"Murder Rap" is a song by American gangsta rap group Above the Law, released as a single on February 8, 1990. It was written by

Cold 187um Gregory Fernard Hutchison (born August 4, 1967), known as Big Hutch and Cold 187um, is an American rapper and producer, and leader of the rap group Above the Law. He currently records for his self-founded label. Biography Hutchison is ...

, Dr. Dre, Go Mack, Laylaw and Total Kaos.

Music and lyrics

The music of "Murder Rap", as produced by Dr. Dre, consists of an ominous

siren Siren or sirens may refer to: Common meanings * Siren (alarm), a loud acoustic alarm used to alert people to emergencies * Siren (mythology), an enchanting but dangerous monster in Greek mythology Places * Siren (town), Wisconsin * Siren, Wisc ...

sound, and backwards, looped drum beats.

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

's Alex Henderson says that the song's lyrics "let listeners know exactly what life in South Central was like."

Reception

In his

review, Alex Henderson wrote that "The imaginative Dre's input as a producer is consistently beneficial", saying that the music "comes alive" as a result of Dr. Dre's input. Regarding Above the Law's lyrical content, Henderson wrote, "the Angelenos had some freshness." A review of the song by Frank Owen in '' Spin'' praised Dr. Dre's production, saying that the producer "has a remarkable talent for making noise funky, and he shows it to great effect". However, Owen criticized Above the Law as lyricists, writing, "they present this hardcore life without any of the dandy charm that Big Daddy Kane or Oran 'Juice' Jones bring to it." ''

Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...

'' praised the song as "a breathtaking assembly", complimenting the music and

's raps.

Legacy

In 1998, the song was included on the compilation ''Ruthless Records Tenth Anniversary: Decade of Game''. In 2002, Insane Clown Posse released a cover of the song on their album '' The Wraith: Shangri-La''. This version of the song appeared as the B-side of ICP's single "Hell's Forecast". In 2006, ICP's cover was remixed for '' The Wraith: Remix Albums'' by Filthee Immigrants. Insane Clown Posse's cover of the song led to a professional relationship between ICP and Cold 187 um, and he later signed to

Psychopathic Records Psychopathic Records is an American independent record label headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan. The label is most associated with the hip hop music subgenres horrorcore and rap rock. The label was founded in 1991 by Alex Abbiss and hip ...

as a solo rapper.

Track listing

#"Murder Rap" #"Murder Rap" (Instrumental) #"Another Execution" #"Another Execution" (Instrumental)

References

{{authority control 1990 singles Above the Law (group) songs Song recordings produced by Dr. Dre Songs written by Dr. Dre G-funk songs Gangsta rap songs 1989 songs Ruthless Records singles