When I saw the first Def Jux promo poster (pre-"Definitive" lawsuit), I knew El-P was on to something incredible. An unsightly wash of black and burgundy was yelling at me to check for releases from Mr. Lif, Aesop Rock, and relative newcomers Cannibal Ox. I knew if El-Producto had remotely anything to do with these projects that this little-label-that-could would easily rise from the ashes of Rawkus Records. And this was excitement that hit me before I got to the fine print: "Coming Soon: full-length from Murs of Living Legends." Not only would this label rise from those ashes, it would sweep them up and use them for gunpowder.
Almost three years later, many of us understand the monolithic Castle Grayskull of a record label Definitive Jux has become. From the industrial, Orwellian paranoia of Fantastic Damage and The Cold Vein, to the blue-collar approach of Labor Days, to the "no blood for oil!!!1!!1" sentiments of I, Phantom, the label has attempted to make cohesive LPs in a predominately singles-oriented genre. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who refutes the idea that they have succeeded-- unless, of course, you're a Living Legends fan.
Living Legends devotees are the most fickle people in the musical kingdom. If a release has the "LLCREW" seal of approval, it's prematurely hailed as "album of the millennium." This is not to say the West Coast representatives have done anything wrong-- on the contrary, their output has been some of the most consistent hip-hop since the underground boom of the mid-90s. To the diehards, though, all other artists must reach the bar set by these Los Angelinos to be considered "good music." Murs is arguably the most beloved Legend; terribly prolific, the man has been bringing heat for nearly ten years. Hearing he would be making moves with a Def Jux collective that practically oozes New York has been shocking to many, but for both Company Flow and 3MG lovers alike, the anticipation has been for something nothing short of spectacular.
So it's odd that The End of the Beginning is the most traditional hip-hop record Def Jux has produced to date. Fresh off thematically unified solo releases like the solid Varsity Blues and the underrated Slug collabo Felt: A Tribute to Christina Ricci (she was so fly in That Darn Cat!), Murs has been cultivating the art of storytelling in his raps for some time now. It's this mode of rhyming that predominates his latest release, but only track by track. The album lacks the dogged coherence that's become such a Def Jux staple. What's left is a scattershot of tunes recorded all across the stars and bars from the past few years; the album is truly a collection of singles.
"What's the problem with that, duke?" you may be wondering. Well, there isn't one. The songs Murs has selected for the album are, for the most part, well above average. The insanely chopped guitar sample in "God's Work" (produced by Belief) is the perfect backdrop for Murs to spit on the toils of keeping up with touring, holding a day job, and paying credit card bills. One of the two Ant (of Atmosphere) contributions, "Got Damned?", is filled with simple piano frills and an accelerated soul vocal, soaked in drums that thunder through every four bars. Murs, in a rare moment of politicizing, gets open: "I'm not your average rapper talkin' shit about the government/ It's not that I'm loving it, it's where I live/ They try to bomb the place where I wanna raise my kids," later getting all Travis Morrison on that ass with the lines, "It ain't a game, there is no aim, they want America crushed/ If you don't like Bush, you're still dying with us." Perhaps even more rare, El-P's production gets outshined by an emcee. Murs kills it on the double-time "The Dance". Cramming "what, you gonna bust a verse right before the guns burst/ Push your girl on the ground so that you can run first?" into two measures is no simple task.
Still, the album does have its missteps. "Transitionz Az a Ridah" is Murs' ode to skateboarding, rapped over the ambient sounds of a skate park. Creative? Sure. Hella good? Nope. You'll also think Murs has been watching too much Lifetime when it comes to the track "BT$" (born to shop, sister!). Nonetheless, the album becomes a good starting point for any newbie to Murs' discography. Completely positive and straightforward, he has created the soundtrack for any 9-5er hoping for some hip-hop salvation from a schedule that doesn't permit time for the density of other Def Jux releases.
