Wow, this video was an unexpectedly potent visual that gazes deep into the stereotypes of hip-hop and homophobia. Hip-hop artist Murs takes on this topic with a powerfully moving video about how two men from different sides of the tracks fall in love and out of the living world because of their respective fears and worries about loving another man.

With much hullabaloo about Frank Ocean “coming out” (and in my opinion, being mislabeled as a “hip-hop” artist due to his affiliation with Odd Future), the real attention should be turned to Murs, who is in FACT, an actual hip-hop artist.

I watched this and was definitely dialed in as Murs interspersed a solo performance in front a camera with a fictionalized account of what he was rapping about. Kudos to him for not only writing, recording, and releasing this song, but actually placing himself in a situation of acting in the video as well.

His statement says a lot:

“Animal Style is a song I did for many reasons,” Murs explains. “The first was to be an advocate for people close to me who are out, and those who have yet to come out. It’s also a love song, which is nothing new for me. But with this one I wanted to challenge the listener to ask themselves: Is the love shared by two people of the same gender, really that different than the love I have for my partner of the opposite sex? And finally, I just felt it was crucial for some of us in the hip hop community to speak up on the issues of teen suicide, bullying, and the overall anti-homosexual sentiment that exist within hip hop culture. I felt so strongly about these issues and this song that I had to do a video that would command some attention, even if it makes some viewers uncomfortable. Even if it came at the cost of my own comfort.”

What do you think of this video? Would love to hear your thoughts! It’s taken from his latest project Love & Rockets Volume 1: The Transformation. If you like, support indie artists!

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