Murs

The gulf between mainstream rap and indie hip-hop can be breached with ease. Indeed, there are plenty of tracks on Murs' latest recording, 2008's Murs For President, that would cause the typical T.I. fan to start nodding his head if he gave them a chance, including "Lookin' Fly," co-starring will.i.am...

By Michael Roberts

May 28, 2009

Audio By Carbonatix

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The gulf between mainstream rap and indie hip-hop can be breached with ease. Indeed, there are plenty of tracks on Murs' latest recording, 2008's Murs For President, that would cause the typical T.I. fan to start nodding his head if he gave them a chance, including "Lookin' Fly," co-starring will.i.am. Lyrically, however, the contrasts are vast. "All these rappers want to talk about is guns and dope," Murs declares on "Can It Be (Half a Million Dollars and 18 Months Late)" — but he's got a lot more on his mind, as he demonstrates on "The Science," a bold return to the music's conscious roots. Hard to imagine that the throng on hand to see headliner Tech N9ne, author of "Psycho Bitch," will instinctively gravitate toward couplets such as "Who has the rock and who has the powder?/Who's the oppressed and who has the power?" Yet they'll dig the beats — and that's half the battle.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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