MUSIC REVIEWS
Murs - Murray's Revenge
David Allun Jones
If the world was fair then West Coast underground staple Murs would be recognized as one of today’s best emcees. For over a decade the man has consistently dropped stellar material under the radar and has become the choice rapper for indie heads who secretly enjoy the fact that he could put most high profile, multi-platinum hip hop acts to shame. Murray’s Revenge follows the winning one rapper/ one producer set-up of it’s acclaimed antecedent (2004’s Murs 3:16) by re-teaming up Murs with the always reliable beat maker 9th Wonder for a dose of clever rap that with one listen would make anyone bow in admiration.
Over ten solid tracks (a lesson in “less is more” that rap artists should adopt more often), Murs sustains his appeal by attaching himself to colorful concepts that offer a refreshingly honest look at society. The way he flips racial stereotypes on “Dark Skinned White Girls” is near-genius, bringing attention to a more subtle form of prejudice that rarely gets spotlighted. “Dreamchasers” realistically portrays a boy who becomes the feared street king he once idolized as a child only to end up in an early grave at the age of nineteen while “Yesterday & Today” offers a positive mind-check to the ones who are succumbing to life’s every day struggles, from broken hearts to annoying 9-to-5’s. Though he wholly embraces his indie-outsider status (calling himself “more Coldplay than I am Ice T”), Murs thankfully never becomes too much of a bitter under-achiever or self-deprecating class clown as those of his ilk tend to be. A couple of moments throwing shade at anonymous studio gangstas (“I understand that you broke/ You tryin’ to raise money/ But you don’t start gangbangin in your mid-twenties”), mocking groupies yearning for more than a fling and boasting of his rap prowess (“Nice with this mic since I was broke and handsome/ Til I get my respect I’m holdin’ dope for ransom/ From the West Coast, everything I flow’s an anthem/ A&R’s who slept are now throwin’ a tantrum”) align him more alongside his peers in subject matter but Murs runs lyrical circles around them thanks to use of irreverent wit and off-the-cuff intellect.
It’s a wonder how incredible Murray’s Revenge actually is given its two-dimensional sound. Free of flamboyant production, quirky wordplay or off-the-wall flows, the album can feel naked or flat. Wonder’s chopped up obscure soul sampling is satisfying, and nothing less would be expected, but the lack of flashiness can feel so odd to untrained ears, that the two artists may end up feeling a little too lo-fi for their own good. Still, the assured chemistry of Murs and Wonder remains entertaining despite it’s stark delivery leaving Murray’s Revenge a welcome throwback to a much more innocent time when inspired beats, from one producer, and rhymes, from one emcee, were all you needed to make a great rap LP.
