....The End Of the Beginning, Murs' 4th (or 5th, depending on where you look) studio album, marked a new era in the man's discography - one where, after years of touring constantly and selling tapes by himself out on the streets, he was finally getting pressed up properly, and getting distribution nationwide. Signing to Definitive Jux was a fantastic move on Murs' part, as the label was easily one of the hottest and best in the early 2000s, and his first release with the label proved that he could still make an underground masterpiece without being actually properly underground. If you haven't read my review on that yet, be sure to check it out, as I'm pretty proud of the review itself, and I also absolutely loved the album, so if you did too you might find it an agreeable read. And, hey, if you didn't like that album, maybe you'll enjoy leaving an unsatisfied comment, or something like that. Point is, just read it!!
Anyway, following this fantastic release (which has been on repeat for me over the past couple of days), Murs decided to do something a bit different. Instead of creating your average early 2000s rap album packed with over an hour of music, and enough producers to fill the Grand Canyon, Murs was going to release a concise 10 track album, entirely produced by one guy. This may seem like a fairly normal idea now, but in 2004, that was a pretty interesting direction, especially for a rapper like Murs appealing to the casual hip-hop heads at the time. It was at that point possibly the third boldest move he had made yet in his career (behind forcing you to write your own track titles in instead of providing them, and having his toy collection on full display on his album cover). Now, being that this was also going to be released through Def Jux, one may think he would enlist El-P for production duties, or if he was unavailable, maybe Blockhead or RJD2. And while the idea of these potential albums are probably enough to make underground rap fans orgasm on the spot, Murs instead headed for a producer he had never worked with before at all - 9th Wonder.
9th Wonder had made a bit of a name for himself in the early 2000s, providing instrumentals for Jay-Z, De La Soul, Masta Ace and his own group Little Brother, but Murs and the Def Jux scene was a whole new world to him, and some probably wondered if he would be able to live up to lofty expectations set by the excellent production work seen on ....The End Of the Beginning and other Def Jux releases of the time. But against all odds, 9th Wonder not only pulled this off, but went on to do it six more times in the future - that's right, Murs & 9th Wonder released 7 albums together as a rapper/producer duo, and are currently one of the most celebrated examples of that set up, next to the likes of Gang Starr and Nas & Hit-Boy. Therefore, Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition (a title which combines Murs' birth date with 9th's stage name) stands as the genesis of this fruitful relationship, but it's not only that. This is also arguably Murs' most popular album full stop, and has some of his most well-known songs ever on it. Him managing to get John Cena on the remix to one of these songs may have helped with that, of course, but still, tracks like "Bad Man!" and "Walk Like a Man" are considered legendary Murs tunes to this day. Going into this thing, I haven't heard a single song, but considering how well-received this is, and how great of a rapper Murs was at the time, I think I'm going to be in for a treat. Expectations are high, therefore, and I think that there's a good chance they'll be matched. Let's not get too hopeful though, now! Because we certainly don't want a repeat of when I listened to that new Ghostface Killah album...
Every song is produced by 9th Wonder.
1. Intro
Rather than go for the pretentious spoken word usually seen when a song is titled "Intro", Murs gets straight into the rapping on this one, and the song is not what I expected at all. After the now signature shout of "What up tho?", which I loved for old time's sake, we get what sounds to be a smooth and soulful instrumental that's what I would expect from a producer named 9th Wonder. Once the verse begun, however, the instrumental switched up into a weird, electronic beat that was mesmerising and energetic, and worked in all the right ways. Not only this, but Murs flowed perfectly over this beat, showing himself to be even wiser and more calculated than he was on his previous effort - the delivery of the line "9th got 'em fielding for the instrumental version of an album that ain't out yet" was dope as hell. This was truly a brilliant way to start proceedings.
2. Bad Man!
3. 3:16
4. The Pain
Somehow, this managed to end up being the most viewed song on this whole album (on Genius lyrics, that is), which is odd, as this song is pretty dull if I'm being honest. 9th Wonder's instrumental is merely alright, plodding along in the background without much to make it stand out, and Murs' flow really did not contain enough energy to keep me engaged. And oh my god, these lyrics... this shit makes Hopsin look like the coolest guy on the block. Murs spends most of this song talking about his lack of success with the ladies, and while I appreciate that that might cause one to feel depressed, it certainly doesn't make for good content, and especially not on a rap album. "It didn't get me girls, or the notes in class. The same girls who used to tell when I pinched they ass" - I mean, what did you expect them to do? Start sucking you off on the spot?? Jesus, man! This isn't terrible, but it most certainly is a blemish on what so far has been a brilliant album.
5. Trevor An' Them
Redemption is a word that could be used in many contexts, and I think it applies here, as my opinion of Murs was immediately redeemed (from that last track) and put to an even higher place than it was before, and just from this minute-and-a-half track. On this one verse wonder, Murs kicks a tale about how he accidentally ran into one of his old homies robbing a shop, who then took his mask off to say "hi", and got into Murs' ride with him, only to run off and accidentally leave the bag of money in Murs' car, therefore burdening him with the criminal evidence. This hilarious storytelling is easily one of my favourite aspects of Murs, and is just part of what makes his music so fun. Also, 9th's intense beat really helped push this track forward. This song was truly great.
