Mirazh, also known by the moniker M-6, might just be the closest thing D-Town has to the legendary Tupac. Not that he’s trying to be, either; its just the way of things. Though at time his rhymes are juvenile at best, and occasionally his delivery seems a bit forced, there is no denying the sincerity or passion. The comparison is further exemplified on the song “Murder She Wrote. ”
Taking a page from Tupac’s memorable hit “Me & My Girlfriend,” Mirazh cleverly personifies his writing utensil, the object of his desire “who” also gives life to his verbal seeds. Indeed, she is the inspiration that gives him the will to continue. Atop a smooth beat highlighted by an acoustic guitar, this becomes one moving piece of poetry.
The kid seems to channel the duality of the man some consider to be the greatest rap artist of all time on “What Is It Worth,” “How Can I Breathe?” and “Walk With Your Daddy”—a dedication to his unborn son that features the soulful singing of Jam C. Likewise, he mirrors 2Pac’s penchant for riding the line as he serenades a young lady at the local club on “This Is The Night.” Though the song sounds like it could easily have come from the vaults of the Kut-N-Kru Records catalog, it nevertheless swings like Pac’s How Do You Want It? Jam C makes another appearance here, and though he ain’t the Hailey Brothers, his trip across the club ready banger’s hook is no less inspired. The girl writhing in ecstasy at the end is a nice touch.
M6 continues drawing comparisons on the song “Love Is Here.” The cut actually gives the opportunity to see what Pac might have sounded like had he gotten to work with the talented, spot on production of Kanye West. This semi-autobiographical dedication to Mirazh’s family glides effortlessly over a moving keyboard arrangement complete with saxophone, while his passionate discourse rides tandem with a sped-up vocal chorus singing “Love is here and here to stay.” Keep Ya Head Up and other songs come to mind. Meanwhile, the song “Struggle N Pain” is more along the lines of Eminem’s take on the legendary rapper. Ominous keystrokes, eerie synth horns, orchestral crashes, as well as the cameo appearance of Optimal, bring to mind Em’s industrial production for Tupac on both the soundtrack to the posthumous tribute documentary that Tupac’s mother released a few years ago, as well as the latest posthumous release Loyal To The Game.
Before you get the game twisted, however, Mirazh also spits several grimy, thug narratives: the powerful “Bang It Out,” “Eye 4 An Eye” (with J-Sic), and “Shh.” But let’s not forget that Tupac also dropped many a gangsta record dedicated to his homies and folks in the life. The difference here, of course, is that Pac often just looked at the life through the eyes of those he knew, while Mirazh claims that particular lifestyle as he own. However, true to his obvious idol, Mirazh explains why he makes the music that he does in between vivid vocal references on the ingenious “Guide U (The Interview).”
“I swing the level to gangsta shit because that’s how I was brought up, but you gotta talk about shit that’s relevant and the time[s] that we’re going through now,” he tells an inquisitive journalist.
And this he does with aplomb on the powerful “Street War,” a song where he takes his gangsterism to the steps of the Capital. Railing against a system that has oppressed many a street soldier (“there’s war on our own streets of the United States…Everyman for himself/ take cover/ we fighting terrorists how we fucking kill one another…”), he addresses such topics as the president, the alarming prison populations, and why ghetto niggas should not be in the army: “I’m supposed to be all I can be in the army? Fuck that, when people in my own country trying to harm me…”
The million dollar question is: did Mirazh purposely set out to make an album modeled after the powerful entity known as Tupac Shakur? The answer: It doesn’t matter. The kid succeeds on so many levels and has successfully crafted an album worth listening to that you’ve got to give props where the props are due. There’s not one track that doesn’t stand on its own. This album is quite possibly the best that the state Mirazh affectionately dubbs “Killorado” has to offer; including the Pop everyman, polished production of The Black Pegasus.
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