Album of the Week: Navy Blue shines on ‘The Sword and the Soaring’
Every so often, a rapper stops you in your tracks and demands your attention with something that stands out from the crowd. It was the case with Navy Blue in 2020, although he’d been releasing music for years already. With Àdá Irin, the multi-talented Sage Elsesser introduced his introspective bars and deliciously soulful production.
In the years since, Blue has built on his brand of lo-fi hip-hop, releasing a constant flow of albums including Song of Sage: Post Panic!, Navy’s Reprise, Way of Knowing, and Memoirs in Armour. In the midst of all of those projects, he signed a deal with Def Jam and was then dropped by the label. These days, he’s operating as an independent artist; in control, right where he belongs.
On November 11th, the Los Angeles rapper went against the typical Friday release schedule to share his latest album, The Sword and the Soaring. For the 16-track project, Blue had his late brother at the forefront of his mind, teaming up with producers such as Child Actor, Chris Keys, Demahjiae, Graymatter, and many others, while also producing himself.
Speaking on the theme of the album, he told Billboard, “Death definitely kind of created this like doorway for me to walk through, in terms of connecting with my own spirituality. And growing up, I always viewed my brother as like a guardian angel. And a lot like Archangel Michael, who, as the story goes, defeated Satan and expelled the other fallen angels to protect the heavens against evil. So, this album kind of was birthed out of that idea, because I always saw angel Michael depicted with a sword, and all of my music praises the people that have passed on and honours them.”
One of the highlights on the project, ’24 Gospel’, sees him collaborating with his childhood friend, Earl Sweatshirt. The song finds a reflective Blue rapping, “All the moments spent cryin’, I was meant to laugh/ The past don’t hurt as much as it did/ I’m intact.” Over keys from Animoss, two old friends rap about life beside a Robin Williams soundbite from the classic 1989 film, Dead Poets Society.
Blue worked closely with hip-hop producer Child Actor. They came together on four tracks, which helped set the tone following his 2024 album. “Instead of being stagnant and waiting around, I started working mainly with Child Actor sending me a bunch of joints,” he explained. “The theme just presented itself, especially coming off of releasing Memoirs in Armour last year, with this theme of like knighthood and armour. And then it just felt like I was discussing the battle on this project.”
His music is so personal that it feels like a release for the 28-year-old every time it comes to releasing new projects. He’s an MC at the top of his game, positioning himself as an artist who deserves time and attention to dissect his rhymes. With The Sword and the Soaring, he’s delivered another masterclass in a world he has carefully carved out.