Blu’s latest mixtape, NoYork!, is a glitchy, busy trip that occasionally booms, sometimes shakes and totally hits the spot. (Free download) The lush, synthetic soundscapes of NoYork! have drawn comparisons to Los Angeles’ Low End Theory sound, and we wouldn’t disagree with that. We’d add that it reminds us at times of Shabazz Palaces (awesome) 2011 LP, Black Up. Yet while Black Up relies on more spacious, atmospheric textures for its charm, NoYork! finds its strength in denser arrangements.
As with many of the best mixtapes we’ve heard this year (Curren$y’s Verde Terrace, Exile’s Intro to the Outtro, and Danny Brown’s XXX among them), Blu’s NoYork! gains strength as it rolls into the second half where you’ll find one our early favorites, “Ronald Morgan (f. Edan)”.
