Blu & Exile Share The 1st Of 14 Unheard Songs From Below The Heavens Sessions (Audio)

UPDATE: More than a month since announcing that expanded Below The Heavens sessions would be released, fans have their first taste. “Constellations” is one of 14 songs included on October 20’s In The Beginning – Before The Heavens LP. Within, Heads get to travel back to the mid-2000s to hear a budding Blu and soulful Exile work it out on wax with a message of hope, hunger for success, and more.

It was recently the tenth anniversary of that debut collaborative album. Distributed by Fat Beats, the expanded collection has several vinyl and premium packages for pre-order.

Moreover, Exile posted Below The Heavens 10th Anniversary Tour Dates, under way now. Dag Savage, Choosey, Cashus King (fka Co$$), and Pistol McFly are supporting MCs.

Talib Kweli & Blu Gang Up On A Beat. It’s Fight Night For 2 Great MCs (Audio)

26-Sep Las Vegas, NV Beauty Bar
27-Sep Salt Lake City, UT Metro
28-Sep Ft Colins, CO Hodi’s half note
29-Sep Colorado Springs, CO Black Sheep
1-Oct Denver, CO Cervantes/Other room
4-Oct Mesa,AZ Club Red
10-Oct Austin, TX The Sidewinder
11-Oct San Antonio, TX Paper Tiger
13-Oct Fort Worth, Tx Shipping & Receiving
15-Oct Omaha, NE Slowdown
16-Oct Lawrence, KS Lucia
17-Oct Minneapolis, Mn Icehouse
18-Oct Madison, WI Ruby
19-Oct Chicago, IL Subterranean
20-Oct St Louis, MO 2720 Cherokee
23-Oct Indianapolis, IN Hi-Fi
26-Oct Grand Rapids, MI Pyramid Scheme
5-Nov Pittsburgh, PA Spirit (Lodge)
8-Nov Boston, MA Middle East
12-Nov NY, NY Le Poisson Rouge
13-Nov Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brendas
16-Nov Durham, NC Motorco
17-Nov Augusta, GA Sly City
19-Nov Asheville, NC The Altamonte Theatre
20-Nov Nashville, TN The Basement East
21-Nov Atlanta, GA Venue 529
22-Nov Jacksonville, FL Jack Rabbits
24-Nov Tampa, FL Crowbar
25-Nov Miami, FL The Ground

ORIGINAL JULY 29 STORY: This month, Blu & Exile’s 2007 collaborative debut Below The Heavens celebrated its 10th birthday. That LP introduces the masses beyond Los Angeles, California to a soulful, spiritual, and skillful MC named Blu, with his multi-talented veteran producer.

While it’s been recently revealed that Johnson Barnes and Ex’ may be at work on a proper third tandem project, a revisit of their Underground Hip-Hop gem also welcomes a bounty of sessions from 2006 and 2007. L.A. Weekly journalist Jeff Weiss spoke with the duo about making the Sound In Color LP that’s been twice reissued after selling out.

10 Years Ago, Blu & Exile’s Below The Heavens Resurrected Underground Rap

“I had no idea this record would stand the test of time the way it has,” Blu said of his proper introduction. “I was just trying to be as real and ill as possible without sounding like someone else or sounding like I was trying to impress someone. Exile made my vision a reality every step of the way.”

Having spoken to the artists, Weiss noted, “In total, 40 songs were recorded — many of which will see their first release in the coming month. But it’s the final batch that became instantly canonized, spreading virally on a pre-Soundcloud Internet. Upon its release 10 years ago this month, the album immediately sold out of its 3,500-unit first run; then it sold another 3,500 directly after.”

Divine Intervention: Blu & Exile Are Back Together, Recording In The Studio

The retrospective also notes that Miguel’s early appearance stems from a longstanding friendship with Blu. The MC, who turned down an offer to be an act on the rebound-hopeful Death Row Records, recorded many of the B.T.H. songs in the same studio as RBX, believed to be Death Row’s first artist to exit.