— A master of the art of lyrical Southern rap, Miami’s Billy Blue has impressed none other than Lupe Fiasco with his pen game. Processing his trauma through his words, the 1st & 15th-signed artist shares “Therapy,” his new music video.
Produced by the legendary Soundtrakk, “Therapy” unrolls lush and soulful canvas for Billy Blue to paint on, with sumptuous bass, ethereal vocal samples, and jazzy horn charts, all adorned with a heartfelt hook sung by C.B. Rhyming in a sensitive drawl, Billy Blue opens his heart, offering a letter to his late mother, without whom he has felt lost. He desperately tries to find a way, finding solace in his children, including his daughter who he named after her, and hoping to stay out of trouble long enough to guide them through life. In the video, Billy takes time to grieve, visiting a therapist and paying tribute to his mom at her memorial site.
“Therapy” is the moving final track from The Life Of Pedro, Billy Blue’s new album. Over the album’s nine tracks, Billy Blue — born Pedritho Dorsonne, to Haitian parents — contrasts the glamorous perception of a rapper’s life with a harsh dose of reality, focusing on the pain as much as the pleasure. Singles “A Broken Love Story” and “Lil Yeah Yeah“ illustrate both sides of the coin — the latter illustrates the early days of infatuation with a Miami bounce, while the former shows how love and lust can curdle into jealousy and hate. The album features an appearance from Lupe Fiasco on “Fundamentals.”
Featuring an additional guest appearance from B. Howard, The Life Of Pedro is available everywhere via 1st & 15th/Thirty Tigers.
The Life Of Pedro is Billy Blue’s first project for 1st & 15th, following a long career as a respected rapper in his city and beyond. Born in New Rochelle, NY to Haitian immigrant parents, Billy moved to Miami when he was 10-years-old. Experiencing periods of homelessness and neglect as a youth, he took the name Billy Blue as a reference to his emotional state (“blue”) and his survival instincts (“Billy” comes from “Billy The Kid”), rapping as a way to exercise his demons and process his situation. He built a reputation for hard-nosed lyricism, crafting local hits like “Riders N Sliders” and earning the attention of hitmakers Timbaland and Akon, who signed him to a joint deal with Interscope Records in 2006. Years later, he has become an expert at navigating the changing tides of the music industry, and he still commands the respect of the game’s greats. In 2024, Lupe Fiasco signed him to 1st & 15th, and brought him as an opening act for his 2024 “Samurai Tour.”
With Lupe in his corner, Billy Blue is out to prove that he still has the lyrical ability to stand with anyone in the game. Stay tuned for more from the veteran rapper as he proves he’s still got it.