Since I enjoyed listening to Murs' debut album F'Real so much yesterday, I've decided to get straight to his second record, 1999's Good Music (and don't worry, I'll be getting back to the normal reviews after this - there's a GZA one currently in the works!). F'Real was an excellent boom-bap record with incredible content, lyricism and production, and while I don't necessarily expect this to be the exact same, I do feel like it might offer something similar.
Good Music was Murs' second studio album, and like F'Real it was released independently through Murs' own label. And this shit is long, man. 21 tracks, plus a 7 track bonus disc that has a couple songs I've already heard on it, making for what's sure to be an enormous number of minutes. The version on YouTube that is up on Murs' site is only the 19 track re-release version, but I've managed to track down all of the bonus disc and one of the two songs removed from the standard disc ("Off My Chest" will have to be saved for when I eventually get the CD - it's literally nowhere on the internet). Features and producers on this one are once again pretty obscure, aside from El-P, who appears on one of the bonus disc songs - most of the guys not carried over from the last album are MCs I have never heard of in my life. Also unlike the last album, most of these songs have not been transcribed onto Genius - maybe I'll make that a project of mine soon. It is slightly annoying, as it means I won't know who's who on the posse cuts - still, Murs' crystal clear delivery should make it easy enough to make out what he is saying without referring to transcriptions.
The album cover on this one appears quite calming and meditative, and the song lengths are less formulaic than they were on the last project. Therefore, I'm expecting this to be a bit more of a conscious, jazzy project, but then again I of course could be entirely wrong. Since there aren't many reviews of early Murs music on the internet, I don't really know how good this is going to be. I'm expecting it to be pretty great though, since the last album was so nice, but I won't set my expectations too high. This is going to be a long one folks, so grab a snack and a drink, and settle in...
For reference: the re-release cover
Disc One:
1. Whatuptho? (no producer credited)
Murs sets things off in the same way that he closed the last album, with some echoey spoken word with no background music. Unlike that, however, this actually kinda gets me hyped for this project, rather than souring my taste of it. (Side note: Murs had a song later on with this same title that appeared on one of his 9th Wonder collaborative albums, with a pretty weird music video to it too)
2. Simple (prod. Elusive)
"Good music and shut the fuck up!" Murs gets straight to it with the rhymes on this one verse wonder of an opening track, and the results are extraordinary. Murs is humble on here without being preachy, simply stating that you can like what you like, and that he's just here to make good-ass music, not to be the best in the world. Oh, and that jazzy instrumental is dope as hell too, providing just the right balance of chill and intensity to compliment the rhymes. This was an incredibly dope opener.
3. 24 Hrs w/a G (feat. The Lil' Homie Grover) (prod. Thes-One)
Asides from the creepy-ass chorus that's apparently performed by Sesame Street's Grover, I found this song to be dope as hell. Murs presents to us the exact song you could predict was coming from the title - he insights us into 24 hours (so a whole day) of his life, therefore modestly proclaiming himself as a "G". Murs' storytelling raps about his adventure in town and in the studio are captivating and hilarious, and are told over a gritty beat that heavily reminds me of the man's previous record, and the whole concept of this track is just really creative. This is the type of shit I love in hip-hop music - Murs is truly a legend.
4. Zonin' (feat. Eclipse 427) (prod. Eclipse 427)
For some reason that title just makes me really want to like this song. The word "zonin'" just puts me in a good headspace I suppose. This guitar heavy instrumental was pretty entertaining, but it's the two rappers on top who really grab my attention on this one. Eclipse 427 threatens to put my computer "into sleep mode" during his verse, which was pretty scary, meanwhile Murs gets to dissin' the conscious rappers, as well as himself on the previous album, albeit unintentionally. I mean, didn't the guy spend a quarter of the last record dissing whack-ass mainstream rappers? Anyway, I still really vibed with this one, and even it's length didn't get to me. Great stuff.
5. L.A. Story Pt. 1 (My Little Brother Is Crazy) (prod. 45 ACP)
After an intro that probably lasted longer than the actual verse, Murs spits a quick story (that will presumably be continued later) over some intense production, that makes the whole song have this slightly awry vibe to it. Since I have no lyrics (Thanks, transcribers!), I wasn't entirely sure what really went on here, but I know some motherfuckers got shot the fuck up, so that box is checked. Anyway, Murs still captivated me on here, which sadly his lecturer failed to do for him apparently.
