Blxst is back with his new mixtape Before You Go. Released on Friday (April 22), the project follows his solo EP Just For Clarity and his Sixtape 2 collaborative effort with Bino Rideaux, both issued in 2021. On the latest drop, the California-bred musician finds himself exploring new sounds
“I think I’m in a constant state of just growth overall,” he shared with VIBE at the Red Bull Records office on Tuesday (April 19) ahead of the project’s release. “I got the chance to really travel a lot last year, so I’m pretty much speaking on different experiences I was facing while traveling, and still trying to be creative at the same time, and just finding that balance.
One of the places Blxst traveled to was Malibu, where a majority of Before You Go was recorded. While beachside, he was able to link up with collaborators, creatives, and more, all offering their take on the project. Still, the melodic musician remained centered, keeping authority over his art and ideas.
“When we got a house in Malibu. We had it for two weeks,” Blxst explained. “We had different producers, different people from the DSP worlds, and bloggers pull up. It was dope, just sharing that experience while being in the midst of creating, because I felt like I got different perspectives and just different opinions on where they felt I should be and different ways I could approach it. I took everything in with a grain of salt, though, and still made it my own.”
Before You Know is being billed as a mixtape but described by Blxst himself as a “composition,” due to the originality in the work. The singer stepped back while recording the project and leaned on the talent of others in roles he would normally fill himself, especially for its production.
“For No Love Lost, I was producing everything. For Sixtape 2, I produced everything as well. For this one, I leaned back. I produced on here as well, but I opened up to working with other artists. So, you just hear me experimenting overall, more than anything. But still being hands-on, of course. I think you’ll hear the growth more so in [the] message as well,” he shared, later adding, “because I’m so used to doing everything myself, so that is a challenge. But also, you realize other people can do sh*t that you can’t do.
As far as what to expect from the mixtape, listeners are in store for something new.
“You can expect a shift in my perspective. I made it intentional to speak on me becoming an executive in this project and making a transition, a leap of faith outside of just being an artist speaking on who I am as a man. I just want to make my success bigger than me individually. The ones around me, the artists that’s coming after me, I want to be able to put other people in position. So, you’ll see that it’s bigger than me on this project.”
before you go trailer . 4.22 pic.twitter.com/YdqHIxHB1s
— Blxst (@BLXST) April 20, 2022
The full mixtape runs 13 tracks long and features Zacari, Rick Ross, and Arin Ray. “Man, I’ll start with Zacari first,” Blxst excitedly explained as he talked through the features on Before You Go.
“That was through my boy, CB. He pretty much linked us together. We had a studio house in Malibu, and the chemistry was natural. He went straight in the booth. I followed up right after him. I think we knocked out two to three songs that night. But ‘Sometimes’ was one of the ones that stuck out. Arin Ray, I’m a big fan of his. His Platinum Fire project, that’s one of my go-to playlists whenever I’m on the plane. So, shoutout Arin Ray. Then the biggest, Rick Ross, that was the stamp of approval I needed. Looking up to him, wanting to be an entrepreneur as well, outside of being an artist, so to have him on a project and give me that blessing was dope.”
Before You Go follows Blxst’s pattern of transporting all listeners to his point of view. As an artist, he makes sure to put listeners in his shoes and explores the perspectives of not only himself but the people around him. Standout songs include “About You,” “Pick Your Poison,” “Sometimes,” “Keep Coming Back,” and “Be Forreal.”
Throughout the mixtape, Blxst continues to share his Los Angeles perspective, showcasing the good, the bad, and the ugly that come with fame and fortune. The project shares personal and relatable feelings on the hard work yet simultaneous softness it takes to balance dreams and reality. Speaking to this throughline, the rising artist notes, “Owning who I am, I think that’s a common theme.”
Check out Blxst’s mixtape Before You Go below.