C-Murder – Calliope Click: Volume 1

The story of the incarcerated rapper with talent to spare is nothing new to the world of Hip Hop. Cool C, the emcee known for his witty rhymes and the hood classic, “Glamorous Life,” is currently serving a life sentence for a botched robbery attempt of a Philadelphia bank, with one female officer left dead in the purported gunfight. Even an old school legend like Slick Rick is no stranger to the hard knock life, having been spent considerable time in the ‘90s for both attempted murder, violation of US immigration laws and other various charges. The biggest story of them all has to be late Tupac Shakur who, after serving 11 months for rape, reemerged from an upstate New York correctional facility as a dominating force in west coast Rap and quite possibly the most revered figure in Hip Hop history.

Cory Miller (a/k/a C-Murder) [click to read], a member of famed New Orleans-based TRU and younger brother of Master P, is yet another rapper who must face a harsh life in prison. Having just been convicted of second-degree murder in August, the chances of Miller walking the streets of Louisiana ever again seem pretty much close to nil. Calliope Click Volume 1, the rapper’s ninth studio album, is a brave musical attempt to put his life, career and future into perspective for his devoted fans and the world-at-large.

At his very best, Miller’s deft introspection shows us the psychological complexities involved with his murder case all the while attempting to maintain his status as a certified hustler. One of the most noteworthy songs that display this dichotomy is “It’s So Hard” (featuring Jahbo). The song happens to sample Martin Luther King, Jr.’s monumental “I Have a Dream” Speech, providing the perfect introduction to C-Murder’s lyrical confessions that finds a man struggling to find meaning in the madness. Other standout tracks on the full-length include “No Pressure” (featuring Sincere Sosa and Jason Lyric), an optimistic ode to those keeping it real in his city and “Get It On” (featuring Als and Holidae), a boisterous display of grit and humor from someone who is truly living life as a boss player.

The biggest drawback has little to do with C-Murder’s contributions and more on the guest rappers featured on Calliope Click Volume 1. Their bulletproof demeanor, devil-may-care attitude and thug-laced messages are a breath of fresh air to Miller’s monotone flow and laidback persona. Nevertheless, the creative bravado that might be missing in C’s somewhat-somber raps hint at the very fact that these guest vocalists don’t really do justice to the situation at hand. For instance, take “Real Where I Live” (featuring Macho, Duggum-D and Bop). The injection of violent metaphors, murderous swagger and aggressive wordplay by the three guest rappers makes for a mildly entertaining song, but the results are a bit too fantastical to take seriously. “Carrin Da Hawk” (featuring Holidae, Macho and Malachi) is another track that could have a benefited from a more cautionary approach from the lyricists involved. Considering that the stark reality of the hustler’s lifestyle is one that usually ends in death or imprisonment, “Carrin…” makes light of Miller’s troubled predicament in a bevy of nihilistic dreams, inflated machismo and confused logic.

On Calliope Click Volume 1, N.O. native C-Murder sheds light on his incarceration and attempt to maintain his thug lifestyle from behind bars. There are a few moments of brilliance on this full-length release, especially when C lyrically decides to explore the ins and outs of being a thug and what his prison stint for second-degree murder might mean for his future, his family and Hip Hop career. Unfortunately, the overabundance of cameos from rappers who sound harder than him, but might not have to ever deal with what Miller has to endure in Sing Sing truly diminishes the strength of his balanced narrative. Hopefully, C-Murder is going to focus on making sure his introspection shines brighter than ever in future releases and ultimately making the N.O. hustler’s poetic words echo through eternity rather than in vain.