Murder Rap

"Murder Rap"
Single by Above the Law
from the album Livin' Like Hustlers
Released February 8, 1990[1]
Format 12-inch single, CD single
Recorded 1989
Genre West Coast hip hop, hardcore hip hop, G-funk, gangsta rap
Length 4:14
Label Ruthless Records, Epic Records
Writer(s) Cold 187um, Dr. Dre, Go Mack, Laylaw, Total Kaos[2]
Producer(s) Dr. Dre, Eazy-E & Laylaw
Above the Law singles chronology
"Murder Rap"
(1990)		 "Untouchable"
(1990)

Murder Rap is a song by American gangsta rap group Above the Law, released as a single on February 8, 1990.[1] It was written by Cold 187um, Dr. Dre, Go Mack, Laylaw and Total Kaos.[2]

Music and lyrics

The music of "Murder Rap", as produced by Dr. Dre, consists of an ominous siren sound, and backwards, looped drum beats.[3] Allmusic's Alex Henderson says that the song's lyrics "let listeners know exactly what life in South Central was like."[4]

Reception

In his Allmusic review, Alex Henderson wrote that "The imaginative Dre's input as a producer is consistently beneficial", saying that the music "comes alive" as a result of Dr. Dre's input.[4] Regarding Above the Law's lyrical content, Henderson wrote, "the Angelenos had some freshness."[4] A review of the song by Frank Owen in Spin praised Dr. Dre's production, saying that the producer "has a remarkable talent for making noise funky, and he shows it to great effect".[5] However, Owen criticized Above the Law as lyricists, writing, "they present this hardcore life without any of the dandy charm that Big Daddy Kane or Oran 'Juice' Jones bring to it."[5] Vibe praised the song as "a breathtaking assembly", complimenting the music and Cold 187um's raps.[3]

Legacy

In 1998, the song was included on the compilation Ruthless Records Tenth Anniversary: Decade of Game.[2] In 2002, Insane Clown Posse released a cover of the song on their album The Wraith: Shangri-La.[6] This version of the song appeared as the B-side of ICP's single "Hell's Forecast". In 2006, ICP's cover was remixed for The Wraith: Remix Albums by Filthee Immigrants.[6] Insane Clown Posse's cover of the song led to a professional relationship between ICP and Cold 187um, and he later signed to Psychopathic Records as a solo rapper.[7]

Track listing

  1. "Murder Rap"
  2. "Murder Rap" (Instrumental)
  3. "Another Execution"
  4. "Another Execution" (Instrumental)

References

  1. 1 2 "Murder Rap - Above the Law | Credits | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2014-10-24.
  2. 1 2 3 "Murder Rap - Above the Law | Listen, Appearances, Song Review | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2014-10-24.
  3. 1 2 Vibe. Vibe Media Group. p. 76. ISSN 1070-4701. Retrieved 2014-10-24.
  4. 1 2 3 "Livin' Like Hustlers - Above the Law | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2014-10-24.
  5. 1 2 SPIN. SPIN Media LLC. p. 84. ISSN 0886-3032. Retrieved 2014-10-24.
  6. 1 2 "Murder Rap - Insane Clown Posse | Listen, Appearances, Song Review | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2014-10-24.
  7. ↑ "Big Hutch Interview - 3/9/12 on Vimeo". vimeo.com. Retrieved 2014-10-24.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, May 29, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.