Murs calls out homophobia in hip-hop in new video

Rapper Murs is using his voice to take a stand against homophobia.

After President Obama announced his support of gay marriage, many influential people in hip-hop have followed suit.

From Will Smith to Jayz, now California rapper Murs is attacking the issue of homophobia in hip-hop.

In the video, rapper Murs wears a “Legalize Gay” shirt, and at the end of the video kisses his on-screen boyfriend.

The video follows Murs who plays a high school teen, who is in love with Jonathan, an openly gay student at his high school. Murs on the other hand, keeps his relationship on the D.L. (down low).

“Boyfriend Roderick kept his secret closeted/Scared to come out into this world of zero tolerance,” Murs raps.

“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?” Murs wrote on YouTube. “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.”

Check out the video by Murs below: