Dre Murray – GRMOD | Jam the Hype

“You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. The head of this image was of fine gold….” – Daniel 2:31-32

Kings and Pharaohs throughout the ages have pursued the expansion of their kingdoms’ borders while gathering precious gold as a marker of their majesty. Even as they age and eventually relinquish their throne – by either siege or death – many a ruler clings (literally) to the golden wares they’ve accumulated. To this day, people misguidedly associate Gold with status, power, and fulfillment. Collision’s own Dre Murray is hitting this, and much more, head on (pun intended) with his third “official” retail album Gold Rush: Maybe One Day.

Getting right into it, “Sutter’s Mill” has to be possibly the best-titled initial track I’ve seen on an album. Pointing to the location in San Francisco where the literal Gold Rush of the 1800’s began, Dre introduces us to a character that is pulling the protagonist into a life of self-serving ambition. The fact that half of this cut is instrumental speaks to the atmosphere and experience being created. “Maybe One Day,” featuring a masterful vocal performance from Christon Gray, tells more of the ambition that has gripped the young heart of Dre’s character. Rather than the certain Promise that is available in Christ, the young dude is enticed by the seemingly immediate rush of the tangible “gold” before him. This Organized Swoope produced song is one of those that got much replay before I could even proceed to the next track.

The spoken word prowess of Propaganda is displayed on “Ramses,” a letter of sorts to the Egyptian magistrates that also offers further insight into Dre’s cover. “…It seemed like you were the slave, but tell me where that gold got you? You say bury you in it but if we don’t, would you even notice?” This line pretty much sums up not only their pursuit but also the pursuit of present day “Pharaohs.” The song of that name is one that is strong, though I’m not a huge fan of the trap sound (though it was done strategically), and is better for the hook from Tragic Hero. Next up, “Fiend” provides more insight into the GRMOD concept as Dre describes the addictive nature of “the hustle” and how a dealer can be just as much of a fiend as the user. Dre drops several gems throughout, discussing where seeds of bitterness mixed with seeds of greed can spawn a go for broke desire to be rich. The thick influence of the 713 sound is beautiful on this cut and is another standout.

Sampling “Crazy” from Christon Gray’s 2011 album, EWEWM, “Benjamin’s Curse” takes a jazz-infused trip with Dre through the early years of struggle that the streets provide. As the song ends, the vocals of the final verse are run through a filter to emulate a life span… that in the hood sometimes seems as short as 16 bars/years. In terms of storytelling and production, it’s songs like “Gold Rush” that brings the word ‘cinematic’ to mind. With Wes Pendleton providing an excellent HTown style score, Dre projects a short film about the perils of being a “fatherless child with the pressure of pipe dreams… caught up in [the] gold rush.” As we move forward, “Red Light” switches up the style a little, as Christon hits the hook with a rock look. This track is good, definitely growing on me musically, but fits well within the concept of the album as Dre bids adieu to vanity.

Alchemy is defined as the science of turning base metals into gold and/or philosophy of turning something (or someone) ordinary into something special. The song “Alchemy,” ultimately defines the album title and describes the vain pursuit that the science greed/vanity/selfishness attempts to instill in our minds. Tragic Hero balances the grit of the song well, though the filter on his voice probably could have given way to his natural singing voice. I dig how Dre again focuses on spitting what is necessary to maintain continuity and not so much on standard, predictable song structure. “Letter In A Bottle” is allegory at its finest, dealing with the pulls of alcohol (possibly golden tinted) and the doorway to other thoughts that its addiction can lead you into. Although my favorite song of this type was made by Jerry Blackwell (“Unusual Dame”), this is right up there with it. The production, handled by Wit and Michael Guaglione (who sang the hook), has a somber but crisp touch to it, fitting the tone of this section of the album well.

Hitting the home stretch, “Hollywood Heist” does a little bit of facade removal as Dre and Christon Gray short circuit the holograms of silver screen dreams. Sean C. Johnson provides his usual strong dose of soul to accentuate the keys and sax embedded on the track. The cool thing about this song is Swoope is credited but not vocally “heard;” the skillful keys being played on the third “verse” is, in fact, his feature. He then picks up a mic, along with Alex Faith and Dre, for “Welcome To My Life” so they can present some real honesty on the perception of success they deal with. I’ve tried to avoid drawing parallels between GRMOD and HP2 thus far, but “All Alone” is probably the hardest not to call a bridge to the Clive Lee Hood narrative. I’ll leave that up to the listener though, because this project stands alone. “Gray Tape” pays homage to Dre’s HTown roots while discussing the ultimate “slowing down” of his “screwed up” life, surrendering to Jesus. An ingenious touch was the sampling of WLAK’s “Long Way Down” to connect the overarching theme of the Collision manifest.

It is one thing to record music for the sake of making hits but entirely another to create music for the sake of making an impact. GRMOD is an album that takes Daniel 2 plus Dre Murray’s life experiences and packages it up as a salvo to damage the idols of this world. Gold Rush can be translated as impatient selfish ambition driven by greed, while Maybe One Day could basically be described as the vanity of that pursuit which is all take, no give. Musically, the expectations set by Dre from HP1 on to HP2– plus all the singles in the midst- were high and in my opinion fulfilled. With a team of Wit, Swoope, Wes Pendleton, Big Juice, Michael Guaglione, and Tragic Hero, musical excellence was all but guaranteed. From a lyric and delivery standpoint, there aren’t too many who are able to create expressive art while possessing such a convincing tone. I’m one who likes thematic visuals so listening to GRMOD allowed me to close my eyes, listen, and basically watch a movie of sorts. Above all, this album will convict, challenge, and impact the listener from 5th Ward to The Hamptons, all for the sake of examining their hearts and pursuits. Collision Records continues to put out calculated albums that have interlocking components while providing standalone enjoyment and I look forward to hearing more until that day when The Rock crushes the status and establishes His Kingdom.