poeticone16's Full Review: Murray's Revenge by Murs
Most of today's mainstream rap music doesn't apply to the average person - you know, the guy (or girl) who works a 9-to-5, has bills to pay, and may have a family to support. Sure, some of us may be entertained by trap-hoppers (a.k.a. coke-rappers) who try to regale us with stories of their drug-slangin' prowess or may be convinced to "shake [our] Laffy Taffy" to an intimate club groove, but what about something that could actually pertain to our lives?
That's where underground rapper Murs comes into the picture. Nicknamed the "average man's emcee", he has a penchant for describing things that can apply to a greater number of people instead of focusing on the trite (trap-hop) or embarrassingly simple (snap music). With Little Brother producer 9th Wonder again providing the beats (as he did on Murs's last album), Murs continues his trend of making music that ordinary individuals can sympathize with on his new effort Murray's Revenge.
While keeping his rhymes simple and accessible (but not pedestrian), Murs skillfully discusses problems and situations that many of us go through in our lives. For example, he offers a first-person's perspective of someone trying to escape the negative influence of the streets on "Yesterday & Today" then explains the social aspects of the barbershop with rapper Big Pooh on "Barbershop" where "a bunch of dudes [are] chillin', [with] no beef, no gun" (even though this track gets drowned with unnecessary braggadocio).
Unlike some of his more well-known colleagues who show a predilection for disrespecting women and only praise them for their physical attributes, Murs regards the ladies with the utmost respect. Even when offering his displeasure with gold-diggers who only wanted him when he became successful on the amusing "Silly Girl", he still tries to let them down easy instead of going through the annoying "you're a b*tch and a h*" route taken by some of his peers. He continues to differentiate himself from the pack on the touching ode to mixed females "Dark-Skinned White Girls" where he deftly describes their problems trying to fit in two different worlds: "you would notice she was never welcomed by the others/hard to find a date when there were only ten brothers/in the whole d*mn school and they thought she was weird/'cuz she wore her hair different...and never joined cheer".
Murs is largely on point on this album. However, 9th Wonder's formulaic approach to creating beats makes for an unimpressive listen sonically. Most of the songs feature a chopped vocal sample for the hook along with a musical sample that is repeated throughout the course of the track. 9th sometimes adds drums to the formula but none of his beats truly stand out on here. Murs is largely able to overcome this problem but on songs like the otherwise-enjoyable "Murray's Law" and album opener "Murs Day", 9th's addition of lazy horns and drums to the former and overused snares to the latter take away the focus from his rhymes against rappers "who never really have an impact on your life".
Murray's Revenge continues Murs's success of appealing to the average man (or woman). Unfortunately, 9th's formula-based beats take away from whatever greatness this album could have had if he wasn't on autopilot. Still this is a good album if you're tired of trap-hop and/or snap music and is looking for something actually applicable to situations in your life.
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