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Artist: Murphy LeeTitle: Murphy’s LawRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Ra’Chelle Rogers

If you assumed that Murphy Lee was at his full potential playing the background as the inconspicuous mask-wearing baby boy, sidekick of Nelly and the St. Lunatics, you were both right and wrong. He’s actually done more than just performing wild country dances on stage at award shows with Nelly. Remember those exceptional verses on “Welcome to Atlanta Remix” and “Air Force Ones”? Murphy Lee proved that he can compliment a hit collaboration with country grammar of his own that’s just as good as his St. Louis counterparts. However, his solo debut on Universal Records, Da Skoolboy Presents: Murphy’s Law is filled with mostly collaborations. Not necessarily a bad thing as the group efforts are perfectly solid. The ‘Show Me State’ representers introduce their latest catch phrase on the smoothed out Jay E production “Cool Wit It” and creatively pay tribute to St. Louis’s best potato chip on “Red Hot Riplets”.

Another assumption would be that this is just another Nelly album, and again you would be both right and wrong. Although the lead St. Lunatic is on hand for his signature call and response on radio-targeted tracks like “Hold Up” and “Shake Ya Tailfeather” Murphy’s flow is competent enough not to let his presence dominate. Murphy Lee takes full ownership of the guitar laced Jazze Pha production, “Luv Me Baby,” which is one of the album’s highlights. Countrified humor is provided by comedian Darius Bradford and St. Louis Slim accentuating usually irrelevant interludes with side-splitting comedic relief.

With a Midwest twang that’s mellow yet versatile, it’s understandable why Murphy Lee is able to collaborate with so many artists, but he fares just as well when goes for self. It would have been safe to assume that on this album he would have given us that. Then again, you know what they say when people assume…