With “The Strangest”, MURS comes fresh out of the gate with a lyrical offering that rivals your favorite rappers and then some.
With a combined boom-bap and trap production by Curtiss King, the track has already made a splash from Strange Music fans and hip hop heads alike. We talked to the newest signee to Strange Music to find out why he dropped the track for free and what the song is about. MURS also took the time to dissect some of his incredible bars along the way.
Tell us about The Strangest. What’s the song about and what does it mean to you?
I call my boy Curtiss King. I wanted to do something a little more boom bap but I wanted to do something, it was inspired by “Unbelievable” by Biggie. By no means am I comparing it to that, but I was like “Yeah, I want something like that, that I can rock just for the Strangers,” – and for my fans, but just paying homage to the big homie, to the boss man Tech. I wanted to do something that had scratches and a little more hip hop feel. When I played it for Dave Weiner the A&R was like “Yeah man, the Strange fans will love this.” I was just like “Let’s just give it to them for free. This is just for them.” And my fans too. It’s a shout out. And I don’t feel that Tech is sampled enough or scratched enough. He has such great lines.
Curtiss King came through with the beat and I was like “This is cool man. This is dope.” It definitely combines traditional hip hop and in the hook it goes trappy and I love that, because we did Shut Your Trap together and I got a good response from you and other people in the office. What better way than to give it to the social media department that was digging Curtiss’s other production and kind of how it’s an intro to a lot of people in this office. They dig Curtiss and I dig Curtiss and it’s just something for free before the album goes out. You don’t have to pre-order it if you don’t want. Someone was like “You should make this a pre-order track.” I was like “No, I just want to show my gratitude” and the love I felt after the ¡MURSDAY! tour. A lot of fans came out to show me love and to me this was the best way to show them respect.
What was it like interacting with the Strange fans? Did you feel welcomed?
Yeah I felt welcomed on Sickology and now I felt like, you know the second time you come over to the house and your girl’s parents are just like “Just go in the refrigerator and get whatever you want to drink.” It felt like that. I felt at home. It made me feel at home. They were nice to me at first on The Sickology Tour. No one was really dissing except for one kid in Cincinatti, other than that they welcomed me. Now it’s like “Oh, you’re home! What’s up bro?” I love it.
What are some of the lines you use to highlight the theme of the Strangest?
Well the funny thing is, if I could just break down my lyrical prowess. Wrekonize loves it when people do this. Shout out to Eminem.
The first line is “Shot from the underground into the mainstream.” It’s weird to me that coming to Strange equates to going into the mainstream for you. To the rest of the world, Strange is this beacon for underground. The mainstream, that’s the antithesis of what a lot of people look at Strange as.
Well that’s where I’m going. I’m going to the mainstream. I’ve always been going there. That’s why I signed to Warner Bros. My goal was set on bringing this real shit to the mainstream. When I was younger Public Enemy was mainstream.
Crazy isn’t it? You could turn on the radio and the best shit was right there. Or you’d turn on MTV and it was playing –
– great shit. I want to put classics back in the reach of young children. I’m not saying that my shit is classic, but I just want to put quality music and let them determine if it’s classic to them. But if I’m not putting it out there for them, if I’m not setting my goals and making these affirmations that are saying where I want to be then I’m never going to get there.
Do you consider yourself a strange man?
Yes – I’m The Strangest! That’s what the song is all about. So like I was saying “Swing like a couple hundred swords when I say things, crowned in this rap game of thrones, I remain king.” The Game Of Thrones crown is made out of swords, a couple hundred swords. You see how I did that? Then I say “Fire breathing, lyrics hotter than Khaleesi is.” That’s a double entendre because literally she’s the dragon lady and she cannot be burned, secondly she’s a hot chick on the show. “Burn em, now your favorite rapper is hotter than he thinks he is.” Then I leave a space, and I say “Fill in the Dylan reference.” Who is Dylan?
I thought he was on that show with Diddy.
Right, but what did he say? What’s the Dave Chappelle joke? “I spit hot fire. I spit hot fire.” So I say “Fire breathing lyrics, I’m hotter than Khaleesi is / Burn ’em now your favorite rapper is hotter than he thinks he is / Leave a blank space, fill in the Dylan reference.” I’m a lyrical genius bro. That’s just the beginning of the song. Then at the end?! What I do is I say “They ain’t got the stamina to carry on / A year later, look around like “Where they gone?” / Disappeared like panties on Nikki when she wears a thong.” Boom. I’m out of there. That’s the end.
I can’t see her panties. I mean they might be on, but her ass is so big…I just can’t see them.
And that’s what happens to these rappers who think their hits on Soundcloud are going to give them longevity. A year later you look around and they’re in Nikki Minaj’s asshole.
Dang.
Not that that’s a bad place to be.
Yeah but the ecosystem of music is way different and I think a lot less goes into the effort of trying to create this long-lasting thing. You used to hold on to albums.
And that’s why I’m The Strangest because I’m still doing that.
Do you think you did it with the new record?
Yeah definitely. I put my heart and soul and everything. I try to make something that will stand the test of time.
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