College Times

Media Credit: Courtesy Warner Bros Records

Strongly mirroring both sides in a certain political race underway at the moment, Murs for President is filled with some lofty ideas and an awful lot of chest-puffed boasting. The LA-based Murs preaches peace in the streets, love on the airwaves, an end to racism in the music industry and beyond and, of course, does all he can to garner votes as “best rapper alive.” His bigger-than-life intro even introduces him as the next president of the United States.

But the big ideas are grounded firmly in Murs’ underground roots established in previous works, both solo and with LA’s Living Legends. The art isn’t sold out for the sake of a message.

The mixtape dynamic on a major label budget allows for both intriguing sampling on tracks like “Everything” (James Blunt’s otherwise-awful “I’ll Take Everything”) and “Can It Be” (Jackson 5’s “I Wanna Be Where You Are”) and big-name contributors on tracks like the piano-pounding “Time is Now” (Snoop Dogg).

The indictments on violence, drug-dealing and the music industry are scathing throughout, and only time will tell if they are even marginally effective.

Perhaps Murs puts it best himself on the brutal, hook-less opener “I’m Innocent”: “At least I’m tryin’, man.”

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