Narrative storytelling is often associated with literature, but Murs’ song “Walk like Man” perfectly conveys how important effective storytelling can be in rap music as well. In this song, Murs tells the story of his friend who is shot and killed, and then how a year later he decides to exact revenge with a killing of his own. This song contemplates whether revenge, or whether more specifically violence, can be used a resolution to conflict and one’s own issues. Murs is able to show the temptations of revenge, and the unanticipated feelings of remorse through exceptional story telling. The progression of events in Murs story is logical, relatable, and leaves a gripping impact with the listener.

The relatability of “Walk like a Man” is what allows the listener to feel connected to the song, and to understand and not villainize Murs for his actions. Murder is a hard thing to justify, but Murs shows how the right circumstances can make it appear like the right thing to do. If Murs had started the song by talking about how he had simply killed someone, the listener probably would have placed a lot of negative judgement on him, and additionally they likely would not have wanted to hear out his entire story. Instead, Murs states in the beginning, “if shootin’ is the solution, then you’re not that clever”. This presents how Murs began with a clear mindset, one that the majority of a relatively peaceful society would agree with. Murs then reveals how extreme pressures can change a philosophy that one had deeply believed. This is expressed by the story of him and his friend driving around and trying to confront some girls. This scenario is pretty typical of any one in society and sets up for a believable twist. This is exactly what happens, as Murs and his friend are then confronted by a gangster and a violent escalation results in gun shots and the death of his friend. It is well known the power of losing someone close to you, and this is shown by the lyrics “I remember his face (the killers), but what I remember most, was when I got to my knees and held my nigga close”. These lyrics convey the powerful emotions of sadness that Murs experienced that made him crave vengeance so strongly. It is not unlikely to believe a listener would also want to exact revenge on someone who killed their friend if given the opportunity. Murs then effectively sets up this opportunity in his story. It is important to have a believable transition, or the message of the song will lose its significance as the story loses credibility. Murs adds believability to encountering the killer again by using a logical setting. Murs states how he was on the side of town that the killer was because he was meeting up with his friend Isaih, who also lives on that side of town. Here, it was by plausible chance that he saw the killer walking outside. After Murs was granted the perfect combination of desire for vengeance and opportunity, it is no surprise to the listener that he states, “I pressed the heat against his cheek, then I squeezed two times for the homie, rest in peace.” While the listener probably understands Murs’ vengeance for his friend as a justification for murder, Murs also appeals to those who disagree with the justification of murder under any circumstances by ending the song with the remorse that he feels after the fact. The song “Walk like a Man” is both powerful and able to convey its meaning due to Murs’ understanding of Narrative storytelling, and his ability to recognize the importance of using logical sequencing of events and relatability when telling a story.