Murs 3:16

Murs | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 23, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Definitive Jux
• ASIN: B0001KL4ZY
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #89,777 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Short but Sweet, April 5, 2004

By 

Jesse Smith - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murs 3:16 (Audio CD)

Murs is one of my favorite rappers. He's not really all that skilled, at least on as far as lyrically assaulting people not the mic, but he has a really personal way of rapping that makes anybody feel like they can relate. I haven't heard any Little Brother so I don't know much about 9th Wonder other than this album, but he's been getting a lot of hype, so I expected nice beats and I got them. It's a good pairing. This album is short, which tends to be a turn-off for me, but on the bright side it doesn't get boring and there's no filler.

I bought this more for Murs than 9th. Most of the time on this album, he's story-telling and/or talking about women. The intro is a good way to kick off the album, with a good verse to get us in the mood and a nice electric beat from 9th Wonder. An intro that adds something to the album, not one of those pointless ones that needs to go. "Bad Man," "Rainy Days," and "Freak These Tales" are about women. The first is about how he just can't seem to be a nice guy and a player at the same time, the second about his troubles finding a woman, and the last about getting laid. With all these tracks, Murs does what he does best...he comes across as an average guy you might meet off the street, kicking rhymes about real life, but with his own quirky style to make it entertaining. "Sitcom rap," as he himself calls it. "Trevor an' Them" and "Walk Like a Man" display his story-telling abilities. The first is a just a funny story about a robbery gone wrong, but the second takes a more serious turn, talking about the death of his best friend and his quest for vengeance. Again, it's nice because he does it as a guy with problems and not a hardcore thug. "H-U-S-T-L-E" talks about his different methods for making money when he was a kid. It seems like it's taking a jab at rappers who brag about selling coke. "3:16" and "The Animal" are more or less battle tracks, which are Murs' weak point because he has neither the lyrics nor the voice to command the mic. Still, his slightly off sense of humor makes these worthwhile. "And This is For" is a total surprise, because it confronts real issues, which Murs didn't really do on his last album. He attacks thug rappers and whites who don't respect the hip-hop culture, which is dangerous but perhpas all the more admirable since most of his fans are white.

9th's production didn't blow my mind, but I can see where his success comes from. He reminds me of DJ Premier because of his skill for putting samples together and knowing how to set the right mood for each track. "The Pain," similar to RZA's "Rainy Dayz," perfectly captures the sorrow Murs is trying to get across. "Bad Man" is fun and energetic. "And This is For" sounds...how do I explain it...conscious. It matches Murs' grief at the problems in the hip-hop world. The "Walk Like a Man" beat changes between grieving for Murs' friend and truimph at his revenge. I liked the tones in the beats. My problem is their lack of intensity. You can barely tell the drums are even there, and the instruments just never seem sharp or aggressive enough. They suit Murs alright, since he's not a very intense rhymer, but they wouldn't be good for battling. You couldn't call them "hard beats." Maybe he makes them harder for other rappers, though.

In the booklet for Murs' Def Jux debut, it says "Murs is your best friend." I don't think that really came across as much here. Partly, there were more sad tracks, but I think it's largely because of the track "And This is For," which has caused a lot of controversy online. Maybe it's because I'm white that I think the thoughts expressed in this track lowered my enjoyment of the album, like I'm not 100% comfortable listening to it. Nevertheless, that song speaks the truth for the most part, and it would be wrong of Murs to make his music too "white-friendly" if that's not what he's feeling, so I still think it's good he put it on here and I commend him for making it. As for the rest of the album, his main strengths...personality, quirky humor, and story-telling...shine through clearly. One of the best in 2004 so far.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Self-Confession & Brutally honest, one of the finest of 2004, July 19, 2004

By 

fetish_2000 (U.K.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murs 3:16 (Audio CD)

Seemingly one of the few rappers willing to take a commercial risk, Rapper 'Murs', heads into deeply personal and introspective territory with this most confessional of rap
albums. Harking back to the back template of just a rapper (Murs) & producer (the 9th wonder), they strip back on the flashy bravado and thug stories and produce a rap album more akin to introspective singer/songwriters.