6. Freak These Tales
Murs seems to take inspiration from Jay-Z's "Girls, Girls, Girls" with this cut dedicated to the gals, and while I'm increasingly worried about the number of songs for the ladies on here so far, I concede that this beats "Bad Man!" and "The Pain" in a similar manner to how Arsenal would beat Forest Green FC. 9th Wonder's jazzy instrumental is absolutely beautiful, and Murs provides us with storytelling and heartfelt tales intertwined with a bit of humour, packaged together to form one of my favourite songs so far. Why the hell isn't this one more popular?
7. H-U-S-T-L-E
8. Walk Like A Man
Man, that was a wild ride. First of all, I really like how there were multiple beat switches within this song, as that was pretty out of the ordinary for the time, and quite forward thinking considering how popular that idea of having the beat change multiple times is today. I especially enjoyed the second instrumental - that shit nearly bought me to tears. The main thing to focus on here, however, is the lyrics. This is a storytelling song, and it tells a tale of how Murs and his best friend pulled up alongside another car that appeared to have four girls in it, only the back seats were tinted so they couldn't tell. They were tryna spit game, but then they realise that the people in the back were actually other guys, and rival gang members at that. They started talkin' shit, so Murs' friend jumped out to shut 'em up. Before Murs could intervene, however, his best friend was sadly shot and killed. A year later, shortly after the funeral, Murs sees the murderer, and since he's with a friend who's holding a gun, he decides to shoot and kill the guy. It's pretty tough stuff, and the premise of the song revolves around how you shouldn't walk with a gun, as you might make a decision you'll regret later on, but also having a gun could provide defence when you need it. As for whether "walk like a man" means with or without a gun, the listener is left to decide. No words, man - this is phenomenal, and possibly the best Murs song I have heard so far. It's an astonishing work of storytelling, and I cannot wait to seek out the short film he made based on this song.
9. And This Is For...
Well, that was an interesting cut. On this one, Murs begins by schooling his fellow rappers on how just because they have money and jewellery to flaunt, that doesn't impress him, as he knows very well that really these generic thuggish rappers don't have real talent, and this is a sentiment I very much appreciated. In the second verse, he speaks on how he doesn't like the fact that people were treating hip-hop as just a fad, and also how he hated the idea that just because he was black, he was automatically "cool" - he didn't want his race and culture seen as a trend. Again, I appreciate it. And then, in the third verse, he speaks on how he doesn't want white people becoming the faces of hip-hop, in the way they did for rock & roll, blues and jazz - other genres pioneered by black people. This one is a little harder to appreciate, as some of the best rappers of that time were white (Eminem, El-P, Aesop Rock), and dissing them for that is a bit ignorant (looking at you, Mos Def, specifically the song "Rock N Roll"), but still I definitely agree that if hip-hop had turned white that would have been difficult to see, especially for the young black men who wanted to pursue it, and would have been crushed and ignored had it turned out that way. Murs really makes you think with that verse, and even though the song feels cluttered attempting to tackle three topics at once, 9th's soulful instrumental helps to tie things together well. This was great.
10. The Animal (feat. Phonte of Little Brother)
The final song of the evening also happens to include the only guest rapper, Phonte of 9th Wonder's own group Little Brother. Over one of the best and most powerful instrumentals across this entire LP, Phonte reflects on his life and his relationship with 9th Wonder, and Murs chills out, choosing to spit some braggadocios rhymes to contrast the heavier content on the previous two songs. We also get a hook on here from Joe Scudda which is catchy as hell - come to think of it, all the hooks on here have been great. Anyway, this was actually one of my favourite cuts on the album, and the reference to Busta Rhymes' "Call the Ambulance" was also a nice easter egg. Great stuff!
Overall, Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition is a fantastic record. Yes, there was one song on here which I wasn't crazy about, but even that one wasn't as bad as some of the stuff we heard on Murs Rules the World. And as for everything else, it's some of the dopest hip-hop I've heard from the mid-2000s. Starting off with 9th Wonder, the production on this album is really great providing fantastic backdrops that always fit the mood of whatever Murs is speaking on. The electronic beat on the intro was a nice surprise, as was the energetic title track, and then some of the more soulful instrumentals were also brilliant - especially those on the last three songs. I honestly can't say there was a single bad beat on here. And then, we get onto Murs, who has stepped his lyrical game even further on here. This is quite possibly his best rapped album yet. Some of the storytelling songs are incredibly engaging, not only the powerful and incredibly well-constructed "Walk Like a Man", but also the hilarious "Trevor An' Them", which got a laugh out of me on the final line. The braggadocios verses he spits on here are also very clever, with some great one-liners, and even the sex songs were well thought out - well, except for "The Pain", which had lyrics that made me want to take an iron to the face. "The Pain" is right - that shit hurts to listen to. Ain't it funny how the worst beat, lyrics and flows were all to be found on the same song? Other than that, however, the lyrics are brilliant, and Murs' flows are also cool and collected on here, with him sacrificing any double-time he had done on the last album for that calm and focussed delivery that allows you to take in everything he says with ease. Oh, and the hooks were also great on here, with not one that ruined a song. Shout-out to Phonte for a nice verse too. Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition may not be as diverse and entertaining as Murs' previous record, but if you're hunting for a concise, funny and at times beautiful listen, then look no further than this. Brilliant stuff, Murs. Just brilliant.
Expectations: Matched (but only 'cause they were real high in the first place)
Best Track: "Walk Like a Man"
Worst Track: "The Pain"
Catch up on other Murs-athon episodes over here! And don't worry - I'll be sure to review some non-Murs 9th Wonder projects in the future.
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