Murs – “Dreadlocks“
from Murs For President (Warner, 2007)

I don’t want to cry “sellout.” Because selling out is good business.

And it’s certainly not ignorant rap. He suggests reading about Selassie. And shouts out college graduates. And it’s a damn De La hook.

About 2 steps and a walk out away from from the socially aware dance craze we discussed last week?

I guess the issue is an aesthetic shift. Dude dumbed down his style.

But his style wasn’t ever that complex, not in this decade it wasn’t.

Come to think of it Murs has always been rapping about sort of smart shit in a sort of dumb way. Or maybe the other way around.

He’s been open about the fact that Murs For President is his underground exodus record, but I was expecting something closer to early CMW than late CMT.

Realistically I expected him to make a third rate Rhymefest record. And this is much more interesting than that.

But it’s still not that great.

Rick Rock’s slap is slightly more engaging than 9th Wonder’s snoozers, but it’s about equally generic.

It’s weird. If this was an unknown act, or The Pack, I might cautiously ride for it. But it’s Murs. So I’m mostly confused.

It’s not like it’s a dishonest record. I don’t doubt that this is the record he wanted to make. So more power to the dude. It’s not like Sunspot or whoever is doing anything BUT keeping it real.

I assume.

Da Committee – “Bruce Wayne (We Off That Batman)“
from We Live This (To Be Released, 2007)

Joeski Love – “Pee Wee’s Dance“
from Pee Wee’s Dance 12″ (Vintertainment, 1986)

The gimmick rap game just got realer. But make no mistake, it’s been here since day one. [1]

Da Committee is an up and coming group out of DC who recently got some minor local radio burn with the record “DC Clap.” “Bruce Wayne” is a more polished and interesting record and a certified banger, in my head. If my hypothesis – that people prefer better music to worse – proves true, then “Bruce” will get slightly more radio burn than it’s predecessor. Sadly, I doubt either will make it outside the beltway.

Huh? What? Joeski Love is the OG snap rapper. The simplicity of Vince Davis’ “Pee Wee Dance” beat makes D4L sound like D4illa. Nobody on the internet ever talks about Joeski. But you can bootleg his shitty comeback album, no questions asked or answered.

Will anybody be discussing “Laffy Taffy” on the internet 20 years from now? Will Fabo’s solo record be his Joe Cool? Will it trade hands for big bucks amongst European collectors?

[1] And I’m not talking about the Young Dro mixtape, either.