Madison’s hip-hop scene will be in full flight this Wednesday when West Coast rapper Murs takes the stage at Majestic.
On the road promoting his new album Have a Nice Life, the historically smooth but now hard-hitting underground legend is a master of provoking the infamous head-nodding so prevalent among hip-hop fans. A former member of West Coast collective Living Legends, he’s now gone solo, and though the MC has been in the game for about 20 years, he is now a seasoned veteran.
Back in the days of Kanye’s soulful “College Dropout” in 2004, Murs and legendary producer 9th Wonder released their first collaborative album Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition. The MC has dabbled in different styles of hip-hop over the generations — Have a Nice Life is no different.
Jesse Shatkin, an old friend of Murs who is also the man behind Sia and Kelly Clarkson, largely produced the latest album.
“Combining [Shatkin’s] elements of big pop sound while also getting back to his own roots [has helped] me expand my sound,” Murs said. “The sound is bigger than usual, but it is still familiar.”
Having been surrounded by the music world for so long, Murs said he takes pride in drawing from a wide range of influences for his work. This sense of time stemming from both his experience in and out of the sphere of music are heavily reflected in the serious themes of Have a Nice Life. It’s a mature album, and it makes sense why.
“Every album I get wiser,” Murs said. “Parenthood has affected my music, and there is so much going on in America socially.”
Have a Nice Life isn’t necessarily a protest album, but rather one that takes on a wider scope. He said he regards all lives equally, and that the true issue at hand is the overall culture of violence, regardless of race, sexual preference or gender. In his hard-hitting track “No More Control,” he explores these themes: “If black lives matter then black lives matter and the color of the killer shouldn’t even be a factor.”
While the MC said he’s socially conscious and seeks to portray how he feels, he said he realizes people come out to concerts to have a good time. Accordingly, his goals for live performances tend on the lighter side.
“I don’t think a night club is the place to start the revolution,” Murs said. “It’s a good place to promote peace, love and unity.”
At his live performances, Murs doesn’t want to take anything too seriously. For him, spreading love and having fun together is the main mission.