6. Never Eat (prod. Elusive)
Seems like a slightly hasty command. Don't you think we probably should at least eat something, Murs, so that we don't die of starvation? Of course, Murs isn't talking about food here - he's talking about that topic that doesn't seem to get discussed enough in hip-hop: pussy. Murs spits a long verse interrupted by a couple of short sample breaks, that details his meeting with a girl, who he then invites over for a film, for them to then, you know, fuck. Unfortunately, Murs forgets to leave out the grisly details, instead describing everything and everywhere for the remainder of this song. I guess we now know what song caused Tech N9ne to sign him. Still, I liked this - the beat was a little creepy, but also a little club-banger-y, and Murs' storytelling is just really impressive to me: I do love it when stories are told through rap. This was pretty great, but easy on the details next time, Nicholas!
7. Regrets? (feat. Sun Ruler & King Sulamon) (prod. 45 ACP)
Over a far more melancholy instrumental compared with the stuff we've seen so far, Murs and his two guest stars reflect on some of the things that they regret, or would regret had they done it. Murs, for example, stated an interesting line that went something like: "And my biggest regret'd be if I ever touched a cigarette", not something you'd expect a typical rapper to say - I mean, a lot of '90s hip-hop culture revolves around marijuana (not that that's a bad thing - I'm just saying). While the two features didn't really grab me in a big way, I still enjoyed their verses somewhat, and this instrumental is truly fantastic. This was a brilliant cut.
8. That's Him (prod. 45 ACP)
Yes, you probably should watch who's dick you suck. Murs gets his gangsta on for this one, dropping some of the first swearwords I feel like I've heard on this entire album, and spending the track bigging himself up over an intense and percussion heavy instrumental. This is classic boasts-n-bullshit, with the perfect instrumental for aggressive lyrics like these - I mean, Murs literally refers to his last tape as "dope" on here, showing a self-confidence that would be overstepping the line if this wasn't a rap song. This type of song just makes me love hip-hop, man. Great stuff right here.
9. L.A. Story Pt. 2 (Freestyle/Tagbangerlude) (prod. Thes-One)
Is it just me, or does the made up word "tagbangerlude" make this seem like it's going to be some sort of audible orgie? Anyway, on with the track. Murs takes an intense, but also quite beautiful instrumental, and tells of two times in which he was involved with crime and robbings, in what by this point should be classed as some classic Murs storytelling material. These stories are far easier to follow than the one told on the part 1 to this song, and Murs' attention to detail is something to be admired. This track was truly excellent.
10. Room 3:16 (feat. Rob Feature) (prod. Thes-One)
With a name like that you've got to be featured on something, am I right? As for the title, "3:16" refers to Murs' birth date of 16th March, a fact that Nicholas became hell bent on reminding us of throughout his long, long career. This song kind of reminded me of early Common music, with the percussion heavy instrumental and jazzy elements. The radio host set up also reminds me of the "WMOE" part on Resurrection. Sadly, I can't say I was particularly engrossed in this track - it seemed like fairly nice background music, but wasn't as engaging as everything else on this LP thus far. Still, this was some fairly solid stuff.
11. Tomorrow (prod. Elusive)
On one of the more conscious tracks on this album, Murs explains his life growing up in the hood, and his dissatisfaction with the gangbanging and drug heavy lifestyle that was expected of and practiced by those around him. The instrumental on this one was heavenly and beautiful, and Murs rocked the beat excellently, with great verses and a hook that was actually pretty memorable. No wonder this was one of three tracks on the first disc to actually be transcribed into Genius - it's easily one of the best songs here.
12. On Mystical Way (Freestyle By Murs) (feat. Eligh & Bruce Hathcock) (prod. Elusive)
For some reason, despite this track being labelled as a freestyle specifically by Murs, this song actually has two features. I mean, what's the damned point in that? Anyway, the song. To be honest, I have conflicted feelings about this one. On the one hand, the sung hook from Bruce Hathcock feels kinda pretentious and out of place, but on the other hand, this instrumental is one of the hardest on this entire LP, and the verses from Eligh and Murs are absolutely astonishing. I'm definitely going to have this as one of my favourite songs on here, though - I mean, what's a weird hook to dope-ass beats and rhymes? And this is a damn sight better than the freestyles on the last album. This song was brilliant.
13. Chico's Chicken (prod. Eligh)
At first, I was totally thrown, as I was unsure why the hell Murs sounded so different. I quickly realised, however, that it wasn't Murs rapping - in fact, this has a ton of uncredited MCs on it, all of whom actually do a pretty great job over this dark, pulsating instrumental that's yet another brilliant piece of work on this LP. Murs does show up on here eventually with a great verse too, so don't worry about that. Not crediting the features is annoying, and I have no idea why this was called "Chico's Chicken", but still, I found this to be pretty bloody great.
