Rapper Billy Blue Performs the Soulful “Right”
Fusing his classic southern sound with verse and soul, Billy Blue‘s versatility and pen game inspired Lupe Fiasco to sign him to his 1st & 15th label. The Miami native hsows off his performance chops in the new video for “Right,” a highlight from his recent project, The Life Of Pedro. Floating atop skating percussion and sliding synth fanfares, “Right” provides Billy Blue the opportunity to rap in doubletime, as he teams with singer B. Howard to shoot his shot at the beautiful women in the club. The video find Billy Blue in his element, performing the song with a live band and entertaining the crowd with his outsized charisma.
Released earlier in 2025, The Life Of Pedro, 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 latter shows how love and lust can curdle into jealousy and hate. The album features an appearance from Lupe Fiasco on “Fundamentals,” as the Miami rapper brings out the MIT professor’s ignorant side: “B*tches want to play, I tell ’em it’s essential/Tell that b*tch to say no more, it’s instrumental,” rhymes Lupe. TheLife 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 rejuvenates his career and seets a new standard for lyrical Southern rap. Stay tuned for more. Check out more music news here.