Artist: C-MurderTitle: The Truest $%!@ I Ever SaidRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Matt Caputo
With the release of his sixth LP, The Truest $%!@ I Ever Said (Koch), Corey Miller or C-Murder brother of No Limit leader Master P, brings a new meaning to the phrase “jailhouse flow.” Direct from Jefferson Parrish prison, the New Orleans rap-boss offers a deeply emotional and often dangerously-true account of his life in and out of prison. Murder, who is serving life for the death of 16-year-old Steve Thomas, managed to secure studio equipment in the slammer and lay down songs for an album that has gained national attention. While The Truest $%!@ I Ever Said is as rag-tag as any original No Limit project, Murder still manages to move his message over the mic.
It would appear as if Murder isn’t hung-up on his current surroundings. Already a seasoned veteran of “keeping it real,” the 34-year-old emcee doesn’t miss an opportunity to remind his fans that he’s still as hard as he was pre-prison. On the lead single, “Yall Heard of Me,” which features BG over a bumping baseline and eerie operatic elements, Murder doesn’t deny or water-down his history. Lyrical-licks like “I sold rocks, robbed blocks, merked clowns and done time. I’m a fool boy, I’m willing to die for mine,” probably won’t help his case as his attorneys appeal his conviction to the Supreme Court. The New Orleans street-legend reached into his daily prison endeavors rhyming over Akon’s “Locked Up” beat for a track he’s calling “Won’t Let Me Out.” While The Truest $%!@ I Ever Said packs a cast of No Limit regulars and Southern legends like Fiend and Mac, “Holla @ Me” pairs Murder with the late Soulja Slim over sharp guitar samples from Dani Kartel. As the album advances it would seem Murder might be out of practice. On “I Heard You Was Lookin’ 4 Me,” Murder hits a dead spot and isn’t supported by a sub-par verse from Capone. Other songs like “Did You Hold It Down,” “Back Off” and “Started Small Time,” all catch Murder spitting a little sluggish.
If The Truest $%!@ I Ever Said was a follow-up to his sort of last LP, Tru Dawgs, then it is a runaway success. While some critics are outraged that a convicted murderer was allowed to record and release an album from prison, it isn’t clear if he’ll ever be free again, Murder lost his appeal to get his case thrown out in Louisiana and is waiting to move on the Supreme Court. Through the album’s weak spots, Murder delivers a daring and true rap record the streets would be proud of.
