Coming up with the Living Legends crew in the East Bay, MURS was once known best for selling tapes on Telegraph Avenue and hosting a series of “Broke Ass Summer Jam” concerts. Talent intervened, however, and now the rapper with the birth name of Nick Carter (you’d change your name too if you shared it with a Backstreet Boy) has been seen on tour with Atmosphere, in the independent film Walk Like a Man and as an occasional host on CurrentTV. MURS is possibly the most East Coast–sounding MC to live exclusively on the West Coast, with a direct, understandable style more indebted to Masta Ace than Rodney O., although he represents California with a fervor—he’s even got a rib-length “Cloverdale” tattoo (it reflects the area off Wilshire and La Brea in L.A.). Tech N9ne, who headlines the show, knows a thing or two about the hustle himself, although instead of selling tapes on the street, he usually erects an enormous merch booth. Both appear on Saturday, May 9, at the Phoenix Theater. 201 E. Washington St., Petaluma. 8pm. $26–$30. 707.762.3565.Gabe Meline
.May 9: MURS and Tech N9ne at the Phoenix Theater
