Where other rappers remain intent on choosing sides, Murs has been fearlessly willing to straddle the line between teacher and gangsta, no matter the cost to fame and fortune. The End of the Beginning makes it clear that even if being an unknown MC is a pain in the ass, what matters most to Murs is the relationship between him and his fans: “I just wanna make music and get it in your hands / All the bulls**t in between is senseless / Just to get to you I gotta hop a few fences.” The rest of the album reiterates the struggles Murs goes through just to stay above water as a professional MC. Problems with money (“BT$,” “Done Deal”), hanger-ons (“Please Leave”), and the hassles of touring (“Got Damned?”) are among the subjects Murs vents on in this diary of a hardworking rapper. And in the midst of all the upheaval, he has to deal with a party gone awry on “Risky Business,” an outstanding production from Digital Underground’s Shock G that is one of the album’s highlights. Even as he puts the trials of his life into words, Murs’ rhymes are agile and unforgettable. As he says in “You and I”, “Divine expert so far my best work / Is yet to be seen, but I'm steppin' to the green / With a putter in my hand spreadin' butter over bland.”