WIUX : Pure Student Radio

On Murs for President, the rapper traverses familiar territories by rapping about poverty, hubris, personal drama, et al. While his choice of subject matter is admirable, the songs are unfortunately often tempered by stiff cadence, unimaginative or absent wordplay, and poetry that doesn’t help these familiar topics transcend beyond obviousness. The beats, however, have an impressive range, comfortably avoiding predictability and generally sounding very well tailored to each particular song. The album probably won’t convert those who aren’t fans of Murs, but still remains largely enjoyable with the help of dynamic production and confident, emotive (and tired) lyricism.