Murs for President? Why do we need voting for him? Now is the time for Murs to break out and be heard after 10 years in the rap game. His seventh album (first with record label major Warner Bros) is Murs’ response to the new generation of disposable hip hop (e.g. Souljah Boy). He’s here to represent with help from DJ Quik and a cameo by Snoop (‘Time Is Now’) ‘President’ invites more of a West Coast flavour. The underlying message throughout is ‘making tomorrow better than yesterday’ and the struggles in life, from teaching ignorant MC’s about history and the birth of hip hop (‘The Science’) to a romance with Miss right (‘Me And This Jawn’).

 

Some tracks seem to fall short (‘Lookin’ Fly and ‘Think You Know Me’) but when he returns to his idealised stories about personal experiences over soulful samples Murs is outstanding. It’s not as strong as his last two classic albums 3:16 The Ninth Edition and Murray’s Revenge – but the LA native has evolved his sound and here to save us from bland ‘urban’ music. Murs gets my vote!