Los Angeles, California emcee/producer Blu has made a few notable guest appearances in his career, including Fashawn’s Boy Meets World, Dela’s Changes In Atmosphere  and J Dilla’s Jay Stay Paid. Blu’s first major label appearance came last year, courtesy of The Roots‘ acclaimed How I Got Over released with Def Jam. Speaking with Hardknock TV recently, the emcee from west explained how he got down with the legendary Philadelphia Hip Hop band. “[The Roots and I] did three or four tracks. Their management contacted me. I was like, ‘I’m down, but I ain’t gonna believe it until I meet ?uestlove,'” he said with a chuckle. “I went out to New York, had the session. Me and Black Thought are sittin’ and writing and shit. I’m sitting next to the dude that I listened to throughout high school – I had Things Fall Apart on repeat for weeks before I had any other music in my mind.” Blu is referring the the Grammy Award-winning 1999 album, led by the hit single “You Got Me.” For Blu, the collaboration was powerful. “It was deep, ’cause they had this more spiritual undertone to [How I Got Over]. It was a trip that they reached out to me at that point in their career, just like…it was a weird connection for me that didn’t in till afterwards, more deeply.”

Although a handful of tracks were recorded, Blu appeared on two of the album’s final songs: “Radio Daze,” which also featured Dice Raw and P.O.R.N. of the Money Making Jam Boys, and “The Day,” with Phonte and Patti Crash. Blu noted, “They gave me options: ‘You can do this, this or this, and I just rapped on all of ’em.”

Further in the video interview, Blu shed new light on a circa-2002 offer he received to work with Suge Knight and the notorious Death Row Records. “I went and met up with Suge [Knight]. Suge had me rap like 100 bars,” began Blu, before speaking directly to Suge through the camera. “‘Yo, you remember me dog? You had me rap for like 100 bars in front of your homies. I told you I wanted a car and a house.” Blu joked, “I’m still workin’ on that. [Laughs] I’m ’bout to get it though.” Despite many of Blu’s emcee peers criticizing the dealings of the once-incarcerated label CEO, Blu seems to disagree. “I met up with Suge, Suge’s a cool guy and shit.” Providing context to the era, Blu noted that Ray J, Crooked I, Danny Boy were in attendance during this studio meeting. “That shit was a trip…That was at a time when he was trying to design the new west – the lyrical west, with Crooked [I] and Kurupt.”

Blu’s next album, and major label debut, No York, is expected this summer.