Honey Blu is an MC, singer-songwriter, and community organizer born, raised, and based in Los Angeles. She has performed throughout Los Angeles for over a decade, while also being consistently involved in community activism through organizations including the Afrikan Black Coalition, the Black Student Union at CSU Long Beach where she aided in booking Fred Hampton Jr. as a keynote speaker, New Era Long Beach, and her own Black woman’s book club, Revolutionary Stillness.
Growing up in various areas of L.A. County including Long Beach, Hawthorne, and Compton left an indelible mark on Honey as a creator.
“I think it made me really diverse in the arts,” Honey shared in an interview with the Sentinel.
“I went to Renaissance High School for the Arts in Long Beach and focused on dance. But my dad was a musician, so I would go to the studio with him, and I learned how to record and going to an art school introduced me to theater. It inspired me not to have creative barriers.”
Blending hip-hop, neo-soul, and R&B with her viscerally real and, at times, boldly political lyrics, are certainly a result of this casting away of barriers.
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“I don’t feel like all my songs have to be political. Sometimes I want to write about love or my family life. I just want to be real,” she explained. In an industry where authenticity is dissipating, Blu’s songs offer a refreshing dive into a life that is relatable and honest.
“When I do have shows, I like to spread knowledge. I had a show in Leimert Park, and I gave a brief background on Juneteenth. Also, now we have social media, so I can share what’s going on and bring awareness through that,” Honey mentioned.
“I have a [compilation of links] with all my music on all my social media. In there, I also put links like ones to support Palestine and Congo.”
Honey was heavily influenced by the music that her father, Lamont Edmundson (A.K.A. ‘Cat Iz’ [pronounced ‘cat eyes’]) made and played for her as a younger teen.
“He’s an MC, he’s a rapper, but I like to refer to him more as a lyricist and storyteller. He played Ice Cube, Common, Ole Dirty Bastard. He taught me how to write a hook, write a verse, and structure and song,” she said.
This type of influential, masterful teaching has marked multiple turning points in Honey’s life. While at El Camino College, she took an Africana Psychology class that quickly clarified her trajectory.
“That class was so important to me. I learned how everyone’s psyche is not the same, and the culture impacts how you think. That is how I decided to major in Africana Studies,” she explained.
While learning more about African history, she also devoted time to her community through food and clothing giveaways, speaker recruitments, coordinating the Black Consciousness Conference and currently resuming her book club, Revolutionary Stillness.
“That idea came to me in 2020. I loved reading revolutionary political theory, but I was organizing so much for people, sometimes I [neglected] my own mental health. I wanted to make sure this community that I was creating, we’re trying to prioritize wellness. If not, [we’re] gonna get burned out,” Honey advised.
The current members of Revolutionary Stillness are reading Araba Ofori-Acquah’s “Return to Source: Unlock the Power of African-Centered Wellness.”
“I think it’s important to have Black women have a space where they feel safe to learn. You have to be really informed about the community you work in, so I felt as though starting this would help me start to introduce our history, and it would ignite the other sisters’ consciousness. That’s what led me to be an organizer, because you have a responsibility to your people,” she admitted.
For those looking to begin their journey into Black revolutionary readings, Honey recommends
“Assata” by Assata Shakur, “Still Black, Still Strong” by Dhoruba Bin Wahad, Assata Shakur, and Mumia Abu-Jamal, “No Disrespect” by Sista Souljah, and “Black Power 50,” a compilation of interviews with key figures from the Black Power Movement.
Among Honey’s life goals is a deep desire to inspire growth through learning; the type of learning that is not typically taught in our euro-centric schooling system.
“I really would love to open a school, an independent school similar to [Marcus Garvey School]. I really want to give back to youth. I want the curriculum centered in history that’s related to the students,” she noted.
Ultimately, her goal is to teach the next generation their real, empowering history.
“I love music, but I don’t want to be the world’s biggest star,” Honey said.
“I want to leave a legacy. I love kids; they’re the ones who are going to make this world what it’s going to be.”
Engage with Honey Blu’s music and activism on Instagram: @honeybluu
