Dave Chamberlain

Yet another in the crew of extremely talented Def Jux hip-hop artists, Murs is far from a rapper-come-lately. His career began in the early nineties as a member of the little-known 3 Melancholy Gypsys, and he stayed a relatively unknown talent despite the fact that his name showed up on gaggles of underground hip-hop records (Scarab, Masterminds, Elusive, Mystik Journeymen). With the explosion of Def Jux Records helping move underground hip-hop to a higher-profile position, Murs was given a chance to record a solo record. That effort, "End of the Beginning," treads a thin line between the deep, dark production of labelmate Aesop Rock, and a more mainstream sensibility that's not too far from the one and only Ice Cube (the latter really comes through in his ambling, story-telling cadence). In terms of subject matter, Murs covers the underground bases, with tracks about the loss of underground hip-hop's independence ("You and I"), old rappers ("Please Leave") and even skateboarding ("Transitions az a Ridah"), all with a stable of guest rappers (EL-P, Aesop Rock, Shock G.). The highlight comes in "The Dance," a rolling, chugging old-school funk-rock jam, with Murs rhyming about the most classic of street-rap subject matter: the day-to-day life of a hip-hopper. Up against other Def Jux releases, "The End of the Beginning" doesn't bring the skull-caving bass and off-meter rhymes that label fans might expect, but Murs drops a natural talent at clever storytelling, something too many in the underground forget.

Murs plays June 7 at the Abbey Pub, 3420 West Grace, (773)478-4408.

(2003-06-04)

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