2018-05-11

May 11 - 17, 2018 | Orlando Advocate 7
Lifestyle
There’s something to be said for
raw, introspective honesty. It not only
provides relief to the one sharing, but
it also lets others know they aren’t
the only ones adjusting to difficult life
issues. On his latest album, A Strange
Journey Into the Unimaginable, underground
rapper Murs bares his soul
with some of his most candid, direct
lyrics yet. Murs, a native of south
central Los Angeles, has released
nearly two dozen albums, but none
of them belt out the trials and tribulations
more poignantly than this one.
Yet, he still manages to weave some
lighter-hearted rhymes in-between
his retrospections, showing fans that
regardless of the darkness faced, one
can still find reasons to smile beyond
the pain.
MU
In his first track, “The Unimaginable,”
Murs strips himself down to
the bone, providing a glimpse into his
previously unimaginable life journey
dealing with a painful divorce, a
12-month separation from his son,
and the loss of his stillborn second
son and a personal friend: I cried
a whole lot when I filed for divorce,
and when a homie got shot /…when
I was separated from my son, I cried
for almost a year /..a baby boy… h e
was born without a
heartbeat. The
next offering,
“Melan-
choly,” is a more upbeat tune that,
while continuing its focus on struggle,
admits that Murs’ overwhelming
grief has morphed into a lingering
pensiveness: Hi everyone. My name
is Murs, and uh…yeah. I’ve had a
rough couple of years…I’m at this
point now where I’m not too high and
not too low. I’m just here.
“Same Way” is a fun, tongue-incheek
diss to friends and family of
Murs’ girlfriend who don’t like him, as
he simply states, “Tell them
I feel the same way.”
On “Superhero
Pool Party,
Murs’ son
asks for a
bedtime
story and
is treated
to a comical what-would-happen
narrative involving characters such
as Batman, She-Hulk and Professor
X. Providing touching tributes to love
and commitment on “So Close So
Far” and “Vows,” Murs shows his
softer and more hopeful side, and he
closes out his album with the somewhat
dark but still completely candid
“God is the Greatest,”
While his experiences so far were
something he most likely couldn’t
have imagined, Murs has turned his
tragedies into therapeutic rhymes.
Spinning his tales so that everyone
knows they aren’t alone, Murs has
managed to turn the unimaginable
into a tale of perseverance, giving
all of his listeners hope for their own
journey through life.
RS
Reviewed by Amy Aiyegbusi
A Strange Journey Into the Unimaginable