Published on Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Track of the Day

By PATRICK BATTLE

Track of the Day: Murs – “And This is For ... ”

There isn’t a rapper whose lyrics come as clear and honest as Murs’. His most sincere endeavor is “And This Is For ... ,” a standout track from the album “Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition.”

In the song, Murs effortlessly glides through three verses, each one dedicated to a specific demographic of people.
The first verse is to the black community and contains criticisms that discourage materialism: “I don’t care about your rims, kids ride Big Wheels/Up until they learn balance, and it’s obvious you haven’t/With way more ego than you have true talent.” Here are signs of a lyricist who isn’t afraid to be critical of the very culture he’s a part of.

The subject of the second verse is people outside of the hip-hop culture who exploit it as just entertainment or a fad. He says, “My culture’s not a trend, being black is not in/But for you it’s just a phase you’re gonna have to transcend.” He solidifies his point with, “This music is my life, not a cultural fling/It’s an expression of the soul when we dance and sing.”

In the third round, Murs expresses his worries about losing his core suburban audience to the likes of more appealing artists such as Eminem. He acknowledges his comprehension of the situation: “Good music transcends all physical limits/It’s more than something that you hear/It’s something that you feel/When the author and experience and passion is real.”

Honest? Humble? Hip-Hop? Who knew? This isn’t something that will be heard on the commercial radio waves anytime soon because there’s no silly dance to go with it. But it’s clear who this is for: Everyone.

If you like Murs, check out the hip-hop duo Felt, which consists of Atmosphere’s Slug and Murs. Felt has two studio releases, “Felt, Volume 1: A Tribute to Christina Ricci” and “Felt, Volume 2: A Tribute to Lisa Bonet.”