14. Off My Chest (no producer credited)
The first of two tracks cut from the streaming edition of the album (not counting the disc two, which is removed in its entirety). Unfortunately, I haven't been able to track this song down anywhere on the internet (a weird coincidence: no producer is credited for this in the booklet images on Discogs), so I guess I'll have to save it for when I get the CD (a purchase I'm seriously considering making). This is thankfully the only song I can't find on the album.
15. ¿Que Hora Es? (prod. Thes-One)
This was the other song cut from the first disc, but thankfully this one is up on YouTube, so that's good. For those wondering, "¿Que Hora Es?" is Spanish for "what time is it", and Murs answers on the catchy hook that it's "one at a time" - I mean, yeah, it doesn't make any sense, but still, at least it's fun!! The jazzy instrumental on this track didn't particularly grab me, but thankfully Murs takes the attention off that by bringing one of the best lyrical performances I have heard from him thus far. Anyone who says Murs is not a talented lyricist absolutely does not know what they're talking about, as this shit is dope as anything. I enjoyed this song a lot.
16. Rap Above (prod. 45 ACP)
Well, this was exactly what the title implied - Murs' rapping on here truly is well above the established level. Starting off with wisdom - "old men dream dreams and young men dream visions" - and then bringing humble honesty that is just so dope to hear - "I don't think I'm the freshest ... I'd be a fool to say so". I mean, what other rapper has the balls to say that? It's funny that Murs brings a list of what makes a dope MC - talent, content, charisma and delivery - and that he exhibits all of these in spades. Maybe he knew what he was doing with that after all? This haunting instrumental is also nice as hell, even if the random Jay-Z sample (from "You Must Love Me") is distracting and out of place. Overall, I loved this one.
17. Angels (feat. The Grouch) (prod. Grouch)
Murs and The Grouch (now that's a cool rap name) get their lovey-dovey hats on for this cut, rapping over yet another great and moving instrumental that makes me marvel at how incredible this clearly on-a-tight-budget album has managed to be produced. Murs' first verse is either dedicated to his daughter or his mother, although I'm not sure which, but still he delivers some nice lines nonetheless. Meanwhile, The Grouch comes with a fairly lethargic chorus that he thankfully makes up for with a real nice verse in the middle. Sure, you could argue that this lyrical content is a bit generic for Murs, but still I think he approached it in the best way possible, and with some excellent musical backing to raise this one further up. I liked this.
18. 2 Original (feat. 45acp) (prod. 45 ACP)
"Now, I'm straighter than most" - tell that to the Murs that made "Animal Style". Murs shows his dedication to the art form on here by stating how he'd rather give you his bitch than let you steal his rhymes, which is a pretty great view to have if you're in his profession. 45acp kicked things off on here with one of those "I'ma try and fit as many syllables into this bar as possible" type of flows that had gone completely out of fashion by the late '90s, but thankfully Murs checks him by offering up his dope and memorable style over this loud yet jazzy beat. This was another great cut overall.
19. L.A. Story Pt. 3 (feat. 427 & T.W.) (prod. Eclipse 427)
I'll confess - I'm pretty excited for this one. The previous "L.A. Story" has been one of my favourite cuts so far, and this one is quite long, so hopefully there'll be a lot to note. Sadly, this track didn't appear to cover much in the way of a "story". One thing that I think is an issue with this project is the shitty placements of samples, and the line taken from Ice Cube's "Once Upon a Time In the Projects" is just so poorly placed on here that it caused me to basically forget about everything else. Did Murs even have a verse on here? Anyway, I didn't hate this, but I wasn't an enormous fan of it either.
20. My Story (prod. Mr. Bizarro)
Murs spits one verse about the plight of the young black male, making a multitude of statements that are sadly still very relevant today, at least in the U.S.. Murs' writing here is some of the best I have heard from him yet, and the lowkey production added to saddened yet slightly hopeful tone the lyrics set. This was a really excellent way to finish off the first disc.
21. Murs Daywalker Intro (no producer credited)
Ending your album with an intro? Well, now I've seen it all. Not being a huge film guy, I did not recognise what movie this outro was taken from, but nonetheless, this was very poignant, especially considering how far Murs has come since.
