The 2021 HipHopDX Rising Star Yung BLEU – BLEU (previously Yung Bleu) had a solid year in 2021, earning him the title of HipHopDX Rising Star for 2021.
In July, the Alabama native released his debut album Moon Boy, which featured collaborations with Drake, 2 Chainz, Chris Brown, Big Sean, Jeezy, and others. He was also named Best New Artist at the BET Hip Hop Awards in 2021.
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BLEU took to Instagram on Monday (December 13) to reveal the next part of his career, which begins with the release of a fresh new EP called No, I’m Not O.K. on Friday (December 17) to tide fans over until his next full body of work. The cover image for the EP depicts a close-up portrait of the 27-year-old rapper/singer exhaling smoke while a tear falls from his left eye.
“I think I owe y’all bout 4 new songs at least until the next album … bet ! Friday #NoImNotOk,” he wrote in the caption of his post.
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Further details surrounding the project remain scarce, but fans are likely excited to hear what BLEU has in store, especially after he received another coveted nomination. Last week HipHopDX nominated the “You’re Mines Still” star for Best New Rapper of 2021 alongside the likes of 42 Dugg, Baby Keem, Blxst and Morray.
Chris Brown brings out @_YungBleu during his set at @RollingLoud ?#RollingLoudLA #RollingLoudCalifornia pic.twitter.com/DhQJwl12Bh
— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) December 12, 2021
BLEU is being recognized for his breakout year in 2021, which saw him score a No. 1 album on Billboard’s Independent Artist chart with Moon Boy. His efforts in 2020 made him a 2021 HipHopDX Rising Star, and the future looks bright for the Alabama product.
Earlier this month, BLEU racked up another W after joining Chris Brown on stage at Rolling Loud California as his special guest. “This was a dream of mine for the longest! To not just be on a record with a [GOAT] but share the same stage!” BLEU wrote on Twitter.
“When I was 17 I used to dream of this , sometimes it dnt even feel real ! Thank u @chrisbrownofficial for always embracing ya boy And What crazy is we not even done yet.”
This was a dream of mine for the longest ! To not just be on a record with a ? but share the same stage ! When I was 17 I used to dream of this , sometimes it dnt even feel real ! Thank u @chrisbrownofficial for always embracing ya boy And What crazy is we not even done yet ? pic.twitter.com/me19WvNJ0l
— BLEU (@_YungBleu) December 12, 2021
BLEU Wins Best New Hip Hop Artist + Toosii & Sleepy Hallow Show Off BET Cypher Skills
This week a few of the 2021 HipHopDX Rising Stars attended the 2021 BET HipHop Awards not only as performers, but as nominees as well.
DX announced a few weeks ago that Rising Stars Morray, Blxst and BLEU were nominated for Best New HipHop artist, in which 2021 HipHopDX Rising Star Flo Milli was nominated for the same award in 2020, but did not win.
Congrats were in order as 2021 HipHopDX Rising Star BLEU took home the Best New HipHop Artist award – beating out Coi Leray, Don Toliver, Pooh Shiesty, and fellow Rising Stars Morray and Blxst.
BLEU celebrated his well-deserved win with a recap IG video of his first-ever acceptance speech, captioned with, “If u knew what it took.”
“I ain’t even got no speech, I ain’t even know I was gon’ win,” said Yung Bleu as he accepted the award on TV. “That’s why it means the most to me because we did this independent, we did it our way. … Shout out to Alabama.”
In 2019, BLEU got his big break when Boosie Badazz agreed to allow him to exit his deal with Columbia through Badazz Music Syndicate in favor of his pursuit to become an independent artist affiliated with the Badazz brand. Following the release of BLEU’s Bleu Vandross 2 mixtape in 2019, he established his Vandross Music Group imprint. While speaking with DX last year, Bleu revealed that he was “Badazz for life,” and credited Boosie as his initial motivation to go the indie route.
“I learned a lot of the stuff that I do right now as far as just based on what I saw him do, like building his estate and shit like that,” said Bleu. “He used to take me over to his house when it was getting built and when I saw Boosie had a big ass basketball court, NBA style, I’m like I got to get me an NBA-sized basketball court. I saw that nigga had the big ass pool and shit. I wanted the same thing.”
During the BET HipHop Awards BLEU made sure to thank Boosie as well as the entire Badazz Music Syndicate in his acceptance speech.
BLEU is currently on tour for his debut album Moon Boy which was released in July and entered the Billboard 200 chart at No.12. The album also hit the Top R&B/HipHop Albums chart at No. 7 and the Top Rap Albums chart at No.6.
BLEU isn’t the only Rising Star that made history during the BET HipHop Award, although.
2021 HipHopDX Rising Stars Sleepy Hallow and Toosii participated in their first-ever BET HipHop cyphers on national television.
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Toosii joined up-and-comers Lakeyah, Kidd Kenn and Symba during the “Digital” cypher at the BET Hip Hop Awards 2021. Spitting bars like, “Way before I even signed a deal, I had the blogs wanting to take pics. We used to post up with the blicks and still leave your chest cold like some Vicks. I went from EBT to the BET … I’m rich,” proved that Toosii is here to stamp his name as a rapper that can go bar-for-bar.
Sleepy Hallow too, demolished the “Hot Now” cypher along with Erica Banks, Rico Nasty and Fivio Foreign.
“The streets cold aint no love in it, so we ain’t never showing love in it. So I know how it feel to be broke, y’all know how it feel to be cold, but I know how it feel so we go, so I ain’t trusting I ain’t selling my soul.”
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