Revenge Is Sweet

Murray’s Revenge, the second installment from L.A. born Murs, is an album that reveals the rapper’s intellect, game and humor. The album’s 10 tracks are all his own. He does not copycat mainstream rap nor does his lyrical content resemble any other hip-hop artist.

The themes of songs are commonplace, however his structure is not: “Now I step through the door with the flyest pair of dunks / Quit lying you ain’t seen these at Foot Locker chump / And I ain’t about to argue shoe game with you punks who don’t know / Air Jordans from some Reebok pumps.” In “Dark Skin White Girl,” Murs addresses social pressures of “whether chocolate or vanilla or your somewhere in between / A cappuccino mocha or a caramel queen / Rejected by the black not accepted by the white world / and this is dedicated to them dark skinned white girls.” Describing the battle of role playing in this song, he hits home for many L.A. natives (specifically Latinos) when describing the many fans of Morrissey, The Smiths and The Cure amongst popular L.A cultures like Mexican and Pinoy (Philippines). The theme of this song deems important to the daily life and cultures of his native homeland. This proves Murs as an observant and eloquent rapper.

The marriage between Murs and phenomenal DJ/producer 9th Wonder strikes as magical throughout the album. The beats are scribbled together with the spacey sound reminiscent of waiting in line at Disneyland’s Space Mountain on tracks like “Murray’s Law.” Wicked piano sounds that surface on “Barber Shop” are reminiscent of tracks on Wu-Tang’s classic compilation, “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).”

Since Murs is an avid and popular fan of Angelino culture, his lyrical flows add strength and compliment the beat production courtesy of 9th Wonder. With the release of Murray’s Revenge, Los Angeles can now add another native to its list of underground hip-hop artists spearheading a movement all their own.