RMR: 4th Qtr Medley

[StevePulaski]

RMR: 4th Qtr Medley (2020)
Directed by: Gabe Hostetler

The masked singer RMR in the first part of his new short film, 4th Quarter Medley.

Rating: ★★★

Ever since California-based singer RMR dropped his viral ballad "Rascal" — a dramatic reworking of the Rascal Flatts' wedding song "Bless the Broken Road" — and followed it up with his terrific EP Drug Dealing is a Lost Art, I've waited with bated breath for his next move. I know I'm not the only one. In a year rocked by calamity and inconvenience, RMR has emerged as a shimmering bright-spot in both music and artistic creativity. He's not a rapper. He's a defiant, genre-bending artist who evidently subscribes to the philosophy of famous composer Duke Ellington: "if it sounds good and feels good, then it is good."

Such an outlook compels RMR to seamlessly segue from country pop to trap to alternative R&B and now mostly to pop rock with his latest project, 4th Qtr Medley, a seven-minute short film featuring three new songs. Over the course of seven minutes, RMR casts a fraction of his life-story and vision against pithy yet moody ballads that rework popular songs.

We start with "The Wishing Hour," a reworking of Matchbox Twenty's monster hit "3AM," which has RMR's tranquil moment with his "lean tea" interrupted by a signal from his band-member that it's his time to take the stage. Accompanied by three masked performers, he belts out specific yet ambiguous lines such as "she knows his credit card PIN but that's really his fault" while clashing drums and slick guitars fill the air. RMR bolts after little more than a verse and a chorus where he meets his therapist (Amber Rose). He removes his mask and laments his woes over the instrumental of the Drake/Lil Durk hit "Laugh Now Cry Later." "I need them to love me," RMR tells Rose while convulsing. Probably his most telling line however, is one that off-handedly addresses his anonymity. "It's hard to get a lil' privacy, that's what we chose, me and my woes."

Despite boasting thick, oversized shades, Rose glances at RMR once he removes his trademark ski-mask; it's the first time where RMR has removed his mask. We as viewers don't get the privilege of seeing his face, but Rose does.

Things conclude with another revisionist pop rock ballad; this time, a remix of the Goo Goo Dolls' famous hit single "Iris." RMR is again reunited with his band in a smoke-filled warehouse while his lyrics suggest he's still not over a particular woman in his life, haunted by her memory and assuring he's not ready to miss her — at least at this moment in time.

The most attractive thing about 4th Qtr Medley as a project is the very thing that makes RMR so attractive as an artist: the unpredictability of it all. After "Rascal" dropped, people were declaring RMR was the logical next-step of an artist infusing hip-hop sensibilities with country music ala Lil Nas X. Then his follow-up single "Dealer" dropped and showed RMR could function as a more conventional trap artist. Then his debut EP came and proved he could flex as both with shades of R&B and piano pop. 4th Qtr Medley suggests RMR has a deep infatuation with 90s pop rock and the post-grunge era of mainstream music.

Furthermore, much like his previous music videos and projects, 4th Qtr Medley leaves the viewer wanting more. I can't be the only one slightly disappointed that all three of these songs are barely one minute in length and leave me with more questions than answers. Yet that's part of the journey with RMR. He's using a hip-hop-esque social media presentation while releasing music that blurs genre-lines simultaneously revealing more of his complex story. We're in for the long haul as fans, and 4th Qtr Medley is another hearty appetizer before what I can only assume will be a five-course meal of an album.

NOTE: As of March 2021, RMR has mysteriously made the original 4th Qtr Medley video on YouTube private. However, you can still listen to the three songs featured in the video here:

NOTE II: Check out my blog on RMR and his viral ballad "Rascal:" stevepulaski.blogspot.com/2020/09/hows-real-gangsta-analyzing-rmr-and-his.html

Starring: RMR, Amber Rose, and The Do Betters. Directed by: Gabe Hostetler.