I think the Paid Dues indie rap festival that Murs is organizing with Guerilla Union suggests some interesting possibilities for building underground hip hop. The event will take place March 11th in San Bernardino, California with such acts as Aesop Rock, Living Legends, El-P, Chingo Bling and Felt, the combo of Murs, Slug and Ant.

Murs said he was inspired by being on the Vans Warped Tour a few years back:
“I thought it would be great to do something similar for our fans — something outdoors during the day and at a great price, making it a refreshing change for our die-hard fans who are used to seeing us in the dark dank nightclubs. . . At the same time, it’s a great and inexpensive introduction to live hip-hop for the young fans.”

Since the acts slated for Paid Dues mostly fit the indie rock/hip hop crossover demographic, that’s captured my attention in the past, offering them in an indie rock stamped setting is a logical way to build. Although it may just be a one-off, the idea of a similar summer tour suggests a great way to take acts like those on Definitive Jux and Rhymesayers to a higher level of visibility and popularity.

Guerilla Union previously organized Cypress Hill’s Smoke Out and Rock the Bells Festival and plans to organize a Wu-Tang Festival of the 36 Chambers in the fall.

MySpace Site: Paid Dues