Murs isn't looking to use this record to make amends for his life or the things he's done in his time, the stories here are of a gangsters daily life. but told from the perspective of an ordinary man/hustler, trying to make
sense of his way of life. Murs himself likens his personality more "Coldplay Than Ice-T".

And what follows is a (albeit Short), album of semi-interlinked
stories, told from the perspective of someone not completely at easy with his lifestyle.

Producer 'the 9th wonder', is something of a minor Revelation, by largely ignoring loud, beat heavy arrangements, and composing a series of tracks loosely based around samples of dusty classic soul and 70's funk.
(think 'Kayne west' style sampled arrangements). and its this production that adds to the subdued nature of the tracks. And gives the lyrics more substance & emotional attachment.

Those expecting the lyrics to have been 'watered down' due to the
introspective nature of the record, will be glad to hear that this is a harsh and unflinching collection of stories being relayed here. Murs doesn't shy away from looking at the material in a Cold, disinchanted and uncompromising
fashion. Whether it's finding no luck with women ("The Pain"), or detailing his sexual encounters ("Freak These Tales"), paying tribute to friends ("Walk Like a man"), or laying down a seething argument for the general publics love for white rappers, but failing to give just recognition to similar black
artists "And this is For....", everything is handled with a no-holds barred enactment, and will prove to be a difficult listen for some.

Admittedly there are few laughs here, as the mood is one of a cerebral, affected, & reflective understanding of his environment and the people around him, but those paying attention will notice the occasional tongue in cheek sense of humour, buried beneath the social commentary and self-examination.

As to whether this is a great album, thats not ever really in question, as Murs elevates himself into intelligent progressive hip-hop territory with the likes of "Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli", but because this is a confessional album of sorts, it'll prove more than a little heavy going for some, and is probably better suited to the occasional listen, as opposed to something that gets heavy rotation. Thats not to take away from this exceptional album, its just an album than covers so many subjects in such a short space of time (the running time of the album is no more than 35 minutes) that it truly needs the listeners full-attention to extract the best from it. But those willing to give the time and patience, this is easily one of 2004's finest rap albums. recommended

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hip-Hop is still alive in 2004!!!, April 1, 2004

By 

warrior33 (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murs 3:16 (Audio CD)

First Jay-Z drops the Black Album, then Kanye West hits us with The College Dropout, now Murs gives us another classic album. The beats are amazing thanks to 9th Wonder of course. and Murs gets very personal with his lyrics. Another thing I like about this album is that it's short, no filler, no skits, and every song is tight. The best 10 track album since Illmatic in my opinion. And since it's shorter than your average album I'll go through every track.

1. Intro - This is a short song but it's tight, I like the beat he talks over better than the beat he raps over. (4.5/5)

2. Bad Man - I love this song, the beat is sick and I like the voice in the background. (5/5)

3. 3:16 - Another tight beat and Murs rips it. (5/5)

4. The Pain - One of the slower songs on the album, Murs talks about how he can't get any women. (3.5/5)

5. Trevor An' Them - A funny story about how Murs bumps into his friend while he's robbing a liquor store. (4/5)

6. Freak These Tales - A great song about Murs' various relationships with women over another hot beat, I really like the chorus. (5/5)

7. H-U-S-T-L-E - This is a great song about how Murs used to try to hustle everythig except drugs. (5/5)

8. Walk Like A Man - This song starts out with a country type beat, then goes into a soulful beat, then finishes with a jazzy beat while Murs tells some personal stories. (4.5/5)

9. And This Is For... - This is a really deep song, Murs talks about how rappers nowadays are too flashy, and how he's losing all his black fans, and even though he has mostly white fans he's not selling as many albums as white rappers. (5/5)

10. The Animal (feat. Phonte) - The CD ends with a great appearance from Phonte of Little Brother. Murs tears it down once again, and the beat is tight, what more could you want? (5/5)