Keith Murray (born September 13, 1974) is a rapper and a member of
the rap trio Def Squad, which includes fellow rappers Redman and
Erick Sermon.
Before Murray ever recorded an album, he battled Big Daddy Kane.
At that time, Murray went by the name of MC Do Damage. Murray did
not win the battle, but he did earn Kane's respect. Later, Murray
would be introduced to Erick Sermon of EPMD by K-Solo. Sermon would
feature Murray on his album No Pressure on the single "Hostile".
Murray quickly established himself as one of the most creative lyricists
in the industry with his first album The Most Beautifullest Thing
in This World, released in 1994 on Jive Records. The title track
from this album remains Murray's biggest solo hit. This album was
given 4 mics by The Source.
Murray's second album Enigma was released in 1996 on Jive. It received
similar ratings from critics, but it was not quite as commercially
successful as the previous album. In 1998, The Def Squad covered "Rapper's
Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang. They would later release their
own album, El Niño. Murray's third album It's a Beautiful
Thing was released in 1999 while he was in prison. Like the previous
album, it received relatively good reviews, but it showed yet another
drop in sales. Murray also appeared on the song "Home Alone" by
R. Kelly. In 2001, Murray's return to the music industry was announced
with a memorable verse on "Fatty Girl." This song was featured
on The Good Life, a compilation of songs for Fubu.
While he was in prison, Murray began writing for his next solo album.
Upon his release, he would leave Jive and sign with Def Jam. He's
Keith Murray was released in 2003. Murray claims to have chosen this
title because the album represents him, but many fans saw it as an
obvious attempt at crossover success because of singles like "Candy
Bar" featuring Patti Austin. The album also featured the single "Yeah,
Yeah U Know It." This song has guest appearances from fellow
Def Squad members Redman and Erick Sermon. Murray dedicated "Christina" to
his sister. That same year, Murray was featured on the video game
Def Jam Vendetta.
He released his fifth solo album Rap-Murr-Phobia on July 31, 2007.
It debuted at number 52 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling
about 13,000 copies in its first week.[1] The lead single is "Nobody
Do It Better" featuring Tyrese & Junior.
His career is said to be foreshadowed by his song "Hustle On." In
it he describes his desire to become rich at any cost.
Murray's vocals/crowd hyping appears on the song "Elektrobank" by
The Chemical Brothers from their album Dig Your Own Hole.
[edit] Discography
Main article: Keith Murray discography
* The Most Beautifullest Thing in This World (1994)
* Enigma (1996)
* It's a Beautiful Thing (1999)
* He's Keith Murray (2003)
* Rap-Murr-Phobia (The Fear of Real Hip-Hop) (2007)
* Intellectual Violence (2008)
* Puff Puff Pass (2008)