Murs walks -- and talks -- a very fine line

Even though he was raised in Los Angeles, home of such incendiary gangster rap pioneers as Ice-T and Ice Cube, Murs aspired to another brand of hip-hop storytelling. “I always wanted to be more of a Fresh Prince than anything, with a little bit more hard-core edge and a couple of curse words in there,” says Murs, on the phone from Florida, where he is promoting his potent new album, “Murs 3:16 the 9th edition.”

“If it wasn’t for ‘Parents Just Don’t Understand’ and ‘Girls Are Nothing But Trouble,’ I probably never would have MC’d. It was something that I could listen to again, again and again, and my mom couldn’t say anything about it.”

Produced entirely by the moody, soulful 9th Wonder (of Jay-Z and Little Brother fame), Murs’ new album contains several narrative-driven songs that explore lust (“Bad Man”), his sometimes low self-esteem (“The Pain”), and revenge (“Walk Like a Man”). This wide thematic range allows him to present himself as both an artist and a human being.

On the drum-driven “3:16,” Murs explains his musical mission. “I’m trying to walk that thin line between intelligence and ignorance,” he passionately raps. “Have a little fun while making music of significance.”

“If I could get the chance,” Murs says, “I think more kids and adults would be like, ‘Wow. I relate more to what Murs is saying than I do being a pimp.’ ”