Murda Mook - Murda He Wrote
Constant | Vancouver, BC Canada | 02/12/2008
(2 out of 5 stars)
"New York rapper Murda Mook (A.K.A. John Ancrum) provides a seventeen track release with "Murda He Wrote" (2007). Guest appearances come from T-Rex, Stack Bundles (R.I.P.), Oun-P, Talib Kweli, Pop S***, Remy Ma, Ron Browz & Black Rob. Murda Mook is known for his freestyle battle rhyming skills, I had heard him on a few track's prior to this release which got zero promotion. T-Rex who makes three guest appearances on this release is his cousin. The album's opener is "Not Like Murda", backed by children's chorus, Murda Mook rhyming about his hustling days & lacing the track with a dope chorus. "Hatin' On Me" is a simply subpar track, while "Ya Dead" has Mook tag teaming a grimy cut with Stack Bundles & T-Rex. The heartfelt "Dreams" is definetly something different, Murda Mook shows his potential on this powerful introspective joint, lacing the track with a memorable chorus "I go to sleep at night and dream I am so much more like being on the road and ripping down them tours, I swear it feels so good sometimes I can't be sure but then I wake up with the police at my door". Definitely a cut not to sleep on, Murda Mook shines delivering quality reality rhymes. Murda Mook & Talib Kweli then share their thoughts on the Rap game on the short "Beef". Murda Mook gets back to hustling on "Take It Ova" feat. T-Rex & Pop S***. "Tech 9" which samples the late Eazy-E on the chorus, and features appearances from Ron Browz, T-Rex, female MC Remy Ma is a track that bumps. Not feeling the repetitive lyrics and lackluster production used on tracks like "Whip That Work" & "Saggy Jeans", though the ominous "Slangin" is a step up. The album's last guest appearance comes from Black Rob who is featured on "Harlem" - probably one of the last Black Rob verses we will be hearing for awile as he recently started a seven year bid. Mook provides skip material with lackluster track's about women & sex on "I Don't Need Her" & "Nasty". Murda Mook closes the album off with "My Life" - addressing different scenarios and talking about his grind to make it no matter what & reminding his audience that life is short. Although "Murda He Wrote" has more then its fair share of mediocre/less then memorable material, Murda Mook shows he is more then a a battle rapper on track's like the introspective "Dreams" & "Not Like Murda". 2.5."