DUBCNN: MURS TEXT/VIDEO INTERVIEW< DROP FEEDBACK

[We Fly High]

Dubcnn recently had the opportunity to attend Murs' music video shoot for his new single "L.A.". We were able to speak to Murs about his new album "Murray's Revenge," the "Paid Dues Festival", upcoming projects, and much more. We have that available below and be on the lookout for exclusive behind the scenes footage of the "L.A." music video.

www.dubcnn.com/interviews/murs
http://www.dubcnm.com/videos/murs_interview-dubcnn.wmv
__________________________

Dubcnn: This is DUBCNN and we're here with Murs today. Why don't you give yourself a brief introduction.

Murs: I'm Murs. You rap? I'm better than you. I'm Mid City Los Angeles. You better than me at rapping? I could probably beat your ass because that means you're more of a nerd than me, and there is not a bigger rap nerd than me. So one or the other, I'm going to do this kicking your ass on the microphone or physically. There's no in between.

Dubcnn: Why don't you speak about "Murray's Revenge" coming out this month?

Murs: Check this out, me and 9th Wonder got together again because niggaz didn't pay attention the first time. We did a new one, it's called "Murray's Revenge". Better than the second one, not as good as his first one, I don't know. It's dope though. Ten songs again, so motherfuckers get mad already, but get ready to give up your money because this shit is hot. Nobody is fuckin with me on the mic, nobody is fuckin with him on the beats. You want it?Come see me, right here, Cloverdale Avenue. I'll battle you, square off with you from the shoulders, from the head, off the top of the dome! Whatever you want, I'm here! What is it?!

Dubcnn: Why don't you speak about the "L.A." music video shoot that we're at today?

Murs: "L.A." music video shoot man. A lot of people say if you travel the world, all this anti-American sentiment, anti-capitalism. I've been all around the world, there's no better place than America. Within America, there's no better place to live than Los Angeles. At least for me, I can not, I've tried to live in other places, I can not. It's the mentality, it's the upbringing, it's the way, post traumatic stress, whatever it is will not allow me to live anywhere else. I cant relate anywhere else, and when it comes to L.A., I'm from Mid City. Nobody represents from out here. Some people call it West L.A. when something good happens, South Central when something bad happens. This parking lot that we're standing on used to be a  grocery store. It burned down in the riots, they still ain't built it back, but you know how that is. This is South Central then. Now when they charge a million dollars, for the house that my homeboys and me got done shot at in front of and shot at niggaz in front of, its West L.A.

Anyways, so L.A. the song basically as a tribute to L.A., and that's what it is, it's just a tribute to a city. Every song about L.A. that has been made, no disrespect, about L.A. for the most part, are made by niggaz who aren't from L.A. I'm born and raised, nothing else. I don't know nothing than this. Most of my life, born and raised right here, I lived in different houses all around Mid City. And for those of you who don't know, its from Olympic South, sometimes to Jefferson, sometimes to Exposition, from Western to Fairfax. That's it, that means West Boulevard, BPS, Rollin 20s, 18s, Drifters, Mid City Stoners, Mansfield, Marvin, Geers, Playboys... not Playboys, I think Playboys are little outside, but even then its all good. I rep for everybody. No color lines, no Mexican, I rep for everybody....Hey shut that shit up! They think that's funny.

Dubcnn: So what's going on with "Paid Dues"?

