ANOTHER HOT INTERVIEW BY MY GOOD FRIENDS AT ALLHIPHOP.COM. I LOVED SITTING IN ON THIS INTERVIEW WITH JAKE CRATES. MURS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE ARTIST RIGHT NOW, SO THIS WAS A TREAT FOR ME. I HOPE IT'S THE SAME FOR YA'LL. ENJOY, THE FIRST OF MANY INSTALLMENTS FOLLOWING MURS UNTIL THE ALBUM FORNEVER W/ 9TH WONDER DROPS!
Murs continues to bless Hip-Hop fans like some sort of angel trapped on Earth. Los Angeles-based rapper with Hip-Hop's most unique locks continues to spread the gospel a new album entitled Fornever. Like any prophetic figure, Murs speaks truth to power. In this explosive interview, he talks about everything from his LA upbringing to Lil' Wayne's ties to the Bloods. With a focus is making good music, having fun, and being creatively independent, Murs knows no fear. Read on.
AllHipHop.com: Tell me about this new project.
MURS: This is the third project we have released, no the fourth. I count it as the fourth, but this one was different, we did it in LA and we did it in Englewood and we were on the West Coast, and so I got to bring through my patnas and my homies and I was more in my element.
AllHipHop.com: In general with this project Fornever, tell me what your mentality was like going into the album and what you wanted to hit the listeners with. What were you looking for in 9th[Wonder]’s beats this time around that was different from before?
MURS: Its always 9th [Wonder] coming with beats, and then he tries to come with 12-14 or 15 beats and then from there we narrow it down, or he narrows them down. I definitely don’t pick any of them. I believe in letting the producer produce, so whatever he comes with sounds good. I never argue with him.
People always ask why 9th gives you the dopest beats? I don’t pick them. He gives me the dopest beats because I don’t try to sound like his dopest beats. I haven’t gotten a CD from him in 7 -8 years. I just take what he gives me. I think that is the best formula.
AllHipHop.com: I noticed Kurupt is on the album on 2 different tracks. Can you tell me about that and tell me about your relationship with Kurupt?
MURS: Yeah, in the beginning and in the end. Yea through my management Stampede management, I started to enter into that circle through a good friend of mine. My management and my partner Terence Martin. Terence did Kurupt's whole record and Terence I have a record, Melrose, which will come out this summer. Through us both messing with Terence, he would play my records for Kurupt and he would play me the new Kurupt records and back and forth.
Then he did record with DJ Quik, and Kurupt had the same management and Quik would tell Kurupt about me and we would talk about doing a record and it was more organic, it wasn’t just like come get on my s**t. He asked me to do a record for him called “Street Life” so I got down on his stuff and then I called him and he was like, “no problem.” And people were telling me, “he not going to come over there.” I called him and I just picked him up” So we went over to the house and 9th was like I want him on this track and I was like no I don’t want him on that s**t, I want him on this s**t. So I was like fine 9th, we will ask Kurupt. He was like “I’ll do them both.” I told him to just do one, but he was like "nah." “I like both of them.” Him and Planet Asia are the only two rappers that I know that are “on” a will still spit a hot 24 bars in the club if you ask them to.
AllHipHop.com: So you were born and grew up and were raised in L.A. right?
MURS: I don’t know any better. Born and raised.
AllHipHop.com: How wild is it that you see Bloods and Crips everywhere now.
MURS: Its sad for me to see Blood and Crips all over the place. Like do you really know what this is about? It could be on at the grocery store with your mom in there, bro. It’s not a fashion. Gangbanging has become a fashion. I like how the jerk movement has come out now and LA, and now I think it is sad that other communities are going to have to grow up and deal with all the stuff that we dealt with for years. Its not fun its not glamorous and its not what Lil’ Wayne wants you to believe that it is or a lot of these dudes want you to believe that it is. I’m sure that Wayne has his own story, so I don’t want to discredit this man.
