When Blu & Exile took the stage last night at the Starline, the emcee of the two, Blu, nonchalantly asked the crowd, "Can I kick some raps?"

Minutes earlier he had been sitting in a corner of the room, nodding his head to opener Fashawn. Once Blu took the stage himself, he made it clear it wasn't going to be a pretentious show, just a laid-back night with a rising L.A. rapper kicking some raps.

With producer/DJ Exile backing him up, Blu shuffled through most of their highly acclaimed 2007 album "Below the Heavens," and included material from his upcoming Johnson & Jonson project as well -- everything with incredible energy and stage presence.

Most interesting, though, was Blu's rapport with the crowd. Halfway through the set, he invited audience members to join him on stage, where he asked their name, shook their hands and told them to stay and chill. He just kept kicking those raps. At the end of the show, he stayed on stage signing autographs and taking pictures for at least a half-hour.

Below you'll find videos from the evening -- one on Blu & Exile's performance, one of opening acts Shon J, Chuck Dimes and Fashawn and also a post-show interview with Blu & Exile that's pretty funny.

Here are various songs from the Blu & Exile set. Warning: NSFW

Here's the interview. Watch for Blu's moonwalk. Warning: NSFW

Here are the opening acts. Warning: NSFW

And check out this picture of Fashawn and the crowd.

Photos by Raffi Mouradian. Videos by me.