the release of the project’s title track.
“True and Livin feels like a spiritual call to all that have honor and truth in their being,” Exile says. “It sees how present day and beyond is always trying to calculate or monetize what comes from God or what comes from an artist’s spirit, but it also recognizes the truth that is inside of our music and brags about it, even in a humble way somehow. This might be the first hip hop braggadocio song that invites us all to feel the same about themselves as long as they connect to the spirit and truth that is inside this song and inside us all.”
Along with the single, Blu and Exile have also hit the road in support of the project. Check out the tour dates and press play below.
5/2 – Seattle, Wash. @ The Crocodile
5/10 – Las Vegas, Nev. @ Ninja Karaoke
5/11 – Berkeley, Calif. @ Cornerstone
5/14 – Portland, Ore. @ Mississippi Studios
5/15 – Costa Mesa, Calif. @ The Wayfarer
5/18 – Chicago, Ill. @ Subterranean
5/19 – Detroit, Mich. @ Deluxx Fluxx
5/28 – Atlanta, Ga. @ 529
5/29 – New Orleans, La. @ The Howlin’ Wolf
5/31 – Fort Worth, Tx. @ Shipping & Receiving
6/1 – Albuquerque, N.M. @ Sister Bar
6/2 – Denver, Co. @ The Black Box
6/6 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ 1720
6/7 – Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Knitting Factory