AllHipHop.com: Yeah, there are some people that definitely glorify that but they don’t know what its like to lose somebody.
MURS: Its one thing to know someone that was in a gang, but what about the 13-year-old or mother that dies over that s**t by accident. That’s the real repercussions of it. Not to say I’m all for it, but whatever, like if everyone is in a gang and you die, you guys are playing the same game, you know.
AllHipHop.com: That’s the ripple effects are tremendous because of the retaliation.
MURS: And you won't get into that until like 10 years later. Like I don’t think gang violence will ever stop in L.A. You can't tell this man not to retaliate after he lost a son or cousin or brother or father or aunt. That’s the same type of stuff in the Middle East and before this grows in other communities I would hope someone says something. Or if they want to have Bloods and Crips, the way Wayne does, I don’t see him disrespecting any Crips.
AllHipHop.com: Like when he says “SooWu”
MURS: Like represent your thing, that’s cool, but don’t ever say any derogatory terms toward the other gang members. Like Snoop reps the Crips, but as long as you don’t say any derogatory terms towards the others. Like now it doesn’t even matter anymore. In L.A. there are Bloods that don’t get along with Bloods and Crips that don’t get along with Crips. Its ridiculous. My thing is that it comes down to the disrespect. As long as we are keeping it cool and making money, not disrespecting the other person's neighborhood. Its cool, but where I come from that doesn’t fly. When you represent you’re a Blood or Crips hood it’s not cool. Its automatically disrespect to the Crips if you represent Bloods.
AllHipHop.com: So how does this all come out in your music. How did all these experiences influence you?
AllHipHop.com: So how does this all come out in your music. How did all these experiences influence you?
MURS: To me it’s obvious, like that’s what the last song on the record is about. It’s about the effects of gang violence. I always try to spread peace and love but I don’t want to alienate myself. Like I smoke cigarettes, I drink sometimes, f**k b***hes, I am into everything that you are into, but not all of it has to result in us murdering each other. I walk a fine line because I can talk about partying having fun not on a rock star VIP level. If you are just yourself, it’s ok just to enjoy your life with out having to align yourself with some bull s**t.
Walk your line and you don’t have to be a punk. I think you get what you ask for. I think a lot of the time, but unfortunate things happen. But if you are about peace then there shouldn’t be any guns in your video. If aren’t a gangbanger then you what are you talking about carrying guns anymore. Why are we talking about doing things that we don’t do anymore? No one making any records is killing anyone and no one is really making records and selling drugs as far as I know. Why don’t we get on to making music about life and living? That’s what White-America, is doing. That’s what they are doing in India. Lets talk about getting wasted, but lets be real and talk about having to go to work the next day. There is a balance to everything.
No one likes to talk about the other side man. I got to go to rehearsal, I got to put together a show, that’s all stuff I talk about man. No one likes to talk about the other side of things at all.
AllHipHop.com: Do believe there is an emergence of Hip-Hop genres more so now than before?
MURS: I think so and I hope be at the forefront of that. I just try to combine everyone so its not just hip-hop, or gangster rap or Latino rap or backpacker Hip-Hop. I just put them all on the same record and put my name on it. I am all of that. Its just like ‘lets rap’. Let make good music and to me it’s the album I always wanted to make. Its extremely West Coast, but its still real Hip-Hop because 9th Wonder gives it a traditional Hip-Hop bed or foundation, you know what I mean?”
AllHipHop.com: Right.
MURS: I think it’s a salad but it’s still my style. You can have Chinese salad or whatever you know what I mean but its still a salad. I think its Hip-Hop, but it’s a West Coast style ofHip-Hop record. Everyone can relate because it’s honest. People form the suburbs in White America didn’t gravitate toward N.W.A. and the West Coast because it was fake. There is a certain level of truth and honesty that they were saying. That’s what I think I wanted to do. You may not go through what I go through There as a certain level of truth in the sound because 9th is amazing. I’m not trying to serve J. Cole on the mic, I’m not trying to serve Drake on the mic. I’m not trying to out-spit Kurupt on the record. I’m not in competition with anyone. I am just trying to do the best me that I can be. I appreciate J. Cole for what he is and Drake for what he does. Everyone is competing and trying to do numbers, but I do what I do. I know there’s about 100,000-200,000 people that love what I do and if I can make them happy and make that grow then I am happy. I’m not in this to get anymore wealthy than I already am. I invest in property if I really need to do anything like that, like money.
