Steve 'Flash' Juon“Question — nigga, have you ever heard of Sean?
Hell yeah, but I prefer my Uncle Murda songs.” – Sean Price, “The Unexpected“
A comical bar from the late great Sean Price, but whenever I hear his duet with fellow dearly departed rapper MF DOOM, I wonder why we don’t talk about Uncle Murda more. Part of that might be his own fault. He was signed to Roc-A-Fella Records in the 2000’s but no studio album ever surfaced. He signed to G-Unit Records in the 2010’s and the same thing happened. He tends to average at least one mixtape a year dating back to 2005, but even in an era where the difference between “album” and “mixtape” has decreased substantially, it still doesn’t carry the same clout as having a studio release pressed on CD or vinyl. That leaves Leonard Grant in the unenviable position of being well respected in underground New York rap yet almost completely unknown outside its hardcore aficionados.
“I done did everything that they said I can’t do
I’m alive, people thought I was going to die before I turned 22″
That lends a wry twist to the song “Dead or Broke” featuring Giggs, a UK rapper who has achieved more success commercially and professionally than the rapper he is doing a cameo for on “MURDA HE WROTE.” Not hating, just stating. It’s a great song produced by Great John, and hearing the deep voiced Peckham emcee share the track with him is a treat. It’s possible that one of the knocks on Murda is that his vocal tone is a little bit nasal or his delivery a little muddy, but I’ve never seen that hold back B-Real or Redman one bit. I think the fact he hasn’t had a major LP in 20 years is a lack of vision from the labels he signed to, while songs like “Switching Sides” featuring DUSTY LOCANE show it’s not a lack of vision on HIS part.
“I done turned into an OG, I understand it’s a young man’s game
but I’m still competing at a high level like Steph Curry and LeBron James”
John scores a double or a triple with the symphonic backdrop on this one, and LOCANE’s gravelly delivery is pleasantly reminiscent of Meechy Darko from Flatbush Zombies. The bars also provide an interesting juxtaposition between Murda’s stated veterano status but his willingness to take chances on his guest stars. He’s not young Zaphod out here playing it safe, you know? I respect that, just like I respect “Cartier Frames” featuring Que Banz. Great John really seems to have a keen ear for the beats that suit Murda best and QB stands out with his raspy flow. Murda’s punchlines make me smile. “I can play Drew Brees, hit you with a bullet like you was one of my receivers.” Some rappers have it, some don’t, and Murda’s got the knack for memorable bars. No wonder Sean showed him love.
Murda’s most defining trait on “MURDA HE WROTE” might not be those funny or ear-catching lines though. I would call it his humility, his lack of egotistical flexing, and his ability to relate to the people who are listening to him. “Used 2 Be” is not written with the attitude of a baller or a shot caller. It’s a man confessing that both success and relationships can be fleeting, admitting to his mistakes, and pining to get back what he once had. You probably can’t relate to a rapper who can buy a Lambo, wreck it and buy another, but I bet you can relate to this.
Try as I might I can’t find a pressed version of “MURDA HE WROTE,” suggesting that once again this would be considered a mixtape for Uncle Murda, or at the very best an album that only got digital distribution. As a self-described OG though Leonard Grant has been around long enough to realize that physical albums have become a novelty in our digital age. In fact that’s the whole reason events like Record Store Day exist, right? The novelty of buying music physically. Murda has stuck around long enough to have actually surpassed the need for a physical product, making what was once a detriment to his career an asset. Perhaps that’s a sign we should be showing him more respect. He even says as much on this album — he doesn’t want the flowers long after he’s gone. I agree.