“Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.
But I love a whole lot more than I hate about them.
They look good feel good and smell even better,
So why you acting like your mama didn’t use that leather?
B word this H bomb that.
And in the midst all of this I wonder where your moms at?
Cause if she ain’t one, then tell me where the hate from.
You just calm down and maybe you can date one. “
—Murs, “Love & Appreciate 2”
Murs is by far one of the best lyricists and storyteller style rappers that I’ve heard in a long time. Even though his hair is a bit much to take in, I love how he does what he wants to do and doesn’t get wrapped up in having the “perfect” image. On numerous occasions, Murs has paired up with Ninth Wonder, a producer I’d love to work with one day, and released classic albums that belong in any true connoisseur of real hip hop’s collection.
Love and relationships are two themes that have made appearances on most of his albums. In 2008, Murs included “Love & Appreciate 2” on his album “Murs for President,” which is actually a follow-up to “Love and Appreciate” on his album “Murray’s Revenge,” released in 2006. In these particular lyrics, Murs speaks not only for himself as a man but for men in general. We’ve all heard the cliche phrase, “Can’t live with them, can’t live without them;” however, Murs admits that “he loves a whole lot more than he hates about them.” Men may groan about what their women are doing to aggravate or frustrate them with their male friends occasionally, and women are definitely known for doing the same, but at the end of the day, it’s all about the love and appreciation you have for one another.
However, Murs, does take it a step further by indicating that there does come a point where some men do cross the line with how they treat and interact with their women or women in general. He juxtaposes the mothers of these men and the women with whom they are involved or wish to be involved and questions how men treat women . The implications is that women should be treated with the same respect these very same men would give their mothers. Even though Murs is speaking directly to men, this stance also reigns true with women. I’ve heard women who often refer to men as dogs or bums even when they’ve done nothing to substantiate being referred to as such. Is this love and appreciation?
It is necessary to not only show love but appreciation for one another, and how can this be done when you use derogatory words to represent the person you are with or would like to be with. Is it ever acceptable? Some people may say, “Well, I only say those things to her or him when I’m angry.” I say that it’s never acceptable, even in anger. In order to have love and appreciation, one must give respect at all times. Remember, you get what you give, and if you are still in pursuit of that special person, if “you just calm down and maybe you could date one.”
Please feel free to share your thoughts
~Anonomz aka Tanya Harris
Bonus English Lesson:
Even though I love rap music, if a person was attempting to learn the English language or grammar rules, a rap song would definitely not be the best place to start. One of the reasons is that several rappers include not just slang but dialects which usually contain blatant grammatical errors throughout their lyrics. Murs is no exception. In the following lyrics, Murs has a very common grammatical error which is actually a dialect with the “to be” verb as been dropped from the sentence. He says, “So why you acting like your mama didn’t use that leather?” But if this sentence was put into standard English it would say, “So why are you acting like your mama didn’t use that leather?” I love slang and dialects, but keep in mind that there is a time and place for standard and what is considered non standard English, a dialect or vernacular of some kind.
Journey of Anonomz 