AllHipHop.com: Now what imprint is this on?
MURS: This is a one off record with SMC, but its part of this thing with my new label called Team Taco. (Laughs)
AllHipHop.com: What’s it called? (Laughs)
MURS: Team Taco (laughs) I just want something that nobody can put on a chain or something that no one can put on a tattoo, or that no one says before each song. I don’t want it to be clothing line, something that you are almost embarrassed to say. Don’t say it. But I want it to work.
AllHipHop.com: I feel it man. Yea man you have been in the game long enough to know what real Hip-Hop is like so I can tell you don’t want to lose the essence of what it was.
MURS: I think some have forgotten, but I don’t know man. I don’t know if there is a balance. I think when I grew up there the was Public Enemy, Father MC, N.W.A. there was a balance. Now everyone is just hard. When are you motha f**kas gonna stop acting like you are hard? When are you gonna get tired of going to jail? Or having to pay 10-15 people and security to protect you. You are all scared, you have children, you have families and you have a lot to lose and you know that. That’s why you have to pay off duty police and ex-Navy Seals to bang out.
AllHipHop.com: (Laughs)
MURS: You know what I mean? Trust me I book the shows. I have to pay for the security. I know everything now. I been in the club I know everything. I know all you motha f**kers. I know how much you charge for a show, a feature, I been to your parties, your shows, I been at the studio with you and I been at there to see the real gangsters that come to shut you the f**k down. I know who the gangster you pay to hang around you and the real Bloods and real Crips that you pay to hang around from you hood. I just wish they would stop fronting to these kids.
AllHipHop.com: Right that crazy, man.
MURS: But you know, now I think that kids are starting to get to see with T.I. and Wayne who have gone to jail. But nobody wants to go to jail.
AllHipHop.com: Do you think they are targeting Hip-Hop artists?
MURS: No, not really man. You can call it that, but if someone is blowing a bubble in your face and then you pop it, were you targeting that balloon or were you getting something out of your face that was annoying you? With these kids you can only f**k with kids and modern White America for so long. You are selling this lifestyle to their children; it’s on their TV and in their face everyday. There’s only so much, the Sheriffs that pull you over have kids that watch you on TV with your guns and your tattoos and your drugs. They have to sit there and watch that get served to their children. Why wouldn’t they want to send you to jail? You are saying that you are going to go rob someone and go in their house and kill their grandmother. This is some of the things that people are saying. No one has to target you. You are hiding in plain site, and I am sure you are annoying and embarrassing.
Quite frankly, it’s halfway embarrassing when people assume that I am any of these people. That I am like that, that I have a gun, or that I have illegitimate children or that I do drugs. It sucks that this is the only image that corporate America wants to put out about young America. They think that all young Americans are ignorant and violent. It’s balancing out though now. Everything that is in the dark will come to the light. That’s one of the truest things that my mother ever told me.
AllHipHop.com: Yea man. Trust me I know what you are talking about.
MURS: I’m not just coming down on rappers man. I have punk group that I am working with that is called Invincible and they are Whole Bread. But the lead guitarist of the band can’t even go because he got shot. Why is this kid robbing another kid? Why is that ok? Its not white America, or just black America, its young America. He got in a confrontation and then some suburban white kid shot him. There is so much opportunity here and there places that don’t have 25% of the opportunity that we have here. We choose to kill each other and to hurt each other, and remain uneducated; I think it’s sad. What about you is thugged out because you have all those diamonds? Because you have that nice ass car I should be scared of you?
