Blu & Exile

The underground Los Angeles-based duo of MC Blu (b. Johnson Barnes) and DJ/producer Exile (b. Aleksander Manfredi) earned widespread acclaim right out of the gate with their debut album. Crowned by critics as the seemingly perfect marriage of Blu’s everyday-struggle raps and Exile’s Pete Rock-and J Dilla-inspired production, they first crossed paths in the early 2000s. Blu earned gigs as a hype man for various soul/hip-hop outfits like Slum Village, Steve Spacek, Platinum Pied Pipers, and Exile’s own duo, Emanon, while Exile earned production credits for the likes of Jurassic 5, Kardinal Offishall, and Mobb Deep.