Murs:  "Paid Dues", March 11th, it's an independent festival I decided to bring together as a platform to promote my genre of hip hop which is independent hip hop. During the summer, if you're independent hip hop really, your money slows down, because our college fans are out of school, and plus a lot of our fans are fourteen, they can't come out to night clubs. So I decided the best thing to do is for us to have something like "Warped Tour". I went on "Warped Tour", and I'm the only person that's worked with every crew in underground hip hop, independent hip hop. If you anybody, you know me, you fuck with me, and if you're really about making money and about good music, you fuck with me. So I got all my homies together, we doing one big festival to show sponsors and everybody that we can do this. We can bring out hopefully 5,000, 3,000 whatever kids to the desert. That means we can do this in every city in America, or at least ten, and do this every summer, and keep our genre going. And give the youth a chance to see a real live rap show, that's not about guns, drugs or whatever, that they can feel safe, that their parents can feel safe dropping them off for a day to see this. That's the idea behind "Paid Dues". San Bernardino, Orange Fairgrounds, March 11. Please come. Chingo Bling, Atmosphere, Brother Ali, Cage, 2 Mex, Living Legends, EL-P, Felt, Blueprint.

[***Since the time the interview was conducted, the venue locations have now changed for "Paid Dues". It is now being held at the Shrine Expo Hall in Downtown Los Angeles. It is no longer being held at the Orange Fairground in San Bernardino. ***]

Dubcnn: So far you've worked with Living Legends, you've worked with Anacron and Himself, you've worked with 9th Wonder, Slug. What's next on the plate?

Murs: Slug, E-40, Jon Cena. Next, hopefully next for the crazy spot, hopefully me and Chingo Bling will do a project. For the normal shit, the next records going to be a little bit more west coast. It'll be my first album, it'll be the first album I get to produce basically, like choosing all the producers.  So you'll probably hear From Fred Wreck, I talked to Primo, it might be crazy. Who knows? The next album will definitely be me which is this, which is skateboarding, which is comic books, which is gangster shit, all kinds of shit. It's going to be me, which is the Bay. I lived in the Bay for four years, that's where I got all my independent rap game. I probably wouldn't be able to make a dollar in the rap game if it wasn't for the Bay Area. I was hyphy before the hyphy movement started, but you know, I'm down with it. There might be some of that. If that happens, I don't want people to be like "Oh, Murs is jumping on the hyphy movement." I was on Telegraph Avenue day in, day out, selling weed and tapes. Motherfuckers know me from the Town. Living in East Oakland on Seminary and East 14th. Nick by the Ville.

Dubcnn: Alright, you're trying to bring your music to a broader audience, like a new sound, and you've been working with Fred Wreck and J. Wells. Why don't you speak about that.

Murs: I'm trying to work with Fred, I worked with J a little bit. That's the music I listen to. That's what I great up on. DJ Quik, the greatest of all time, Ice Cube, greatest of all time. WC, Suga Free, that's the shit I grew up to, that's the shit I listen to. I don't listen to none of this other shit, unless you my homies. But for the most part, right now my fans aren't my fans. I got Atmosphere fans, I got Aesop Rock fans, I got Def Jux fans, I got 9th Wonder fans, but none of them...I don't think the people who are Murs fans have really heard me yet. I haven't made my demo yet. I'm going to incorporate all the Atmosphere fans, all the 9th Wonder fans.. [West L.A...see] ..but you know I haven't found my Murs fans yet. I grew up with dudes like him, people of color, Latino people, like more ghetto people, but 50 Cent fans aren't my fans. So if you're out there and you're intelligent but you grew up in the hood, thats the music I make, still hood, but I got a vocabulary beyond the ebonics list.

You've been doing music for Fight Night, like video games, and you've also had your movie "Walk Like a Man". So what's next in terms of expanding outside of making music.

Murs: The video magazine called "MC TV", first issue drops March 11 at "Paid Dues". We got Atmosphere, 9th Wonder, Mr. Dibbs, and a couple music videos. That is what's next as far as thats concerned. I'm trying to work on "Felt" the movie, so I'm going to get into doing more videos. And I work for Current TV, www.current.tv, channel 366 on your Direct TV, Time Warner, you got to check the website. I'm guest hosting, Al gore owns it, that's what I do there. And the "Hip Hop Gaming League", thats another thing I'm doing. I'm going to be beating your favorite rapper's ass at Madden and NBA2K. That's all the shit outside of rap.

You got any last words for the fans?

