The state of hip-hop’s existence is in constant question with artists in the urban community. Nas claims hip-hop is dead; Murs boasts about its revival. But then we hear Soulja Boy brag about being king of the ringtones, which doesn’t seem hip-hop at all. However, an album titled “Below the Heavens” surfaced from underground glory and Los Angeles product Blu in July 2007. All of a sudden he was on the cover of XXL magazine, named as an artist to watch in 2009.

Now, after releasing his second album and guest starring on tracks from the likes of Evidence of Dilated Peoples and up-and-coming producers Keelay and Zaire, Blu has created “HerFavoriteColo(u)r.” Gearing up for a quest to bring the soul back into hip-hop, Blu packed enough into his mixtape, a compilation of songs recorded in a specific order, to keep listeners’ heads nodding until the question of hip-hop’s mortality gets laid to rest.

Blu, known for his smooth delivery and smart way with words, also took the role of producer for “HerFavoriteColo(u)r.” Gathering some of the jazziest samples from Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, Blu did away with much of the popular bass-heavy beats that ring throughout clubs and over-modulated speakers of SUVs. On “Amnesia,” the piano-driven sample and Fitzgerald’s melodic voice hypnotize listeners’ senses. Their eyes will close, and their minds will wander into a scene of sublimity to the mix of classic jazz snares and lethal horns. Blu’s signature flow matches the melodies that move as smooth as the tide before a storm, unleashing insightful wisdom, like, “I used to have peace, serenity / Teaching divinity / Break bread, sippin’ the blood / Even wit’ enemies.” The way the beats and the verses complement each other is lively, to say the least.

“HerFavoriteColo(u)r” emphasizes Blu’s value as a producer, using sound bites from the movies “Closer” and “Lost in Translation” and fitting them over chopped-up Billie Holiday tracks. But Blu never forgets that he is a lyricist first. As short as the mixtape is — about 30 minutes — Blu finds a way to get his voice heard by prominently placing each word intrinsically with the beat. He doesn’t waste time with meaningless hooks, he says what he needs to say logically and thoughtfully.

He will also get to hold his own in the big show, as the ink dries on his new contract with Warner Bros. and a new album drops this fall.

Hip-hop is constantly changing, for the good and the bad. But if mixtapes like this are what hip-hop heads have to engulf themselves in for a while, then hip-hop doesn’t need to change at all.