Navy Blue has long been an artist that when I hear a track of his, I stop for a brief moment and just recognize how dope he is. His music is a wave that I stay on all the way until it crashes into the shore. I usually am able to label somebody who is “hip hop” and somebody who is “rap” but with Navy Blue, I don’t even try to label him. He’s almost like a Jay Electronica to me… Somebody who moved me the first time I heard them and then will always have that special place in my Walkman anytime I see his name. The first track I heard from Navy Blue was off his 2020 album, Song of Sage: Post Panic. The name of the track is “Moment Hung”…
I have always been an admirer of the trajectory of Earl Sweatshirt’s career which might sound weird but what can I say, I think the development of his artistry is amazing. When I started listening to Navy Blue, I was also listening to Earl Sweatshirt and the wave of artists I’ve always felt were in this same lane as them… Mavi, Pink Siifu, Akai Solo, Mach-Hommy, Quelle Chris, Fly Anakin and more. What do people even call this lane in rap? Underground Abstract Rap? Art Rap? Lo-fi Rap? I feel like this sub-genre should have a name if it doesn’t already… regardless, these “new” rappers were making music that I had me pressing rewind.
While I would say that it was Earl that was at the forefront of this new wave, it was Navy Blue who I found myself listening to entire albums just to see where he was taking his art. The rhymes were heartfelt and the tone was somber but sometimes I just really like this type of music. While I love Rick Ross and Young Jeezy, I also like being a realist and listening to rappers I feel could be real with me but then also push me to be creative. Navy Blue has always done that to me. Navy Blue and Budgie on this track right here? Man… Budgie’s production along with Navy Blue is the perfect pieces of a puzzle coming together.
Navy Blue and Wiki together on the track just seemed like the perfect fit as well. Their styles aren’t complimentary at all but they yin and yang on the beat and this track right here is why I stay constantly looking for new music to listen to.
Alright… I just gave in and finally researched a bit about Navy Blue. Turns out he is from Los Angeles, is a pro skateboarder who is signed to Supreme, a painter, and I imagine so much more… Yup… Not just a rapper… a complete artist across many mediums.
One thing I love about rap in 2025 is that a lot of people at the top aren’t just spitting bars. They have Exec-level type roles at Louis Vuitton, they’ve established partnerships with Supreme, they are hitting new levels by never being allowed to be put inside of a box. Who wants streams on Spotify anyway now? What are the artists getting? A g or 2 if they hit 100K streams on a track? Artists must diversify. That record contract prob ain’t coming but you growing your brand is right in front of you. Navy Blue has built his brand based on mystique… when I even mention Navy Blue, how many of yall really know him? This answer is a good one… Most of you aren’t but you should join the adventure…
and the Navy Blue adventure is a long windy road of lofi vibes with sparce beats and lyrics that bend around the beat nicely to have you feel like you’re sitting in front of a fire while in reality, you just have Navy Blue in the headphones. The catalog is long… there is lots of good music.
if you find yourself wanting to hear more from Navy Blue aka Sage Elsesser, give this podcast interview some time. Learn more about Sage to find ways he could inspire you to push yourself to be greater. This is what a lot of this music does to me… I hear Navy Blue and I go whoa, this is a really good song. I’m about to put this on 20 of my playlists and shift it all the way up to the top of each playlist
and now that you’ve made it this far, it’s time for us to listen to “Orchards” which dropped a few weeks ago. Navy Blue’s new album, The Sword & The Soaring. This track is easily one of the best hip hop songs of 2025. No doubt about it… Navy Blue is back and bringing fresh concepts to this artform we call music… I truly applaud him for this artwork. Thank you.