You will not know this boy. Fact. This eighteen year old MC from Leicester has had far less exposure on the circuit than he possibly deserves. Just Muz was brought to our attention by his appearance on the 2009 Headspace Mixtape alongside UK stalwarts Ty, Lowkey & Mystro to name but a few... The song 'Soulful Stuff' showcased a confident flow, clever concept (anyone remember Common's I Used To Love H.E.R?) and the branch of lyricism that the scene really needs right now. We were sent this digital release (a six track project over Ty's instrumentals) hoping it would deliver in the same vein...
It does. 'Don't Cry' proves to be a strong opener, marking Just Muz to be the "confident rapper who is lacking self esteem" before delving into deft wordplay with impressive cadence for someone so young. It is the lyrics that impress though, introspective and atypical with that kind of underdog mentality thats preferable to the boasting. The subject matter a little jumpy, jolts from girl troubles, fatherless homes, the death of a friend... and yes it sounds like someone trying too hard to say "I'm not like the others!" but Muz stays genuine throughout so can be forgiven.
This theme of individuality continues onto "Me". This really is a strong track that expresses a desire not to follow the crowd, whether this concerns Hip Hop or life in general. The impressive aspect is that there is a clear message, namely your "soul is not a pretty piece of plastecine" but Just Muz doesn't sound preachy or egotistical, rather it sounds like conversational advice. His voice and flow suit Ty's beat and there's even some comedy in that Muz "packs lunch" rather than pistols which is commendable of course. The one problem here is the Obama sample, it just seems a little superfluous.
"Emotions" is the third track, another standout. The lyricism really is representative of someone who sounds like they shouldn't be just 18.. it's heavy! The song's self declared purpose is the importance of expressing emotion, in the meantime Muz describes a journey of losing self control and struggle. It's not over indulgent in this and again it's creditable to the boy's personality that he can both narrate his own difficulties without being piteous and speak to others his age without being patronising. This track is full of quotables and will probably need a couple of listens to unravel some of the intricacies, the hook courtesy of Ty is supplemented by Muz's own vocals and blends nicely, all in all the strongest track this far...
An accolade now lost to "I'm Leaving". The power of this one is up there with the original, focusing once more on the death of loved ones. The idea seems very much to be 'live for the moment' and the vocals carry some emotional weight, delivered in a throaty, desperate tone. The second verse surpasses the first, seeing Muz describing a failed relationship with his father that he wishes to recover before it's too late. Again, for a young man this is surreal... the subject matter more resembles the work of an MC with twice the life experience and again there are messages involved.
Things lighten up on the fifth track, the Fool. Kicking off the first verse with a more complex tongue twisting flow that slowly becomes more stilted it is perhaps weaker lyrically than what we've seen so far, simply because the focus is here is on the delivery. However, following a well placed Rocky sample the second verse returns to form with its inspiring positivity interspersed with Muz's own recollections, musically this track is the amongst the richest on the EP. The lighthearted approach works well for the closing verse with a declaration that "life's like Mac D's, I'm not loving it!!" that makes you forget the sorrows of the previous track. Ty's gospel chorus is preserved here to good effect and the overall experience is well worth repeat listens.
"After Thoughts" serves as the EP's outro and is more an example of Just Muz's spoken word background than an actual song. if there is any criticism it is that the main themes are still being served up here.. be yourself, be positive etc (you get the picture) but on the other hand you still get Muz's self inspection and in this case he states that he is the "most imperfect of us all". This attitude although probably unhealthy for him is refreshing to the Hip Hop scene because it marks the return of honest music. It is an excellent closer to the EP, his voice when speaking is gentler and the better for it.
There is also a hidden track which is worth a mention, untitled but a real banger!! In a sense this song does not fit the concept of the Idea, hence it's exclusion because it displays a more jokey and in places cocky (see a contradiction here with the earlier songs?) artist. Nevertheless you can't help but admire phrases such as "blowing up like the Lockerby Bomber Case/I've got more lines than Dot Cottons face!' The song fades out and your left to reflect on what is for us, one of the more interesting releases this year.
In conclusion, Just Muz is an artist to watch for the future and really deserves some recognition for this project which isn't perfect but is very strong indeed. When considering the messages for the youth, the range of flows and strong lyricism it is a solid EP for Hip Hop fans and music lovers alike. There's no denying he seems like a genuinely nice guy with the right outlook on life and we suggest you keep an eye on the teen who calls himself "the fool". He couldn't be more wrong.
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