Blu and Exile first met in the mid-2000s while Blu was serving as a hype man for Exile's own group, Emanon. He was personally introduced to Exile through Emanon's other member, Aloe Blacc. In 2007, Blu & Exile released their debut album, Below the Heavens, which was described by XXL as "one of 2007's most celebrated hip-hop releases". In 2012, the duo released their second album, Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them. In 2017, the duo released In the Beginning: Before the Heavens, deleted tracks from Below the Heavens. Their next release, the True & Livin' EP was released May 24, 2019. On July 17, 2020, Blu & Exile released their third album, Miles: From An Interlude Called Life (or Miles for short), coinciding with the 15th anniversary of Below the Heavens.