Holding it down on the underground scene for over a decade, with his Paid Dues Tour, Murs is using his influence to open up the door for others. Taking a break from promoting the tour, he talks to Mass Appeal about how he hooked up with Rock The Bells, the growing importance of the live show, and his legacy as an indie artist. Click through for the knowledge.
words: Jiro Kohl
Murs has been paying his dues under the radar since ‘96 and has rolled with the heavyweights of the indie hip hop scene since day one. But it wasn’t until recently, due to his stellar collaborations with producers 9th Wonder, and Atmosphere’s Slug that he has gained recognition from critics outside the undergroud. Even though he recently signed to Warner Brothers, Murs is determined to stick to his subterranean roots, organizing the Paid Dues Festival. With an impressive line-up of Def Jukies, and Rhymesayers family, among others, the indie acts will get some much deserved exposure as they kick off their tour this weekend alongside Rock the Bells on Randall’s Island in New York.
How did the Paid Dues tour first get started?
I lost my phone and the hugest Chinese guy I’ve ever seen came up to me and was like, “You dropped your phone, I put my number in.” I was like, “Who are you?” He’s like, “I’m Chang, I’m the guy who does Rock the Bells.” I said, “What are you doing out here? You’re like a kabillionaire.” He’s like, “Who’s gonna promote this show?” I saw that we have a similar work ethic. Then he was like, “I would love it if you came out and did it. If you don’t, I just want you to come out and see how we operate.” I went out, saw how Chang and Guerilla Union made sure all the artists were comfortable. The sound was good, the venue was good, the security was as good as security gets.
And how did Paid Dues team up with Rock the Bells and switch to tour format?
Rock the Bells sold out in two hours or whatever without Paid Dues. [Chang] has Rage Against the Machine, he didn’t need Paid Dues. But he believes in our scene so much that he’s like, “I’ll pay you guys to come out, and give you your own stage.” And he’s really just about making this the biggest hip hop event ever.
With record sales dwindling, is putting on a dope live show becoming more important?
I think so. The era of being a superstar is over; you have to be more of a human being. That’s why Rock the Bells and Paid Dues are about the experience, it’s not about a live show. We wanna get you an hour where you might get to meet RZA. I’ve got to get my book signed by RZA, I’m fuckin’ psyched. [At Rock the Bells / Paid Dues], you get 12 or 13 acts, and it’s shorter, they’re doing all their best songs, they’re not dragging it out. It’s boom, boom, boom, boom, and at the end of the day, hopefully, you’re tired, but you had a great time. Got to see something new, hopefully meet a couple people, maybe carpooled or maybe smoked something with somebody.
What prompted your move to a major label?
It was time for me to take the next step. If I don’t leave the indie scene better than I found it, I haven’t done anything. Like El-P, instead of just taking his money and doing records with Zack De La Rocha and Trent Reznor all day, he said, “I’m taking my money, I’m gonna invest in putting out more artists.” And he helped me. Now, I got a Warner deal but I wanna do Paid Dues, and at the same time, take myself out of the scene. I think a lot of artists that came before me, didn’t move out and make room for the next generation. I’m trying to move out of the way, if that means I go to Warner and fail, then I fail. But, there’s something new for me, maybe it’s film, maybe it’s TV, maybe it’s real estate. I want new blood, I want new kids to try and come up.