AllHipHop.com: There is something tribal about wanting to rock all that gold and whatever. I can’t really describe it but it’s just like all that presentation of wealth is supposed to mean you are the king or something I guess.
MURS: Yea man, I think its wealth, but I don’t find it intimidating. The thing is people take it back to Africa, but there can only be one “king”. Gold is not a rare metal in Africa. That’s where people get it twisted. Yea they found it in their back yard and the mined themselves because it is a naturally occurring element in Africa. They weren’t paying obscene amounts of money for their gold.
AllHipHop.com: It was more spiritual in meaning.
MURS: Metals are conductors of energy and vibrations and I think that they were communicating on a different level and now we are just saying bulls**t with a whole bunch of gold in our mouth.
Like I said its not even just Black America. I do a podcast with this kid called Werd2Murs with this dude is half native American and he is half Mexican an you saw Wu-Tang and so now you want to have gold teeth. What is that? What part of you thinks that is attractive. You look like a petty criminal. You look like a misfit. Think Black America has corrupt the into some crazy hairstyles and clothing styles and some crazy spending habits.
I speak at Crenshaw High sometimes and I tell the kids that if you decided to be peaceful and being eco friendly was cool, then the whole world would change. When they sell Coca Cola or Nikes to China they use Michael Jordan or Michael Jackson to sell that to the youth. They use young black people to set the trends for the world and as soon as we decide to set the positive trends to the world, our influence is global.
But now you have kids selling crack in Egypt and Bloods and Crips are all over the world now. Is that what you want to do with the influence that you have over the world?
AllHipHop.com: That’s true man, kids are the ones looking up to people like you and other artists in the industry and its unfortunate some people take advantage or take for granted the influence that they do have on the kids.
MURS: So I went to see my cousin in Columbus and it was a year ago and he wasn’t into jerking and now that he came out here to see me in L.A. he likes it. There are some kids from South Central LA that started this Jerk thing and now everyone wants skinny jeans and they want to see what’s happening. That’s the power or Black America and now it’s picking up in China. We can all have fun, but we have to be responsible.
But yea on the music tip…
AllHipHop.com: (Laughs) You gonna kick all that knowledge and then just try and get back to the music - all cool.
MURS: (Laughs) Sometimes I forget. I care man, and sometimes I think I care too much. If you are thug you are a thug if you did the crime do the time. I don’t know if anyone is saying that Hip-Hop artists are targeted, but if you are going to do the crime do the time. Don’t be complaining and b***hing about that s**t. That’s not gangster. Be a man. All the real gangsters I knew back in the day did the time. If you’re a thug, you’re a thug, if you’re a pimp you’re a pimp, if you are a gangster, be a gangter. I don’t want to listen to songs about people killing each other the whole album. Maybe a few songs, but don’t harsh my vibe, you’re hashing my mellow man.
AllHipHop.com: “Don’t harsh my mellow brash.” That’s that Surfer Dude movie.
MURS: That’s how I know I am West Coast to the fullest. That’s mad harsh. Lets be stoked, lets do rad s**t now. Life for real that so harsh. All that hard s**t is played out. You can’t beat anyone up anymore. If you want to do that, where’s the MMA stuff at? When’s the rap MMA gonna start happening. I will get into that. Like I will fight you, for real, but whatever let’s be friends after. You got all that build up testosterone and aggression; your wife is getting on your nerves, if your kids are bothering you. Lets take it out to octagon now. Lets do it. I know people with charities, I know people who will videotape it. I know people with gyms. We can make a DVD of it. There is stuff bigger than your Scarface poster and your gold chain. Lets get on with life and do more. Its cute and its nice and its fun, but what are we going to do for your daughter and you kids in public schools? What are we going to do about the fact that we aren’t going to have social security anymore? Be an adult and grow the f**k up. Let these kids do their thing and lets make better music and stop hashing everyone else’s mellow. Its bout to be summer time. Dude chill out...
No comments:
Post a Comment