West Coast duo Blu & Exile have been simmering just below the surface of mainstream hip-hop for nearly 20 years now, with their monumental 2007 debut Below the Heavens introducing a refreshing blend of jazz rap and boom-bap for the 21st century that the emcee and producer have only managed to hone over the three records—in addition to several solo releases—that sporadically followed. Time Heals Everything, then, is less of a reinvention of their sound for the overstimulated year 2026 than it is a further sculpted version of what Blu & Exile have always excelled at: lyrical hip-hop around which some of the moment’s most exciting voices find inspiration. “We took a different approach with the direction while still staying true to the culture our music has built with our fan base,” shared Blu ahead of the record’s release.
Among the new album’s track list are high-caliber guests including Black Thought, Saba, and ICECOLDBISHOP, with Blu and Exile bringing a similarly curatorial flair to the influences playlist they crafted for us to pair with the album’s reveal. Past and present collaborators including Black Thought, Logic, and “hip-hop’s new most elusive artist” Mach-Hommy appear on their playlist, though as Blu notes, most of these picks were less sonic influences than they were outsider rap albums they happened to have on rotation at the time that the album came together. “These songs didn’t particularly influence what I was making or going to make,” he shares of Jean Dawson’s Pixel Bath LP, “but it was what I was feeling the most at the time.”
With Time Heals Everything out now via Dirty Science, stream the album here and check out all of their picks below.
BLU
Westside Gunn “Margiela Split Toes” (feat. Mach-Hommy)
This joint I couldn’t stop playing. The whole album, really. But this was my favorite and most played song on that tape. The beat was everything for me, first off, and Westside choosing Mach for the feature was a perfect pairing. I even let the skit play after the song, man. I love how jazzy it is and how much it knocks at the same time. This song made me feel like if you don’t like my type of hip-hop IDGAF, because somebody is making the shit that I love. Never thought I would be on the song with hip-hop’s new most elusive artist, but hey!
Jean Dawson “Clear Bones”
I couldn’t stop playing this whole album religiously when it dropped in 2020. This was the deepest song on the tape for me. This album gave me my youth back, made me feel comfortable in my skin again. I felt like I was the only dude raving about this album, then Rick Rubin signed him and I felt validated. These songs didn’t particularly influence what I was making or going to make, but it was what I was feeling the most at the time.
Logic “Bleed It”
Yes, yes, yes. This is my shit. This is the kind of shit I love—passion, smashing drums, rebellious flow—but what resonated the most was the message in the hook. We bleed this, man. There’s no song on our tape that came out like this, but this is what I was slapping. Although this isn’t his most popular song, this joint defines Logic for me. Shout out to Logic for featuring me and Exile on that album, too!
Eric Dolphy & Ken McIntyre “Curtsy”
Me and Exile were fresh off of making and releasing our album Miles, so I was still on a jazz high. Tons of Miles, Monk, Mingus, and, of course, Los Angeles’ own Eric Dolphy. Huge fan of Dolphy, and I stumbled upon this album and was hooked. Very progressive—I love how they pushed the limits with almost every note they played on this tape. Perfect pairing. I listen to jazz songs like a battle, and each solo is the verse. Who had the best verse on the song? On this album, Eric and Ken go toe to toe on every tune, I love it. “Curtsy” is the sure highlight of this one, for me.
Black Thought “Magnificent”
Black Thought was always one of the best lyricists the game had ever heard, and when he decided to spark off his solo career in the late 2010s he did not half step one bit. Kicking the door down with various solo albums, this album in 2020 did it for me. Sean C came out of nowhere to me and delivered everything Thought needed to make a classic. I love this song. This is my wake-up song to start the day, or my shower song. I love the funky-ass bass line and the poignant lyrics, the crispy drums and the vocal sample stabs. This joint had all the right elements to get me hooked. Shout out to the illest of all time!
EXILE
King Tee, “Ko Rock Stuff”
King Tee and DJ Pooh were probably my first inspirations for wanting to produce whole albums for emcees. They’ve always been a huge influence on my music; that classic synergy between producer and artist is exactly what I strive for. The blueprint.
Mos Def, “Traveling Man” (prod. DJ Honda)
The music and the poetry in Mos Def’s lyrics here are incredible. It’s so atmospheric that it feels like you’re time-traveling through his thoughts, his emotions, and his worldview. It’s a beautiful song that truly lives up to its name.
Common, “Nuthin’ to Do”
This is one of the best “reminiscing” tracks in hip-hop. It takes you right back to Common’s childhood and teenage years in Chicago. It has such a lovely, nostalgic feeling that it actually makes you reflect on your own “old days”—at least for me, personally, this song hits home.
The Pharcyde, “On the DL”
I think The Pharcyde is one of the most slept-on groups of all time. On this track, the production is top-tier and the bars switch effortlessly from hilarious storytelling to meaningful poetic storytelling. To be able to balance those vibes so seamlessly is incredible; these guys deserve a place in the highest tier of hip-hop, honestly.
Aceyalone, “The Hurt”
This album, A Book of Human Language, feels like a museum. Listening to it is like unlocking secret information; it’s a detailed look into the depths of human pain, delivered as a spiritual blast of stream-of-consciousness poetry. Aceyalone is a poetic and lyrical genius who remains incredibly underrated. He deserves to be celebrated among the absolute highest tier in the world of hip-hop—he is truly one of the greatest of all time.