Buy the new album man, or steal it, just get it. Come out to a show if I'm ever doing a tour. Not just listen, love it. And hopefully there'll a video version for the whole album coming out for fourth quarter, by Christmas, September. That's about it man, tell your friends about it. That's the only way motherfuckers going to find out, because motherfuckers be hating on me, or not hating because I don't believe in that, but motherfuckers don't know. If one of your friend's don't know, tell them something, spread the good word, that's how anything good gets spread. It's word of mouth, so if you got to burn it from somebody, burn it from them, I don't give a fuck man, this is not my only way of making money homie, so if you got to burn it, burn it, I don't give a fuck, but make you share it with somebody. As long as you sharing, it's caring, and I'm out.

[Nima - Dubcnn.com]

Dope interview, Murs comes off cool as hell, real relaxed.

[Addicted To Cake]

propz on the video. murs has been one of my favorties for a while. good too see him holding it down for LA.

that was funny what he said about his fan base. hes probably sick of his fans being nerdy backbackers who listen to nothing but nerd rap all the time and just wants a more wider audience.

btw, when is the "LA" video being released?

[Woodrow]

Good interview!

I'll be picking up the new album for sure!

[Fressh_Deini]

3:16 is a classic! This new album is dope to! Murs is one of my favorites at the moment (DUH got him in my sign haha). Dude sounds made relax in this interview. But I thought this album had 11 tracks. The advance has 10 tracks, but I heard somewhere I should be 11.

[Conan]

Dope interview. Props for this one J!

I find it interesting though, how so many rappers stray away from the 'backpack' term and don't want to be associated with it. There's actually a question I've got lined up for Murs for the interview with him that I'm doing for HHC that touches on that, and it seems like there are several rappers out there who were long knows as backpack rappers but now make a conscious effort to abandon that image. Ras Kass is one MC who springs to mind...he's gone from "Soul On Ice", an underground classic, to a still dope, but different, boastful, punchline MC. The following lyric sticks in my head when thinking about this:

"A&R's labelled it backpack/Actual facts, my n*ggas will run up in these labels and beat with you bats/Heat you with gats!" - Phil The Agony

[rik]

Tite interview... nice to see murs holding it down for LA. I wanna hear on some Fred beats that would be tite. I also think he would sound nice on a Quik beat

[soopadoopaflykid]

dope interview and i lol @ him sayin burn my shit i dont give a fuck propably first artist i heard that from

[rik]

Just heard him on Kday he just shouted out Dubcnn.com

[Nima - Dubcnn.com]

^^ You didn't record it by any chance?

[rik]

^^ You didn't record it by any chance?

Nah man don't know how to listenin it on my walkman

[rik]

Just heard him on Kday he just shouted out Dubcnn.com

YUP YOU KNOW HOW IT IS!! do you remember the exact verse he said? cos he rhymed dubcnn.com into the verse...

He said something along the lines of "Go to Dubcnn and check me out.."

[Lil Jay]

DUBCNN worldwide Baby!

lmfao when he went "AY SHUT  THAT SHIT UP"

tight interview Justin, props!

[We Fly High]

propz on the video. murs has been one of my favorties for a while. good too see him holding it down for LA.

that was funny what he said about his fan base. hes probably sick of his fans being nerdy backbackers who listen to nothing but nerd rap all the time and just wants a more wider audience.

btw, when is the "LA" video being released?

hopefully soon, i think it should be wrapped up by the end of the month... we have exclusive behind the scenes footage of that too that we will be releasing in conjunction with the release of the final video.. you guys will get to meet MARS, his dog, hahah.

[CHUCK KNOXXX]

great interview.....murs is a fool, just check out the commentary on the walk like a man dvd......had me and the homies rollin'......hopefully sum of these insomniac muthafuckas wake up and do themselves a favor by checking out this album, as well as 3:16..........shit, even my daz luvin' homies thought walk like a man was tight as fuck