Five Reasons a Rhymesayers and MURS Deal Makes Sense
It has been confirmed, according to Shabooty.com, that MURS is in the process of leaving Warner Brothers Music Group, the home of his last release, MURS for President. This follows the initial rumor that he had been dropped in an effort to downsize by the label, but MURS’ official quote (again, according to Shabooty) is that it was a conscious effort on his part to leave, citing “differences in opinion.”
Speculation begins now as to what is next for MURS, his post-Warner fate remains unclear. What’s happening right now is a new Felt (Slug and MURS) album, produced by Aesop Rock, of MURS’ old label, Definitive Jux. And, a stir of questions as to whether he will be making the jump back to Def Jux or going onto something else for future releases. It seems an even more likely, and logical, choice would be for MURS to jump on board with co-Felt-star Slug’s Rhymesayers Entertainment. I ain’t sayin’ it’s gonna happen, I’m just saying it makes sense; here are five reasons why:
5. FELT
It’s the first logical answer, Felt discs have become a staple of most indie-head’s hip-hop diet. Although the past 
releases (and, most likely the third one) from the duo have been done without MURS being officially affiliated with Rhymesayers, but the magic is there. MURS and Slug play well together musically, and as they continue to work in tandem it seems to make more and more sense for MURS to join his partner-in-rhyme on the label that’s been putting indie guys on the map for years (See: P.O.S. on MTV last week).
4. “EIGHTEEN TO TWENTY-ONE”
This track from BK-One and Benzilla’s Rádio Do Canibal (Oct. 6) showcases MURS’ slick groupie-detailing lyricism over an up-beat instrumental. MURS isn’t the only artist on the disc that isn’t inked to RSE, but he is one of the few. Save a handful of notable MC’s, the entire album is Rhymesayers-heavy, and MURS’ solo track just fits. More MURS on Rhymesayers project is a victory for listeners.
3. JUGGERNAUT, BITCH
Rhymesayers is a serious juggernaut in the indie scene now-a-days, and starting to give the majors (sort of) a run for their money. Clearly they know how to run a label, and run it well, they’re doing all the right things and picking up great artists along the way (Evidence?) The heart of this point is that Rhymesayers is doing big things and doing deals with a lot of the biggest artists in the game, picking up MURS couldn’t hurt their résumé.
2. STICK-IT-TO-THE-MAN
It’s not really clear what extent of a beef there is between MURS and Warner Brothers, but if it’s enough of a “difference of opinion” to drop off of a major label it’s probably safe to say that MURS wouldn’t mind getting in a chuckle at their expense. Rhymesayers has been in cahoots with Warner Brothers for marketing and distribution services on an à-la-carte basis since early 2007, so if MURS were to sign with RSE he would be receiving essentially all of the benefits of releasing an album under WB without having the contract. The irony of the entire situation is almost reason enough to go through with a deal.
1. C.R.E.A.M.
Let’s face it, cash is king. Putting out music, no matter how “underground” an artist, in the end, is about getting paid.
Some rappers are out to make a “milli,” others just want to get by, but when you put as much time and effort toward a craft as many MCs do, you want something in return for your sweat equity. Murs for President was sitting right around 35,000 copies sold at the beginning of the year. For a major, that’s relatively low, but for an indie those are good numbers. So, not only is Rhymesayers getting a boost in over-all sales count, but MURS is probably going to be walking away with a bigger slice of that pie being signed to an indie rather than a major. Bottom line is it’s a win-win situation financially and makes sense as a business move.
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October 5th, 2009 at 8:41 am
LMFAO….that last one was the funniest, because…I didn’t even know his album dropped. Seriously.
If it was on Rhymesayers? I would have known.
October 5th, 2009 at 9:44 am
RSE is dope. On paper it makes sense, but who really buys a Murs record? 35,000, they must be somehwere in Warner warehouse.
October 7th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
“MURS For President” sold in 3 months what “When Life Gives You Lemons” sold in 1 week.
December 7th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Dang thats crazy i didnt know all this but i love his music good jams