If there was a Rap Nerd Mount Rushmore, MURS would be on it.
Murs holds a special place in my heart as he was the first rapper I saw live. Well technically that was Jay Electronica but I booed him so Murs was the first I was Excited to see. He's proudly himself and raps so effortless. If Murs was a basketball player he'd be the guy who gets buckets without using crazy crossovers; a great Church League Player.
Murs just has a great voice for rap, it's gruff enough that he can talk about semi street shit and sound believable while also naming pokemon without losing any credibility. Murs raps about heartbreak and undiagnosed depression got me through some tough times. He was like the big brother I never had who liked the same geeky shit I liked but could also fight.
As time went on I grew up (got laid) and started to figure out my own path, Murs kept rapping but I didn't have the time. It wasn't until I saw him attempt to rap for 26 hours straight* last year that I really started checking for him again. If a Nigga raps for over a day you gotta check that out, that's a rule.
So when I saw that Murs had a new album, I figured that I could take some time away from listening to swag raps about trapping to see what he had to talk about. And holy shit he had a lot to talk about. So with that lets get into A Strange Journey Into the Unimaginable.
This album has some real heavy themes, Murs raps about his divorce and the death of his newborn child. This isn't happy go lucky music. This album is like eating a PB & J sandwich made with Rye Bread. It's not going to be pleasant but it will teach you a lot about Life and Yourself. Murs has reached his 40th year and he wants us to know it wasn't easy.
This is the perfect music to listen to during a Tax Audit, there's a lot of reflection here. What's really interesting is that the moments that you think would end in tragedy or regret don't. For example Murs has a song about sipping lean that starts with him calling it an "addictive opiate" but it ends with him knocking a nigga out for stepping on his Jordan 13s. That's literally all that happens, Murs sips lean, it works out well and then he beats a nigga up. There's no regret, just a pleasant story. Murs issues are deeper than the regular drugs and money most rappers worry about.
This album is not for the overly optimistic. This isn't for the people who post "Bill Gates was a college Dropout" memes. This is real shit. This album is for the people who know they have to spend an entire day at the DMV to get the points of their license. Murs makes music for the people in their 6th year of their 4 year degree. This album is like an Apple Cider Vinegar shot. It's tough to take in at first but it's good for you.
The beats are all great too. I don't know who Michael "Seven" Summers is but man that white dude can make beats. I don't know what it is about white guys with glasses but when it comes to making beats for songs about adulthood they always knock it out the park. Michael might drive a minivan and wear gap sweaters but this dude knows his way around a beat machine.
A Strange Journey Into the Unimaginable is very adult. It's not explicit, it's not crude, but it deals with complex emotions that could cause lesser minds to punch a wall or have sex in a McDonalds Parking Lot. Overall I'm really proud Murs made this album, anytime an artist can create through emotional growth it should be celebrated. It's been a rough few years for dude but I know he'll get where he needs to be. I give A Strange Journey Into the Unimaginable 8 One a Day Multivitamins out of 10.