Spring Break
Rapper Murs blazes his own path
Ralph MacDonald
Issue date: 11/12/08 Section: Entertainment
If you are amongst those who believe that Run-DMC never meant to begat Soulja Boy, can do without gimmicky, repetitive, and petty lyrics, and generally believe in the devolution of rap, then the artist Murs, creator of the album Murs for President, has a campaign message for you:
"I'm the one guy who is qualified to represent us to the masses -- which are obviously tired of us because hip-hop can't sell records. It can only sell ringtones. It's become a mockery of itself. It's become club music. For us to lead back into the marketplace and to be a respected art form, I feel that I'm the most qualified person. It's time for hip-hop to have a change."
Like most rap albums, Murs for President has been branded with a warning for explicit content. But the way in which his album is explicit separates Mur from the majority popular rap today. As he says in his song "I'm Innocent," Murs is "anti-drug and anti-thug," and his rough lyrics come from attempting to bring attention to the problems caused by the violence and drugs in his native Los Angeles. Murs explains his lyrics as "trying to be practical, not preachy. This is fun, and here's a little something that can help you expand."
Nevertheless, sometimes Murs' lyrics do come off as preachy, especially when referencing his fellow rappers. He is a little guy in rap, independent until this latest album, and yet is determined to make an impact not only on how rap sells itself, but how it exercises the social influence inherent in its large audiences. Murs' devotion to social causes is not given the standard one or two songs usually afforded by musicians on their own CDs, rather it is evident in every single one of his album's 15 tracks. In one of the albums better singles, "Can It Be?" he admonishes rappers for glorifying "guns and dope" while pushing his own mantra of "the power of the pen, the power of a vote."
Equally interesting and unique about Murs is a set of four very heartfelt love songs towards the end of the album: "For young black males, being in love has such a negative connotation. Usually, your mother has been screwed over by some guy. The first time you get hurt by a girl, you use that as an excuse to mistreat women for the next 20, 30 years of your life. I'm trying to hold a mirror up to myself." In a very corny, but clearly principled, stand against misogynist rap lyrics he rails against hearing "too many b's and h's." The song, "Me and This Jawn," and the next three songs go on to express very intimate feelings that are very rare in a rap world that emphasizes hardness.
Of course, none of the principles that Murs stands for would mean much if not packaged with a marketable sound. Monotone sociologists and Dr. Phil are extremely unlikely to produce chart-topping albums. Murs for President has a very impressive collection of beats that are almost always matched to perfection with the songs lyrics, which creates a sound that can be described as smooth, well-flowing, and high-energy. Snoop Dogg is featured on one of the tracks, which is probably more of an endorsement of Murs' work and talent than any adjectives I could use to describe his album. Murs is the little guy right now, but his talent and his principles have caught the attention of big-time rap and put it on notice.
"I'm the one guy who is qualified to represent us to the masses -- which are obviously tired of us because hip-hop can't sell records. It can only sell ringtones. It's become a mockery of itself. It's become club music. For us to lead back into the marketplace and to be a respected art form, I feel that I'm the most qualified person. It's time for hip-hop to have a change."
Like most rap albums, Murs for President has been branded with a warning for explicit content. But the way in which his album is explicit separates Mur from the majority popular rap today. As he says in his song "I'm Innocent," Murs is "anti-drug and anti-thug," and his rough lyrics come from attempting to bring attention to the problems caused by the violence and drugs in his native Los Angeles. Murs explains his lyrics as "trying to be practical, not preachy. This is fun, and here's a little something that can help you expand."
Nevertheless, sometimes Murs' lyrics do come off as preachy, especially when referencing his fellow rappers. He is a little guy in rap, independent until this latest album, and yet is determined to make an impact not only on how rap sells itself, but how it exercises the social influence inherent in its large audiences. Murs' devotion to social causes is not given the standard one or two songs usually afforded by musicians on their own CDs, rather it is evident in every single one of his album's 15 tracks. In one of the albums better singles, "Can It Be?" he admonishes rappers for glorifying "guns and dope" while pushing his own mantra of "the power of the pen, the power of a vote."
Equally interesting and unique about Murs is a set of four very heartfelt love songs towards the end of the album: "For young black males, being in love has such a negative connotation. Usually, your mother has been screwed over by some guy. The first time you get hurt by a girl, you use that as an excuse to mistreat women for the next 20, 30 years of your life. I'm trying to hold a mirror up to myself." In a very corny, but clearly principled, stand against misogynist rap lyrics he rails against hearing "too many b's and h's." The song, "Me and This Jawn," and the next three songs go on to express very intimate feelings that are very rare in a rap world that emphasizes hardness.
Of course, none of the principles that Murs stands for would mean much if not packaged with a marketable sound. Monotone sociologists and Dr. Phil are extremely unlikely to produce chart-topping albums. Murs for President has a very impressive collection of beats that are almost always matched to perfection with the songs lyrics, which creates a sound that can be described as smooth, well-flowing, and high-energy. Snoop Dogg is featured on one of the tracks, which is probably more of an endorsement of Murs' work and talent than any adjectives I could use to describe his album. Murs is the little guy right now, but his talent and his principles have caught the attention of big-time rap and put it on notice.
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