Disc Two:
1. Forward Motion (feat. Eligh, Eson & T.S.) (prod. Eson)
A very low-key and also slightly eerie way of beginning things for the (far shorter, mercifully) second disc of this album. The beat on here provides quite a tense and spooky, yet also very atmospheric backdrop for these MCs to go in over, which they all do to varying degrees. Murs and Eligh had some pretty incredible verses on here, and I was also a fan of the hook that popped in towards the end. This is honestly one of my favourite tracks here.
2. Democrossy (prod. Elusive)
Ah, the art form of misspelling words, a trademark of hip-hop music. Sadly, the misspelling of "democracy" doesn't appear to serve much purpose here other than to make the song title look stupid, but still, I'll allow Murs to be silly given the great album experience I've been through so far. This instrumental once again brings an incredibly creepy vibe that keeps the same feel of the last track - this is such an experience, man. Murs doesn't make his presence known until towards the end of this one, but the other MCs (who for some reason are all uncredited on the CD) do their thing and keep us entertained with abstract and intriguing lyricism. This is some incredible underground hip-hop.
3. 4 the Record (prod. Eclipse 427)
Hmm, where have I seen that song title before? Oh yes, it was on Murs' debut album F'Real! I've already given my thoughts on this one, so I won't say anymore here other than that this is a really great cut, emphasising the gritty, East Coast sound that that whole album had to it. For my first reaction, go to that initial reaction post I did, and then make sure to check the song for yourself. I'm sure you'll like it!
4. The Jerry Maguire Song (Clean Version) (prod. Eclipse 427)
Yet another song that appeared on F'Real, in that weird bit in the middle where the song titles got all mixed up. However, this isn't that version - no, it's the clean version. Sigh. I do hate censored hip-hop. The good thing to come out of this is that it confirms that I was right about the mixed up song titles on the previous album, so that's great. And I still love this song. Again, refer to the F'Real post (it'll be linked at the bottom).
5. Murs F.M. (prod. the Grouch)
Hey, it's a song I haven't heard! Ain't that a spanner in the works? This gritty-ass song didn't originally appear on this disc though - it's taken from the 3:16 EP, that Murs released shortly before this album was put out. The sound quality on the version I listened to of this was complete and utter crap, but from what I could make out this was another grimy lyrical onslaught Murs track that could have fit nicely on F'Real. Another way of saying that this was great.
6. A Day Like No Other (Rmx) (feat. El-P, Shing02 & Yeshua) (prod. Mr. Yamamoto)
Jesus, this shit better be worth the 9 and a half minute runtime. Thankfully, it was. I'ma need way more time to digest the incredible lyricism that just played through my speakers, but I'd like to say now that this was a phenomenal cypher, and that the rapping on here was crazily good. That Shing02 guy is also Japanese, and raps in Japanese for a bit of the song too, which was... interesting. Murs had my favourite line, though - "second place is just a first place loser" - a line that Drake basically re-used on one of his songs. The instrumentals on here (that thankfully switched up throughout) were also dope. I enjoyed this a lot.
7. Blank Paper (prod. Mr. Yamamoto)
Well, we're here. The final track. Let's see what this has in store. This track is actually another collaboration with Shing02, only he doesn't get a credit this time round. The instrumental on this track is all sorts of fire, and both the rappers give it their all with an incredible amount of rhymes over this 7 minute long song. I just don't got anything left to say at this point - Murs is astonishing, and this type of hip-hop is ridiculously underrated. This is dope as hell.
Whew. As astonishingly long as that album was, I'm glad that I listened to it, as I found this to be an incredible record, one that was possibly even better than his debut album. The subject matter and production was a hell of a lot more diverse on this album, that's for sure, and it felt like more of an interesting and invigorating experience. I literally loved every minute of this shit - even if there was a beat or hook that didn't entirely resonate with me, Murs always picked things up with his incredible rapping performances, which always came with undeniable amounts of charisma, astonishing subject matter and brilliant lyricism. And for the most part, the production on this album is absolutely phenomenal, whether we're getting hardcore boom-bap, powerful and intense beats or smooth jazzy instrumentals. Reading back through, I can see through some of my writing how happy this thing made me - I mean, just look at some of the glazing I'm taking part in! There are small issues I have - some of the sampling is done really badly, the album is a little bit too long, and I wish the disc two had more new music, rather than just being a glorified bonus disc. Still, this was a fantastic experience, and if I had to choose I might go ahead and have this ahead of his debut. There isn't a single bad song here. This record is fantastic, and I highly urge you to check it out. Man, this Murs-athon was a good idea!!
Expectations: Exceeded
Best Track: "Rap Above"
Worst Track: "L.A. Story Pt. 3"
For my other Murs-athon episodes (of which many more will come), please click here
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